Land Use

With the selection of Tokyo over Istanbul and Madrid as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, continuing concerns over radioactivity trumped social instability and a deep economic recession as the least dangerous alternative.

September 9, 2013 - The New York Times

As New Yorkers prepare to vote in tomorrow's mayoral primaries, Democrat Bill de Blasio's "tale of two cities" critique of the Bloomberg years has resonated with voters. But when it comes to land use, do his policies promise more of the same?

September 9, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

If American politicans and bureaucrats had favored public transit or pedestrians as aggressively as they favored cars in the 20th century, public policy would be very different indeed.

September 8, 2013 - Michael Lewyn

Siemens and C40 have announced the winners of the inaugural City Climate Leadership Awards, recognizing the global cities demonstrating leadership and innovation in fighting climate change across ten separate categories.

September 7, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Keynote at Future of Cities Forum conference argued that carbon neutrality is not enough, He urged cities to adopt regenerative urban development that mimic natural processes and actively improve the environment.

September 6, 2013 - Future Cities

Paso Robles -- one of California's premier wine-producing regions -- is on the verge of running out of water, pitting wine producers against rural residents. At stake is the possible future of the region.

September 5, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Moscow's Gorky Park, once the rundown backdrop of a murder novel, has experienced a remarkable turnaround. Today, the mayor imagines its recovery as part of his legacy while Muscovites simply see it as the perfect place to play, dine, and relax.

September 4, 2013 - The New York Times

The $1 billion electronic cigarette industry has boomed in the last year; Southern California cities, shell-shocked from the spread of marijuana dispensaries, are struggling to cope with the storefront businesses.

September 4, 2013 - The Los Angeles Times

For the first time since 1946, Los Angeles is completely revising its zoning code. Urban Insight, the team behind Planetizen, is pleased to be part of this project. One of our key goals is to create a modern web-based version of the zoning code.

September 3, 2013 - Chris Steins

Asia's mega-malls have been booming for over a decade, many built atop former park space, and now are suffering from high vacancy rates and low consumer spending.

September 3, 2013 - Quartz

In many exurban locations, planners and developers are often enticed by the idea of building urban environments, but without the necessary markets to support them, argues a real estate consultant.

September 3, 2013 - Baltimore Business Journal

Architect and planner Gerhard W. Mayer asserts that a city developed to accommodate cars is no place for paltry public transit offerings; Los Angeles needs major changes to its DNA if it wants to remain viable.

September 3, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Kenneth T. Jackson of the New York Times expresses his opposition to recent density concerns in New York City, which he believes are compromising its future as the world’s greatest city.

September 3, 2013 - The New York Times

Ever wish your nearby park could follow you throughout the city, providing open space wherever you might be? An artist and landscape architect have created Parkcycle Swarm, a modular system of 'human powered mobile gardens'.

September 2, 2013 - THE DIRT

Ever since a tentative deal for a new sports arena was struck between the City of Sacramento and new owners of the Sacramento Kings, real estate activity around the proposed downtown location has increased including deals for long empty storefronts.

August 31, 2013 - The Sacramento Bee

Changes to the criteria for evaluating applications for the federal New Starts program could have a significant impact on efforts to preserve and expand affordable housing in close proximity to transit.

August 31, 2013 - Rooflines

Satirical newspaper The Onion has released the results of a nationwide poll to determine what the country's residents associate with the word "America". Rather than apple pie, the flag, or baseball, the resounding choice was a strip mall parking lot.

August 30, 2013 - The Onion

TOD as a planning tool is new to Indian cities, where the idea is being championed as a solution to congestion, environment quality and housing equity. Can this concept, developed for the North American city, be successful in Indian cities?

August 30, 2013 - The City Fix

In a collection of aerial photos comparing Cincinnati in the 1950s and today, one can see the disastrous effect that the nation's highway building frenzy had on the city's urban fabric.

August 30, 2013 - Urbanophile

By a 13-2 vote, the Los Angeles City Council lifted an unevenly applied decade-long ban on public murals on Wednesday, ending a dark period for a city that had long celebrated its social and cultural identity on public walls.

August 30, 2013 - Los Angeles Times