Land Use
California Cracks Down on Beach Blocking Scofflaws
The California Coastal Commission has a powerful new tool to go after homeowners who block access to the state's beaches—the CC can now fine such scofflaws instead of taking them to court.
Report Decries Slow Project Delivery by New York City Parks Department
New Yorkers for Parks released a study earlier this month finding that the Department of Parks and Recreation is one of the city's slowest when it comes to finishing projects on a reasonable timeframe.
'Urban Reviewer' Archives New York City's 155 Neighborhood Master Plans
The 596 Acres project to catalogue and improve vacant, publicly owned lots in New York City produced another great tool called the Urban Reviewer, which gathers all of New York's adopted neighborhood master plans in one place.
SFPark Releases Data on Two-Year Pilot Phase
The SFPark two-year pilot has concluded, and the city recently released comprehensive data that make a good case for its success in almost every possible metric of parking management. Now can the city expand the program?
Environmentalists Settle Lawsuit on Plan Bay Area
Two down, two to go. Rarely has a regional transportation/land use plan been sued by so many diverse groups. Environmentalists settled with Bay Area regional planning agencies with assurances that the 2017 plan will better account for GHG reductions.
Reducing the Number of Abandoned Properties in Louisville
Louisville, like many other cities around the country, has been working hard to reduce the number of abandoned buildings. Recent efforts have provided the city with a new road map for blight reduction.
Minneapolis Pondering 'Granny Flats' Legalization
Responding to advocates who are calling for granny flats as a potential boon to the city's housing stock, city staff will begin a public engagement process this summer in preparation for possible changes to the city's zoning code.
Self-Starter Urbanism: Small Firms Tackle Big Projects on Their Own Terms
Development and research projects allow small firms entry into large-scale design.
Planning Neglected in Philadelphia's High School Fire Sale
Inga Saffron asks the tough questions of Philadelphia's sale of University City High School to Drexel University.
A Walk in the Woods Just Got Expensive in Washington and Oregon
The largest private owner of timberland in Washington and Oregon is now charging access fees ranging from $75 to $550 depending on the permit area. The $30 fees for National Forest and state parks passes look cheap by comparison.
No Little Plans for Private Passenger Rail Service Between Miami and Orlando
The last private passenger rail in the United States closed in 1983, but a private company is working on a 240-mile service between Orlando and Florida. CityLab recently detailed how a relic of the past could transform the Florida of the future.
Washington D.C. Could Convert Vacant Lots to Urban Farms
Following a trend that has been more common in shrinking cities, Washington D.C. is considering a bill that would convert district-owned lots into urban farms.
Buffalo Rebooting its Code
Buffalo is nearing the finish line in an efforts to draft a new form-based code.
Study: American Housing Preferences Mimic American Politics
Emily Badger pulls particularly salient information from last week's Pew Research Center's report on political attitudes: liberals prefer the city while conservatives prefer small towns and rural areas.
Is the 9/11 Memorial a 'Dead Space' in Lower Manhattan?
The grand opening of the 9/11 memorial and museum is derided by critics as a cold, uninviting public space, and 'ritualizing grief on a loop'
For Sale: Air Rights at MARTA's Urban Train Stations
MARTA is exploring the desire of developers to build mixed-use buildings over its urban train stations. Any such deal would be the first of its kind in MARTA's 40-plus-year history.
Another Award for Cincinnati's Form-Based Code
Cincinnati’s Department of Planning and Buildings was awarded the grand prize for "Best Planning Tool or Process" at the Congress for the New Urbanism's national conference last week. The award is just the latest in a string of commendations.
40 Visualizations of America and its Relationship with Food
A new post by Vox includes 40 maps, charts, and graphs explain that where and how food works in America.
Urbanists Soak Up Buffalo: PlaceMakers Empty Their Notebooks
Many of you attended CNU in Buffalo last week, but for those of you who couldn't make it, here's a quick collection of a few of the ideas shared.
The Lingering Consequences of Chicago's Parking Meter Privatization
An article examines "Exhibit A for bad public contracting"—a 75-year lease between Chicago a Morgan Stanley-led private consortium for 36,000 parking meters—as a cautionary tale about the lingering impacts of bad deals.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
