Land Use
Parking Propels Real Estate Bubble in Beijing
What's causing underground parking spaces to go for $160,000 in Beijing? Quartz reports that demand, narrow roads, resident disenfranchisement and old zoning law give developers the upper-hand.
The Theory Behind NIMBYism, Part 3
When should a city give neighborhood concerns weight, and when should a state or city create clear-cut rules that limit planners' discretion to consider neighborhood concerns?
Lawsuit Puts Climate Change Preparation Onus On Cities
A class-action lawsuit filed by Farmers Insurance Co. against the city of Chicago raises questions on municipal responsibility to prepare against 'foreseeable risk.'
What The NY Times Got Wrong About Inclusionary Zoning
NY Mayor Bill de Blasio released a 10-year plan to create or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units in the city. Housing activists cheer at its embrace of mandatory inclusionary zoning, but the NY Time's coverage reveals an ignorant counter view.
Why Aren't Bike and Pedestrian Activists Teaming with Urbanists?
A new benchmarking report on biking and walking reveals a big hole in this growing movement — many ped-bike advocates rarely talk to urbanists, and vice-versa.
Does New York City Need More Bank Branches?
The question: "Why are there so many damn banks? Why did we even download this sweet banking app that's supposed to do everything short of pushing cash out of the headset jack?"
Planning For More Than Sports
The recent attempts to lure a NFL team to Los Angeles shows how successful site design will depend on the cultural characteristics of the uses of the site as much as it will depend on planning for land use and logistics.
Enclosing the Commons: Tech Billionaire Buys Beloved Beach
San Mateo residents sue a Silicon Valley tycoon for buying and closing off a public beach in violation of California Coastal Act.
A Radical Proposal for North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago
A citizen-led initiative to rethink the land around North Lake Shore Boulevard in the neighborhood of Streeterville produced ambitious designs that would create additional shoreline, baldy-needed open space, and a tunnel for Lake Shore Drive.
Public Comment Sought for U.S. EPA's 'RE-Powering America's Land' Action Plan
The U.S. EPA is in the process of updating its 2008 plan to promote renewable energy on formerly contaminated land, mines, or landfill sites.
San Francisco: Model for Freeway Removal
Architecture critic John King tagged along with the Congress for New Urbanism. The latter was recently in San Francisco to examine the benefits of freeway removal. The city's prime case study: Octavia Boulevard.
Minneapolis Sets Zero Waste Goals
The Minneapolis City Council is considering steps that would increase the amount of its waste stream that gets recycled.
Philadelphia Continues Zoning Tweeks
The Philadelphia City Council has been busy, proposing multiple bills to rezone a few neighborhoods and parcels around the city. Many of the proposed changes follow the guidance on the city's Philadelphia2035.
With Ballot Box Zoning Likely to Pass—What Next for San Francisco?
C.W. Nevius examines the consequences of Proposition B—on the ballot in San Francisco in June.
Lacking a Coherent Urban Planning Vision? 'Build More Roads' Will Have to Do
A recent article addresses the illogical planning agenda set by states (Missouri, in this case) because local governments (St. Louis, in this case) lack a coherent planning vision. The situation is surely not unique in the annals of planning.
New App Would Auction Public Parking Spaces
The MonkeyParking app works similarly to sharing economy stars Airbnb or Uber, except for sale is an inside line on parking spaces. That means that private users would be auctioning the use of public space. That can't be legal, can it?
Agriculture Department Releases Five-Year Census Data—'Christmas for Farm Nerds'
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its 2012 Agriculture Census. The census provides data like how much wheat the state of Kansas produced and the average age of U.S. farm operators.
Parking Meter Tests Provoke Frustration in St. Louis
Locations around St. Louis are testing new parking meters, leading to confusion and tickets. The changes are part of an ongoing test of new systems that will eventually yield an overdue overhaul of the city's parking technology.
Buffalo Releases Draft Green Code to Ease Permit Process
Buffalo recently released the draft of its new Green Code, which includes a Land Use Plan, Unified Development Ordinance, Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, Brownfield Opportunity Areas, and Urban Renewal Plans. Mark Sommer reports.
The Theory of NIMBYism, Part 2
Homeowners' desire for more expensive land does not justify the "NIMBY veto" over new development.
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
