Land Use

New Study Establishes Baseline for Improving Angelenos' Health

Published on the last day of the Villaraigosa administration, the "Health Atlas for the City of Los Angeles" analyzed 100 different health outcomes citywide to inform the drafting of a new Health and Wellness Chapter for the City’s General Plan.

July 10, 2013 - Daily News Los Angeles

Rua Goncalo de Carvalho

Is This the World's Most Beautiful Urban Street?

Sure, we were pulled in by the article's provocative title, but we'd have to agree that under the arched canopy of Tipuana trees along Porto Alegre's Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho can be found one of the most wondrous and unique urban streets in the world.

July 10, 2013 - Inhabitat

Will Unsustainable Open Spaces Degrade Bloomberg's Legacy?

Thanks to private funds, NYC invested six times more in building and improving its parks during Mayor Bloomberg's tenure than was spent in the prior decade. But what will happen to these parks when their billionaire backer leaves office?

July 9, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Teaching Urban Lessons from Rural Landscapes

Chuck Wolfe's photoshoot in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington State shows the timeless issues of human settlement, from agrarian to urban.

July 9, 2013 - The Huffington Post

How the Centerpiece of D.C.'s Affordable Housing Efforts Became a Catastrophe

In an in-depth article, Robert Samuels examines the "oversights, missteps and missed opportunities" that have turned the New Communities Initiative - imagined as "the centerpiece of the District’s affordable-housing efforts" - into a train wreck.

July 9, 2013 - The Washington Post

Neighborhood Units Matter

This just in: Neighborhood Units missing in action as cities continue to attempt 3D governance using 2D laws. Howard Blackson argues why Neighborhood Units are the key element to placemaking.

July 9, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Proposals for S.F.'s Crissy Field Unfit for Spectacular Site

San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic John King bemoans the visions put forth by three finalists vying to redevelop a spectacular site across from the Crissy Field marsh.

July 9, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

In Historic Missouri City, Visionary Entrepreneurs Follow in the Path of Preservation Pioneers

Echoing the pioneering preservationists that saved and restored historic neighborhoods "left behind by suburban development" in the 1960s, a group of visionary entrepreneurs is battling to defend the historic soul of St. Joseph, Mo.

July 9, 2013 - Citiwire

The Great Repurposing: Envisioning the City of Driverless Cars

With driverless cars poised to appear in the not-too-distant future, planners and engineers are beginning to envision the effect on the urban landscape and the spaces within cars themselves. Nick Bilton shares some of the predictions.

July 9, 2013 - The New York Times

Familiarity Fostered on Foot Breeds Social Movements

A new study suggests that density, mixed-use neighborhoods, short city blocks, and, crucially, walkability foment political and social activism, reports Richard Florida.

July 8, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Does Bay Area Industry Have a Future?

A new state-mandated plan for the Bay Area may displace the region's goods movement businesses, thereby worsening congestion, increasing air pollution, raising consumer prices, and eliminating well-paying green- and blue-collar jobs.

July 7, 2013 - California Progress Report

Yards Park DC

Giving Waterfronts Back to the People

Does D.C. want to be a swamp? Are waterfronts for tow parks or people? Heidi Petersen reports on a panel discussion on the past and future of Washington's waterfront at the National Building Museum.

July 7, 2013 - ASLA The Dirt

San Francisco's Hidden Gardens Won't Remain Secret for Long

Curbed San Francisco has compiled a list of 17 of San Francisco's secret gardens and overlooked green spaces. Hidden gems include mini parks, rooftop decks, and a tulip garden.

July 6, 2013 - Curbed SF

Effort to Eliminate D.C. Parking Minimums Comes Under Attack

Like many cities across the country revisiting their outdated zoning codes, Washington D.C. has made parking requirement reform a centerpiece of their efforts. These efforts have attracted the ire of residents and AAA who fear parking armageddon.

July 6, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

Friday Eye Candy: Thousands of Tiny Boxes Create Hillside Haven

Larung Gar is a remote settlement located at 12,500ft in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Check out the incredible images of the row upon row of small boxes that house the 40,000 residents of one of the world's largest Buddhist institutes.

July 5, 2013 - Daily Mail

L.A. Looks to NYC for Pedestrianization Inspiration

Inspired by Manhattan's pedestrianization of Times Square, L.A.'s city council recently approved $1.8 million in funding to reduce a major downtown thoroughfare's roadway by half to make room for "a massive increase of the pedestrian infrastructure."

July 5, 2013 - LA.Streetsblog

Chalking Vandal Acquitted in San Diego

The streets of San Diego may be safe once again for nefarious chalking after a jury acquitted a local man accused of 13 counts of vandalism for scrawling anti-bank messages on sidewalks.

July 5, 2013 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Court Halts Controversial Taksim Square Project

An Istanbul court has ruled in favor of Turkish architects, city planners and landscape architects who sued last year to halt the planned redevelopment of Taksim Square. The project sparked nationwide protests last month.

July 5, 2013 - The New York Times

Stroading

Stroading: A Meme to Advertise America's Overbuilt Streets

Have you heard of stroading? While we don't recommend you try this at home, it behooves us to tell you about the ingenious meme that Charles Marohn and his friends have devised to point out America's over-engineered urban streets.

July 4, 2013 - Strong Towns Blog

A Guide to New York's Celebrated and Underrated Urban Landscapes

If you haven't managed to escape from, or you've managed to escape to, New York City this holiday weekend you might be pleased to learn that a new guide to the city's urban landscapes has been published by Norton Architecture and Design Books.

July 3, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.