Land Use

Finding Room for a Million More New Yorkers

New York City's population is expected to grow by one million residents by 2040. But where can housing be built to accommodate all these new residents? A new report from a Columbia University think tank identifies the most promising candidates.

June 11, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Could Golf Courses Become the Next Redevelopment Frontier?

In Portland, Oregon an unlikely partnership of environmental and business interests is supporting a plan to rezone an 84-year-old golf course to allow industrial development, bringing a new slant to the term 'greenfield development'.

June 11, 2013 - The Oregonian

D.C. Bike Share Steers Economic Growth

Real estate listings tout proximity to it, retailers want to be near it, and communities are clamoring for it; Capital Bikeshare has become an economic development tool that some think could be as potent as cars and Metro in guiding development.

June 11, 2013 - The Washington Examiner

Flooding Inundates Central and Eastern Europe; Urban Development and Climate Change Blamed

Record floods are swelling major rivers and tributaries across Central and Eastern Europe; disrupting transportation, displacing thousands of people, and causing what is estimated to be several billion dollars of damage.

June 11, 2013 - The New York Times

The Enduring Attraction of the Grid

Fresh from a lively debate about the desirability of the gridiron layout of cities at CNU 21, Paul Knight shares his eight central arguments for why one would be wise to use the rectilinear grid today.

June 10, 2013 - The Great American Grid

Federal Funds Intended to Help Homeowners Will Instead Fund Demolitions

Federal money earmarked to help prevent foreclosures and assist underwater homeowners will instead be used to fund housing demolitions in a $100 million pilot project in five Michigan cities.

June 10, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

In Aftermath of Building Collapse, Philly Mulls Vacant Property Tax

The tragic deaths of six people in last week's downtown building collapse have prompted Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke to revive a bill he originally sponsored 13 years ago that would penalize owners of vacant properties.

June 10, 2013 - philly.com

Downtown Redwood City

From 'Deadwood City' to Thriving Downtown: Redwood City's Remarkable Comeback

Downtown Redwood City (near San Francisco) has seen an amazing turnaround due to an aggressive program of code reform, strong investments in public spaces, and a strategy of using entertainment as a catalyzing force.

June 8, 2013 - CNU.org

Smart growth and city budgets: what matters most?

Where you build is important. But when it comes to city budgets, how much you build matters more.

June 7, 2013 - Norman Wright

280 Freeway San Francisco

'Mr. Mayor, Tear Down This Freeway', Says San Francisco Planning Think Tank

In their June magazine, SPUR proposes a bold vision for transforming several San Francisco neighborhoods based on three big moves: tear down the end of Interstate 280, put Caltrain and high-speed rail underground, and redevelop the Caltrain railyard.

June 7, 2013 - The Urbanist

Fabricating Philadelphia's Industrial Revival

A newly adopted master plan seeks to transform Philadelphia's underperforming industrial belt along the Lower Schuylkill River into a modern manufacturing hub.

June 7, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

What is the Role of the National Mall?

The cancellation of the Hirshhorn Museum's bubble project has Dan Malouff pondering the role of the National Mall. Should it be an urban room whose buildings define its open space, or the setting for risk-taking architecture?

June 7, 2013 - Greater Greater Washington

Is Philadelphia Building Collapse the City's Fault?

On Wednesday, a four-story building that was being demolished in downtown Philadelphia collapsed on top of a neighboring store, killing one person and injuring several people. According to Inga Saffron, the city bears some responsibility.

June 6, 2013 - philly.com

Which of America's Cities Has the Most Plentiful Parks?

Emily Badger looks at the latest "ParkScore" rankings released by the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Using advanced GIS, TPL ranks America's fifty largest cities by evaluating factors including park access, size, services and investment.

June 5, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Piecing Together a Central Park for the Entire United States

The American Prairie Foundation is piecing together 500,000 acres of privately owned land across the Great Plains to join with three million acres of public land in forming one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves.

June 5, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

After a Slow Start, Can the BeltLine Speed a Culture Shift in Atlanta?

Much to the chagrin of those who partake in the city's congested commute, cars dominate as Atlantans' prime means of mobility. The city's wildly ambitious BeltLine project seeks to change this, but can it be built fast enough to have an impact?

June 5, 2013 - ASLA The Dirt

Oil and Ag Fight Over Prime California Farmland

What's the most productive way to utilize the fertile land that sits above California's vast Monterey Shale oil reserve? The environmental impacts of fracking on California's farmland could derail what promises to be an enormous oil boom.

June 5, 2013 - The New York Times

Sharing Transit Costs Produces Shared Benefits in D.C.'s NoMa Neighborhood

Jay Corbalis profiles NoMa (short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue”), Washington D.C.'s fastest growing neighborhood, where a building boom has been propelled by an innovative transit funding partnership between the public and private sectors.

June 4, 2013 - Smart Growth America

American Home Ownership: Dream Deferred or In Need of Renovation?

While conceding that suburbia, and home construction patterns, will change in the coming decades, a new report from Joel Kotkin argues that the "dream" of suburban American homeownership is alive and well and poised to remain relevant.

June 4, 2013 - New Geography

Dynamic New Landscapes Lead Toronto's Transformation

Toronto is undergoing a 'remarkable transformation', says Charles Birnbaum, and unlike most large scale redevelopment efforts, landscape architecture is leading the way. With abundant photos Birnbaum surveys the new works framing the city's growth.

June 4, 2013 - Huffington Post

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.