Land Use
How Will the Government Manage China's Great Urban Leap?
Ian Johnson explores a pivotal moment in China's development, as the country seeks to migrate 250 million rural residents to cities in the next 12 years. Observers speculate on how a comprehensive urbanization plan will achieve this transition.
NYC Building Code Gets Sandy-Inspired Rewrite
Last week, Mayor Bloomberg proposed sweeping changes to New York City's building code to better prepare the city's built environment for the increasing threats of rising seas and extreme storms that Hurricane Sandy made clear.
The Case for Hyperdensity
On Places, Vishaan Chakrabarti argues that the hyperdense city is more prosperous, equitable, ecological and delightful — and vital to America's strength as a nation.
TOD Works in Reducing Driving, Even Without the Transit
Across America, TOD is seen as the solution for many of the problems that plague cities. But what if you could get the economic, environmental, and health benefits of transit-oriented development without the billions of dollars in rail investment?
Are Cities Killing Their Creative Edge in the Quest for More Revenue?
As the world's centers of business and politics compete to create ever more lucrative commercial and residential zones, creative spaces are being razed and redeveloped. Is the ability to nurture creativity and diversity being lost in the process?
Park Plan Tames the Car to Unleash Civic Renewal in Cleveland
By removing auto traffic from two key streets, the plan for a 10-acre park in the heart of downtown Cleveland seeks to weave together the city's 'lackluster' Public Square and help boost a downtown revival.
Gezi Park Project Suspended; Have the Protestors Won?
Following a lengthy late night meeting with demonstrators, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to halt construction of a controversial redevelopment project pending the outcome of an ongoing court case and possible public referendum.
How to Make a Resilient City (budget)
Building intensity can do just about everything: make a city budget more resilient, conserve land, and encourage infill. And possibly make your morning omelet.
Los Angeles Kicks Off Effort to Retool 67-Year-Old Zoning Code
This week, outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off an ambitious five-year effort to revise L.A.'s outdated and unwieldy zoning code. The goal of the project is to create an accessible guide for transforming Los Angeles.
Subdivisions With Protected Open Space Are More Profitable, Study Shows
A new study out of Colorado State University suggests that suburban homebuyers are willing to pay more for a house in a subdivision that includes protected land.
LEED-ND Proves Effective at Reducing Driving
Using complex transportation modeling, new research published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research confirms that developments built to the standards of LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) reduce driving and associated emissions.
Are Skyscrapers Profitable?
Yes and no, says Peter Bill. As a look at London's delightfully nicknamed towers - the Shard, the Walkie-Talkie, the Cheesegrater - shows, it may take years, and multiple economic cycles for skyscrapers to recoup their investment.
Cities Struggle to Maintain Affordable Housing Near Transit
In Seattle, and elsewhere, city leaders are struggling to maintain the supply of affordable housing in close proximity to transit stations. Rising rents in areas near stops are displacing lower-income residents.
New York Plans $20 Billion Battle Against Climate Change
On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg outlined an ambitious $20 billion plan to adapt New York City's infrastructure and built and natural environments to respond to the threats of rising seas and extreme storms.
Old-Age Adaptation: Our Next Great Urban Challenge
Americans are living longer and changing the demographic profiles of our cities in the process. Planners are just beginning to understand how our streets and systems must adapt to accommodate this trend.
How Much of the World's Urbanization is Being Driven by Overseas Land Acquisitions?
Since 2006, agro-businesses, hedge-funds, financial firms, and government agencies have splurged on an overseas land-buying binge. As Saskia Sassen explains, such purchases disrupt the status quo, forcing local residents to migrate to cities.
Westside Fights Smart Growth: Can Any Development Navigate L.A.'s Traffic Nightmare?
On the Westside of L.A., where rush hour traffic slows to a crawl on the best days, a proposed transit-oriented development called the 'quintessential example' of smart growth by the Mayor's staff faces opposition to its size and attraction to autos.
The Case for Protecting Strip Malls from 'Commercial Gentrification'
As our suburbs diversify, the most affordable commercial districts found in such areas (often in strip malls) become an important entry point for immigrants to build their 'American Dream'. Kaid Benfield asks if such opportunities deserve protection.
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.
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'.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
