Land Use
Why the Titans of Tech Must Become Better Urbanists
Technology companies are increasing their presence in cities, adopting the language of planners, and seeking to create communities. Yet, according to Allison Arieff, the sector does a uniformly poor job of contributing to urban vitality.
Is Tall All There Is?
Should planners be pushing to remove height limits to meet the growing demand for housing?
Detroit Blight Fight Begins in Earnest Monday
75 teams of surveyors will fan out across Detroit on Monday to begin cataloging the city's vacant buildings block-by-block. One of the leaders of the effort is estimating that eliminating blight could cost $1 billion.
Grant Helps Extend NYC Plaza Program into Less Affluent Areas
By transforming excess street space in areas like Times Square and Herald Square into pedestrian paradises, New York City's plaza program has been a huge hit. But with maintenance costs borne by local businesses, less affluent areas have missed out.
New Report Recommends a Regional Solution to S.F.'s Affordability Crisis
Could Silicon Valley play a key role in alleviating San Francisco's growing affordability crisis? That's among the suggestions put forth in a new report from SPUR that outlines specific ways that San Jose could attract young professionals.
Judge Tosses Controversial Hollywood Smart Growth Plan
A judge has sided with three civic groups challenging a new community plan for Hollywood that permitted increased density around transit stations. In a tentative ruling, Judge Allan J. Goodman called the plan "fatally flawed".
After Month of Hearings, D.C. Still Not Ready to Vote on Zoning Rewrite
After five years of work, D.C.'s Zoning Commission is not quite ready to consider changes to the city's 55-year-old zoning code. Additional public hearings have been scheduled after some groups asked for additional outreach.
Top 10 Books - 2014
Planetizen is pleased to release its twelfth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2013.
Undoing the Spatial Legacy of Apartheid
In manicured neighborhoods for white residents and their "shriveled twins" for black residents, South Africa's nearly 50 years of Apartheid was imprinted on the nation's built landscape. To what extent was Nelson Mandela able to right these wrongs?
Urban Land Institute Encourages Developers to Build for Better Health
The Urban Land Institute has a new project: convincing developers that they can, and should, design for health and wellness.
A Model for a Smarter Suburban Streetscape
Half a century of auto-oriented suburban development presents a massive challenge to planners hoping to create more sustainable and livable communities. In South Miami's Hometown district, Kaid Benfield finds a model for how to begin this transition.
To Become a "Great City", Miami Seeks to Boost Pedestrian-Friendliness
With the housing bust of the Great Recession fading in the rear-view mirror, a maturing Miami aspires to become one of the world's great cities. City leaders see the creation of a "Downtown Pedestrian Priority Zone" as the path to get them there.
Jan Gehl Laments 'Birdsh*t' Architecture
Jan Gehl argued at the Royal Institute of British Architects annual research symposium that architects and urban planners must do more research on how their schemes affect people.
The Top Protected Bike Lanes of 2013
I know, it's a bit early in the "Best of" season to get this specialized, but gosh darnit if these protected bike lanes aren't the cutest things. Chicago, Indianapolis, Austin, and the other winners: You've got a lot to celebrate.
With TOD Planning, Boston Suburb Embraces a Different Brand of Urban Renewal
With the long-awaited extension of Boston's Green Line train to Somerville expected to arrive in a few years, the city has embraced a planning and development process much different from the one that "left behind some of Somerville’s worst spaces."
Could Amazon Drones Increase Urban Property Values?
Developers at Google and Amazon are among those working diligently to produce a near future full of autonomous cars and delivery devices. Economics professor Casey B. Mulligan suggests such advances will increase the value of urban land.
Madrid Master Plan Prioritizes People over Cars and Development over Regulation
Completed about every 15 years, Madrid's General Urban Plan sets out a long-term vision for the city's development. The newest iteration replaces a "dud" from 1997 that has "dogged the city for years," reports Feargus O'Sullivan.
Could Detroit Be "Blight-Free" in 36 Months?
Kevyn Orr, Detroit’s emergency manager, has expressed his belief that the city can clear its backlog of 78,000 blighted buildings within the next 18-36 months.
Bus-Bike Partnership Helps Austin Move Beyond Cars
Leave it up to Austin to show Texas how to reduce its auto-oriented infrastructure. A project to replace on-street parking and traffic lanes with dedicated bus and bike lanes is the result of a partnership between bike and transit planners.
Bikeshare Stations Stimulate Street Life and Sociability
A study conducted by the Project for Public Spaces finds that New York's new CitiBike stations are a locus for more than just cycling. They provide wayfinding and street seating, serve as gathering places, and encourage random social interactions.
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
