Land Use
Can Planning Help Heal the Site of the Trayvon Martin Shooting?
In the days following the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL, much was made of the influence the built environment had on the event. A year later, the city is developing a vision for how to shape its shared future.
Is this the Most Outrageous Example of Sprawl Madness in America?
Suburban Orlando is home to what might well be the best example of the absurd development patterns of post-war America. There you'll find two houses with adjoining backyards whose front doors are separated by seven miles of roads.
Essence of Sustainability
Challenges that strong and weak markets alike share
New Reports Stake out Ground in NYC Rezoning Debate
Two position papers out this week present the opposing viewpoints in the contentious debate around New York's Midtown East rezoning. Should historic building protections in the area be expanded or should developers be allowed to maximize density?
New Report Challenges 'Eyes on the Street' Concept
In the fifty years since Jane Jacobs introduced the "eyes on the street" theory, it's become a commonly accepted conceit that a mix of use reduces crime. A new study calls that theory into question.
Google Designs New Campus 'From the Inside Out'
Vanity Fair has published the first rendering of the design for the new "Googleplex", the first offices to be built by the tech giant from scratch.
What Will it Take to Transform Chicago's Riverfront?
With dozens of riverfront revitalization projects completed across the world in the past couple of decades, lessons abound for how Chicago can best integrate its waterfront and downtown. Whet Moser considers three examples.
The Importance of Making Cities Places of Belonging
Mumbai architect Pallavi Shrivastava reflects on the impact that the inaccessibility of the city has on the status of women in society and their ability to shape the future of the places in which they live.
A Plan To Shrink Detroit (Well)
Justin Hollander, PhD, AICP, looks closely at Detroit’s new Strategic Framework Plan and finds a compelling plan to manage depopulation. The plan takes a realistic view of what it would take to make Detroit a great city without growing.
Trend Alert: Church-Oriented Development
A mixed-use development being proposed for the First Baptist Church's property in downtown Silver Spring is just the latest in a series of similar projects across the D.C. suburbs that are pitting congregations against preservationists.
Should Architects Be Allowed to Assist in Disaster Recovery?
After Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of architects and engineers offered their services to assist an overwhelmed NYC Department of Buildings in assessing storm-damaged properties. So why were they turned away?
Making Density a Cornerstone for Successful City-Making
Density is a loaded term that brings with it many negative connotations. But it can help solve "our city's toughest challenges." Brent Toderian discusses lessons from Vancouver on how to turn "the third rail of municipal politics" into an asset.
Downtown L.A. Development: A Comprehensive Guide
From $100 million in upgrades to Dodger Stadium, to the decades-long effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River, to the construction of the tallest building west of the Mississippi, discover the status of 85 projects underway in downtown L.A.
The case against mixed-use: not proven
A recent study suggesting that mixed-use zoning increases crime is not as persuasive as it might seem at first glance.
The Most Important Urban Design Decision Vancouver Ever Made
Vancouver's ahead-of-the-curve 1997 decision to prioritize active transport, rather than balance its ways of getting around, has affected everything about how the city has been designed since then.
Making Markets More Accessible to Low-Income Communities
The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) has released the results of a new study aimed at understanding how to "get more healthy food into...communities through farmers markets."
San Francisco Embraces Gentrification
Unlike the 1970s and 80s, when a building boom created a vocal backlash, S.F.'s current surge in development hasn't galvanized a concerted no-build movement. If gentrification is driven by demand 'from the bottom up,' does that mean it's desirable?
Making Better Places: Nine Lessons From Iceland
Using a set of mid-February photographs from Iceland, Chuck Wolfe describes scaled expressions of urban settlement and transport in Iceland and derives principles for building better places.
Why Has 'Vancouverism' Become a Hard Sell in Canada?
Vancouver's remarkable experiment in livable density is the envy of, and model for, cities across the world. So, after a decade of skyline expansion across Canada, why has densification 'lost steam' in the country? Doug Saunders investigates.
Smart Growth Approach Urged in the UK
An alliance of organizations in the United Kingdom has agreed on a policy statement promoting smart growth alternatives to current policies.
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.
Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie
