Land Use
New Orleans Reborn: Development Returns to the Big Easy
New Orleans is shaking its distressed-city status as an influx of investment heads to town. National retailers and developers, many of them first-time investors in the city, are looking to set up shop.
A New Tool for Those Searching for a Similar Sense of Place
A new program developed by University of Cincinnati Professor Tomasz Stepinski allows users to find sections of the American landscape with similar land coverage or ecological patterns.
Chicago's Landmark Merchandise Mart Gets New Life as Tech Hub
As Chicago's River North area continues its transformation, the area's historic, behemoth Merchandise Mart has become a hub for high-tech businesses. The adaptive reuse success story was the largest building in the world when it opened in 1930.
Los Angeles Considers How to Close its 'Missing Link'
Long Beach's Press Telegram explores the options for completing a 4.5-mile stretch of the Long Beach (710) Freeway connecting Alhambra to Pasadena, a controversy that's been brewing for five decades.
Taking Health into Account
Do you know the effect your spiffy new development will have on the neighbors' health? Aaron Wernham and the Kresge Foundation think you could use a health impact assessment.
Can a Long Shot Lawsuit End Nairobi's Forced Evictions
Forty residents of Nairobi's Mukuru slum have petitioned "some of Kenya's most powerful individuals, companies and banks, demanding rights to the land they live on and an end to forced evictions." They've already succeeded in halting some evictions.
Beleaguered NY Housing Authority Turns to Private Sector to Raise Needed Cash
Beset by daunting challenges, and a summer of stinging articles and reports, the chairman of the New York City Housing Authority has announced a controversial plan to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by leasing land to private developers.
Chicago Neighborhoods Consider Life After Coal
Chris Bentley reports on the complex discussions centered around what to do with the sites of two massive coal plants closing this month in Chicago. As Bentley notes, "what happens to these 132 acres in Chicago could have nationwide implications."
Vacant Lots Ripe for Parks, and Legal Troubles
Nate Berg reports on the legal problems that can arise when a good Samaritan tries to create a park on a vacant lot.
Taking Stock of California's Leadership in Integrated Regional Planning
A new report from the NRDC and Move LA documents the implementation of California's landmark SB 375, the nation’s first law to link transportation and land use planning with greenhouse gas emissions.
Annual PARK(ing) Day Lessons (Re)Learned
Last Friday was annual PARK(ing) Day, and for Howard Blackson, who participated in a pilot park(let) project in San Diego, the reasons to enable context appropriate civic space was underscored again.
New Initiative Brings 3D Planning to the Public
Eric Jaffe writes on a new interactive planning initiative in Louisville, Kentucky, that takes a hands-on approach to public engagement.
Twin Cities's Parks Adapt for the 21st Century
Susan Klemond looks at what it will take to protect and expand the Twin Cities's tremendous legacy of parks to meet the changing demographics and needs of the area's population.
Global Urbanization's Threat to the Global Environment
In the developed world, increased urbanization can be a net boon for the environment. Yet, writes Bryan Walsh, if not planned for carefully, the rapid urbanization of developing world could have a dramatic impact on climate change and biodiversity.
Hurricane Barclays Bears Down on Brooklyn
The opening of the arena at the center of the controversial Atlantic Yards redevelopment project, after nine years of lawsuits, design changes, and unfulfilled promises, has residents of Brooklyn bracing for its impact on their neighborhoods.
How Zoning Might Make or Break New Streetcar Lines
As St. Louis and Portland speed along with new streetcar developments, Yonah Freemark considers how zoning may determine the success of one, and the failure of another.
Homes of Billionaires Rise to New Heights
New York City's supertall skyscrapers court billionaires, selling prime real estate in the sky for tens of millions of dollars. The latest trophy building, One57, will soon become the city's tallest building with residences.
Art and Empowerment Define a Community Development Success Story in Houston
Decaying and disused buildings litter many American inner-city neighborhoods. In Houston, one imaginative project turns potential into pride and empowerment by creating unique, new uses for old homes.
Why Cuts to Federal Funding for Bike Infrastructure May Be a Good Thing
Despite the rise in bicycling in many U.S. cities, federal funds have shrunk in the recent transportation bill. However changes in the way funds are allocated allows for more local control, and cities are stepping up.
Pick a Spot to Enjoy Park(ing) Day
First appearing in San Francisco in 2005, Park(ing) Day aims to call attention to the need for more urban open space by taking over parking spots and re-purposing them as temporary public spaces. Today it is being celebrated across the world.
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
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
