Land Use

As Tech Companies Flock to the City, Facebook Doubles Down on the Suburbs

Once seen as the vanguard of hip and cutting-edge, Facebook is either bucking the trend once again or being left behind with their plans to bring the city to its suburban Menlo park campus to lure employees.

August 15, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

Does a Newly-Approved Project Violate Philly's New Waterfront Master Plan?

A proposed waterfront apartment building received final approval from Philadelphia's Historical Commission last week, disappointing waterfront advocates and preservationists who claim its design violates the city's new waterfront master plan.

August 15, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Navigation or Legibility – Which Way?

August 14, 2012 - Fanis Grammenos

Is Obama Out to Abolish the Suburbs?

Stanley Kurtz traces the mechanisms by which he believes President Obama intends to "abolish" the suburbs in a possible second term, and the roots of his desire, stretching back to his training as a community organizer.

August 14, 2012 - National Review

How Mixed-Use Centers Can Supplant Single-Use Office Parks

In the latest article from Better Cities & Towns' series on healthy, walkable town centers, Geoff Dyer offers insight into the ways that locating office space in mixed-use centers can improve economic vitality.

August 14, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

Olympic Preparations Pose Threat to Rio's Cultural History

As the world turned its attention Sunday from London to Rio, host of the next Summer Olympics, Theresa Williamson and Mauricio Hora penned an op-ed for The New York Times arguing how the city's preparations are threatening its history.

August 14, 2012 - The New York Times

London's Crossrail Offers Ticket to Economic Growth

The Crossrail train service being built in London will not only drastically decrease commuter travel times, it is also expected to catalyze the transformation of areas along its route, reports Graham Norwood.

August 14, 2012 - Financial Times

Restored River Keeps NY's Fourth-Largest City Afloat

Elsa Brenner looks at the boon for developers, and residents, that a city-and-state-funded effort to daylight the Saw Mill River has provided for the New York City suburb of Yonkers.

August 13, 2012 - The New York Times

Chinese Cities Following Unsustainable Trail Blazed by Western Planners

As part of a Foreign Policy magazine special report on cities, Peter Calthorpe examines the form of China's urban growth, which is beginning to resemble the car-oriented development of the United States in the 1950s and 60s.

August 13, 2012 - Foreign Policy

As Companies Decamp for the City, Suburban Office Parks Struggle

Mirroring a nationwide trend, office parks in suburban Chicago are emptying out as companies increasingly favor urban locations. As a result, developers and local officials are having to think creatively about possibilities for office park reuse.

August 13, 2012 - Chicago Sun-Times

DreamWorks Takes on Disney with $3.1 Billion Shanghai Project

Seeking to rival the Broadway theater district in New York and the West End in London, DreamWorks Animation SKG recently announced plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai.

August 13, 2012 - The New York Times

Cities Court Medical and Educational Facilities in Hopes of Stimulating Development

The rise of the innovation economy is driving fierce competition between cities across America to attract medical facilities and universities as job providers and engines of development.

August 13, 2012 - Urban Land Magazine

Spike in Homeless Incites Rapid Response from NYC, Angering Many

By opening nine new homeless shelters in just the last two months, the Bloomberg administration has responded quickly to an 18% increase in the number of people entering NYC's shelter system in the past year, much to the dismay of local officials.

August 13, 2012 - The New York Times

China's Rapidly Expanding Inland Cities

The mostly unfamiliar cities of China's vast inland territories are growing at an exponential rate, attracting global businesses, infrastructure investment, and residents in search of opportunities.

August 12, 2012 - NPR

Is Latin America the Next Biking Paradise?

From Buenos Aires, to Mexico City, to Bogota, cities across Latin America are embracing the bicycle. Across Central and South America, bike lane miles and the numbers of bicycles on the streets are on the rise.

August 11, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Columbus's Thriving Arts District Goes on Display

Driven by its long-cultivated arts community, development of Columbus, Ohio's Short North neighborhood has defied the economic downturn as investment in the once-downtrodden area continues.

August 11, 2012 - The New York Times

Friday Funny: Comic Extolls the Delights of Suburban Planning

Accomplished comic author, and orthodontist-in-training, Grant Snider turns his acerbic attention to his neighborhood, and the wonders of "Suburban Planning."

August 10, 2012 - Incidental Comics

Philadelphia's New Plaza Serves as Welcome Mat to the City

Located adjacent to the nation's 3rd busiest train station, Philly's new multi-use plaza - dubbed The Porch - provides a welcoming entryway to the city and a model for a "lighter, quicker, cheaper" approach to urban improvements.

August 10, 2012 - Switchboard

Is Sprawl to Blame for Municipal Bankruptcies?

As the fear of more local government bankruptcies rises, William Fulton argues that sprawling development patterns play a key role in leading cities to run in the red.

August 10, 2012 - CNN

Famous in Car Culture, Route 66 Resurfaces as a Destination for Bicyclists

The beauty of a ride along Route 66 can be appreciated as much from behind a set of handlebars as from behind a steering wheel. Sarah Laskow reports on efforts to create U.S. Bike Route 66 as the first national bike route.

August 9, 2012 - Grist

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.