Land Use

As downtown Los Angeles seeks to cement its nascent transformation into a full-fledged urban neighborhood, Sam Lubell cautions against the threat brought by the suburban mindset of Walmart, Target, and other chain operators.

August 2, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

This week it was announced that, after a lengthy search, Toronto had found a candidate willing to take on the challenge of guiding the city's planning efforts amid a hostile climate created by "car-loving" mayor Rob Ford.

August 1, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

You know things are changing in Miami when the most notable aspects of the $1 billion Brickell CitiCentre development are its parking and transit access strategies. Douglas Hanks provides the details.

August 1, 2012 - The Miami Herald

Citing Agenda 21 fears, a Kansas county declines to join a $1.5 million, five-county planning effort, reports Deb Gruver.

August 1, 2012 - The Witchita Eagle

The habitable bridge, "out of favor since the Renaissance," is having a moment, as cities across America seek to "shift the task of mending the urban fabric toward the private sector," reports Henry Grabar.

July 31, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Increased speeds for passenger rail lines in the Midwest bring along economic baggage, but can the pros outweigh the cons? As higher-speed rail, and expected economic growth, come to Illinois and Michigan, neighboring states see pitfalls.

July 31, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Scott Doyon discusses the dangers of simplification and the counter-intuitive soundbite, which work against the creation of partnerships that are essential to solving some of our biggest challenges.

July 31, 2012 - PlaceShakers

In an urbanizing world, density is being recognized for its ability to stimulate the "metabolism of daily life." In an essay for The Wall Street Journal, Richard Florida argues that all density is not created equal, however.

July 31, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

London's Olympics are just the most recent example of the growing trend in building temporary architecture and urbanism in response to financial and practical considerations. Christopher Hawthorne asks whether this trend is too short sighted.

July 31, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Although the Obama administration is still weighing whether to give the Keystone XL pipeline the necessary approvals to begin construction, the courts are already deciding that eminent domain can be used to secure access to private land.

July 30, 2012 - The Washington Post

Steve Mouzon finds fault with the uniform application of the 1/4 mile walkability radius, regardless of context. And, in the first in a series of articles, he introduces a new tool for understanding and building walkable places.

July 30, 2012 - Original Green

For a city of its size, London and its skyline are notoriously flat. Now, as the city struggles to expand its housing stock to meet the needs of it surging population, increasingly taller solutions are being prescribed, concerning some.

July 29, 2012 - The Global Urbanist

After decades of planning and development of its urban rail networks, will the American West change its image from car cornucopia to transit paradise?

July 29, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Animated GIFs provided by The Atlantic Cities show the dramatic growth of several global cities over the past four decades, as captured in photographs taken by NASA's Landsat satellite system.

July 29, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Several collaborative Google Maps cover Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs) across the US and Canada as well as form-based codes globally. Are yours listed?

July 28, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Denver is confronting a dilemma facing many cities as they build out their transit systems: what types of uses should be developed in close proximity to stations, and who should these facilities serve.

July 27, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Ed Walker saw what few others in his hometown of Roanoke, Virgina were able to see: potential. Walker is part a growing group of "vanguard developers" intent on changing the fortunes of their cities by the sheer force of their vision (and wallets).

July 27, 2012 - The New York Times

As cities across America continue to pour public funds into limited use venues in their downtowns, American Dirt looks at why such venues, and convention centers in particular, refuse to engage with their surrounding streets or neighborhood.

July 27, 2012 - American Dirt

A mixed bag of land-use changes, including relaxed parking standards and an increased threshold for environmental review, were passed by the Seattle City Council this week. Critics complain the legislation favors developers over residents.

July 26, 2012 - The Seattle Times

As the 2012 Summer Olympics begin in earnest today with the first Women's Soccer games, Andrew Zimbalist offers 3 reasons why "hosting the Olympics is a losers game."

July 25, 2012 - The Atlantic