Land Use
$7 Billion Transformation of D.C.'s Union Station Proposed
You read that right...$7 billion. In a plan to be unveiled today, Amtrak is proposing to transform the second-busiest Amtrak station in the country into a hub for high-speed rail and redevelopment, report Jonathan O'Connell and Ashley Halsey III.
Lagos 'Cleans Up' Its Waterfront, Leaving Thousands Homeless
Continuing a practice long decried by international rights groups, Nigerian authorities gave the residents of the waterfront shantytown of Makoko a scant 72 hours to vacate their homes before demolishing them en masse, reports Robyn Dixon.
New York Seeks to Revive its Freight Rail Industry
Winnie Hu reports on how the reopening of the 65th Street Rail Yard in Brooklyn last week is part of a wider, regional rail expansion effort that aims to revive the moribund industry in order to boost economic and environmental benefits.
S.F. Fertilizes Vacant Lots and Rooftops With New Legislation
Last week, San Francisco's supervisors approved new legislation intended to jump-start urban farming throughout the city, reports John Upton.
Will 'Downtown Crossing' Project Heal New Haven's Divide?
A target of 1950s urban renewal, New Haven is looking to rewrite renewal's wrongs by re-connecting the Hill neighborhood with downtown via a highway cap project. Critics complain the project doesn't go far enough to heal the area's historic wounds.
Toronto's 'Info Pillars' Get Hacked
A group of "urban hacktivists" have been busy transforming Toronto's ubiquitous and ironically named "info pillars" (read: street billboards) into community platforms and art pieces, protesting their improper design and instillation.
Life's a Beach in These Innovative Cities
As you roast in the record summer heat, here's hoping that Henry Grabar's slide show of improvised urban beaches from across the globe gets you motivated to create one in your city. Hop to it, global warming isn't going away any time soon!
Changing Suburban Demographics Collide With Outdated Zoning Laws
As shifting demographics and the Great Recession increase the functional demands on the typical suburban single-family home, outdated zoning laws are preventing the economical use of underused space, writes S. Mitra Kalita.
Privatized Housing Invades America's Military Bases
Gone are the days of drab cinderblock housing for America's military families. Taking advantage of an initiative passed by Congress in 1996, today's privatized military housing developments are larger and packed with modern amenities.
Post-Housing Bubble New Jersey: Cities Lead in Population Growth
After the bust of the housing market in 2008, a striking reversal of settlement patterns in New Jersey gives cities the lead in population growth over once-booming suburbs and exurbs.
Reclaiming San Francisco's Market Street for Public Space
Following precedents from other cities, San Francisco is looking to redesign its famous Market Street by removing automobiles, creating raised bike lanes, implementing faster transit, and making for a more inviting public space.
'War on Gardens' Spreads Like Weeds Across North America
Sarah Laskow notes the latest battlefronts in the growing 'war on gardens' being perpetrated by cities across North America.
China's Housing Tries to Go Green, but Fails
A so-called "eco-friendly" apartment complex complete with solar panels that derives more than 90% of its energy needs from coal? China struggles to take sustainable development seriously.
New Study Shows the Suburbs at the Cutting Edge of Racial Diversity in America
Diverse suburban neighborhoods now outnumber their central city counterparts two to one. How will increasing (or decreasing) diversity change America's suburban stereotype?
Is Suburban Sprawl Worsening America's Historic Drought?
As the U.S. experiences its worst drought in over half a century, Kaid Benfield questions the connection with the country's suburban growth patterns over that same period.
Will Toronto Choose to Trash its Pioneering Waterfront Master Plan?
An award-winning master plan for Toronto's Lower Don Lands, completed only five years ago by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, may be gutted if the Ford administration has its way, reports Alex Ulam.
NYU Expansion, Trimmed Again, Passes Crucial Vote
Yesterday, the controversial plan to expand New York University's footprint in Greenwich Village over the next 20 years was approved by a City Council committee after last minute negotiations and reductions, reports Joseph Berger.
After Failed Bid to Change Law, Hudson River Park Faces Uncertain Future
With skyrocketing maintenance and repair costs gobbling up the Hudson River Park Trust's reserve fund, the HRPT has been pushing to change the park's enabling legislation to allow a wider variety of development types.
Is Vancouver Ill-Prepared for the Future?
Speaking at a recent Urban Land Institute series organized to discuss Vancouver in 2050, three of the city's former planning directors expressed grave concerns over the city's ability to adequately handle its future growth, reports Jeff Lee.
L.A. Nonprofit Leaves No Bee Behind
John Hoeffel reports on the unwavering efforts of bee enthusiasts to legalize beekeeping in residential areas of Los Angeles.
Pagination
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)