Land Use

Mark Byrnes brings us a fascinating, and regrettably short, clip of Frank Lloyd Wright discussing his opinions of the city, the skyscraper, and why "the best people" are leaving New York.

June 11, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Morgan Clendaniel and the good folks at Co.Exist bring us an eyeful of the best examples of the country's new crop of urban farms from a new book by Sarah Rich.

June 10, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Amsterdam has a serious parking problem, but it's not what you might think. In this bike friendly city, their problem is of the two- rather than four-wheeled kind. Duncan Geere looks at a potential solution.

June 8, 2012 - Wired

Yesterday, New York City's Planning Commission voted nearly unanimously to support a slightly reduced version of New York University's controversial expansion plans for two superblocks in Greenwich Village, reports Tom Stoelker.

June 7, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

On Wednesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked-off Chicago's “Make Way for People” program, an effort to "promote economic development and make Chicago streets safer for pedestrians," by transforming the city's paved surfaces into people places.

June 7, 2012 - Chicago Sun-Times

John Yung traces Cincinnati's dramatic comeback over the last decade, and gives credit to the Center City Plan developed in 2002 by HR&A and Cooper, Robertson & Partners for laying the groundwork for the city's subsequent revitalization.

June 6, 2012 - UrbanCincy

Isn't it great when our gridlocked government can finally come together to unanimously support vital legislation? That was the case in the Alabama state legislature last month when Senate Bill 477 passed both chambers unanimously.

June 6, 2012 - Press-Register

Hazel Borys argues that "the payback of livable places really can’t be calculated in dollars, or pounds of fat or carbon, or even hours. The payback of place is passion."

June 5, 2012 - PlaceShakers

With nearly $5 million dedicated to regional planning initiatives, Angie Schmitt questions whether public officials in greater Cleveland are willing to make the hard decisions and compromises necessary to make the area competitive once again.

June 5, 2012 - Streetsblog D.C.

According to James A. Bacon, "Smart growth is too important to leave to liberals." In a new essay, he argues that "Conservatives must articulate their own vision for creating prosperous, livable and fiscally sustainable communities."

June 4, 2012 - Bacon's Rebellion

Public libraries across America are threatened by reduced staffing, resources, and hours due to budget cuts. However, "little libraries" are popping up in communities across the country as urbanists seek to redefine public space and librarianship.

June 2, 2012 - Places

Years of public forums and planning exercises aimed at reviving Detroit have left residents craving results. Recent work by the Project for Public Spaces with farmers markets in the city may reveal a replicable avenue for action.

June 1, 2012 - PPS: Placemaking Blog

While raw density numbers are sure to pick a fight, discussing character-based building typologies one neighborhood at a time may help find common ground.

June 1, 2012 - PlaceShakers

A new report released this week seeks to address whether the "urban health advantage" can be extended to more of the world’s population as cities continue to grow in the coming decades, reports Katherine Harmon.

May 31, 2012 - Scientific American

Svante Myrick, Ithaca's youngest-ever mayor, is leading the way in transforming how the city thinks about transportation and land use, and he's starting with his own front yard, reports Sarah Laskow.

May 31, 2012 - Grist

Nate Berg reports on a Kenyan High Court decision that allows the government to proceed with "slum upgrading and road construction projects" in one of the largest informal settlements in the world, by tossing out ownership claims made by residents

May 30, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Can a "munching tour" along "an auto-focused commercial strip of tattered, 1970s-era Americana 5 miles from downtown" Charlotte help redefine what "urbanism" in 21st-century America means for Mary Newsom?

May 30, 2012 - Citiwire.net

Will Doig reflects on the scourge of public micromanagement that has "essentially become an official part of the urban planning process in many cities," and explores the psychology behind anti-development activism.

May 29, 2012 - Salon.com

Jonathan O’Connell looks at Washington's remarkable growth over the past decade, as the city has become a magnet for young professionals, and wonders if the city will be able to retain those residents as they become parents.

May 29, 2012 - The Washington Post

As traditional zoning comes under increasing criticism for its exclusionary practices, strict separation of uses, and controls on density, Daniel Nairn explores its genesis and the arguments of pioneering planner Edward Murray Bassett.

May 28, 2012 - Sustainable Cities Collective