Land Use

Leading up to the 2012 Olympics, a group in London is taking advantage of stalled building projects to create 2,012 public gardens in the city before the sporting event.

August 20, 2011 - Inhabitat

John King of The San Francisco Chronicle examines the installation of mobile planters around the Yerba Buena District in San Francisco; part of a 10-year revitalization initiative to bring new meaning and boundaries surrounding public space.

August 19, 2011 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Plans for a downtown football stadium in Los Angeles are seeming ever more likely to pan out. The project present an opportunity for the city to develop a major center, but shortsightedness could keep it from becoming an exciting part of the city.

August 19, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Suburban areas don't necessarily equate with car-dependence, according to some New Urbanist plans for far-out areas. But convincing residents to opt for transit can be a challenge.

August 19, 2011 - Scientific American

The photographic distortions of architect and photographer Murat Germen take cities as their target, and transform them into single-axis representations of urban form and history.

August 18, 2011 - Architizer

A new breed of developers in China are increasingly trying to make the country's new cities into pleasant, walkable and even environmentally sustainable.

August 18, 2011 - Grist

An unconventional outdoor spaces has helped transform a small part of a problem-riddled San Francisco neighborhood.

August 18, 2011 - Next American City

Meagan Elliott, an urban planning student at the University of Michigan, writes about a young, idealistic generation that is moving to Detroit.

August 17, 2011 - 7 Stops Mag

Bridgeport, Connecticut was known for post-industrial decay and crime. Today, people are talking about its "tantalizing" downtown that is ripe for redevelopment, writes Carrie Jacobs.

August 17, 2011 - Metropolis Magazine

Plagued by foreclosures, DeKalb County Georgia is buying up properties and creating a land bank in hopes of spurring redevelopment.

August 17, 2011 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Paul Mason takes a tour of Manila's 10-year-old Estero de San Miguel slum to test the theory that slums have upsides and finds that understanding the question's realities is as important as trying to find the answer.

August 16, 2011 - BBC

Rahul Mehrotra talks to The Hindu about sustainable cities, community participation, and infrastructure. The article also has a review of his most recent book "Architecture in India Since 1990."

August 16, 2011 - The Hindu

Four Florida metropolitan areas recently ranked as the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to a survey by Transportation America.

August 16, 2011 - New York Times

Community leaders argue that the recently approved Philadelphia comprehensive plan does more for developers than the working class in this op-ed.

August 16, 2011 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Neighborhoods in New York City have built temporary "pop-up" playgrounds in an effort to encourage more physical activity among children.

August 16, 2011 - The New York Times

To be released at the end of the year, the Draft Chicago Pedestrian Plan will primarily address safety issues that street users experience for decades.

August 14, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Berlin Wall was constructed 50 years ago by Communist East Germany. Parts of the wall remain as a remembrance, but much of the area has been transformed into hip neighborhoods and parks.

August 13, 2011 - NPR

In downtown Vancouver, where bike lanes have replaced parking spots on some strips, shop owners have complained that they are bad for business. A new study disproves the theory - kinda.

August 12, 2011 - The Vancouver Sun

Freiburg, Germany has become a stunning model of sustainability, thanks in part to Wulf Daseking, the city's Head of Urban Planning since 1984. Sven Eberlein vists Daseking in Freiberg for this interview.

August 11, 2011 - Sven Eberlein

Community gardens are popping up all over Detroit. This post from Model D takes a tour through three of them, and explores how they balance art and nature.

August 11, 2011 - Model D