Land Use
Sea Levels Rise Along Pacific Coast
Climatic shifts and periodic weather patterns are bringing sea levels up along the Pacific coast, which is causing many scientists concern about how coastal regions will be able to react.
Following Up on Dire Predictions About Water in the West
25 years after the publication of Cadillac Desert, scientists have scrutinized the predictions of the hallmark history of water in the Western U.S. and find that its dire warnings are not far off.
Jane Jacobs' Complex Legacy
On the occasion of Jane Jacobs' birthday (and the international "Jane's Walks" held in her honor), Stephen Wickens muses on Jane Jacobs' legacy and the ways in which her ideas are used -- and misused -- in an age of superficial mass media.
The Effect of Light on an Environment
Natural and artificial light have a significant effect on the experience of hospital patients and can actually reduce stress and hospital time, says Rosalyn Cama, an interior designer and researcher specializes in health care design.
Fantastical Canopy Covers Seville Public Space
The Metropol Parasol sweeps majestically up out of the Plaza de la Encarnacion in Seville, Spain. The world's largest wooden structure, it was completed only last month.
Buffalo's Plan to Become "the Berkeley of New York"
Once the 8th largest city in the United States, Buffalo, NY is now ranked 70th (with 261,000 residents). After several failed attempts at urban renewal, the city leadership is trying a new approach - namely, to recast Buffalo as a college town.
What Downtown LA Would Like Without Cars (VIDEO)
Three architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teamed to make this video which aims to show what an auto-free downtown LA could be.
Seeking Suburbia's Future in Its Past
A group of urban designers and architects descends on the ur-suburbia of Levittown. Alison Arieff writes that the urban academics doodled in the margins rather than serious tackle the issues raised by the suburban way of life.
Breaking Barriers With Legos
Urban planner James Rojas takes his public participation concept to Avondale, Arizona, encouraging people to be part of the urban design process through pipe cleaners, Legos and Tinkertoys.
Kotkin Decries "Cramming and Concentration"
Joel Kotkin says that despite the fashion for density among urban planners, the future relies on "dispersion" and focusing on developing small and mid-range cities.
A People-Friendly Plaza for D.C.
A new public plaza is being built in Washington D.C., and this rundown from The Dirt highlights its people-focused design.
Sprawl is Driven By Our Collective Unconscious
Richey Piiparinen argues that Americans don't necessarily want sprawl, but they are driven by unconscious motives, fears and hopes that haven't been properly dealt with yet.
Subtle Changes in American Density
Density -- either high or low or somewhere in the middle -- is a key defining element of our cities. In this essay, Witold Rybczynski looks at the relative densities of U.S. cities and suggests that things may start to change subtly.
Why I Decided To Go To Planning School
Planetizen intern Victor Negrete explains how he made the choice to attend planning school, and the thought process he went through deciding which schools to apply for, and ultimately to attend.
Environmentalists and New Urbanists Battle Over Proposed Development
Plans to redevelop former salt ponds in the San Francisco Bay Area have pitted environmentalists against New Urbanists.
Moving Infill from Policy to Reality
A new organization in California is advocating for reforms to make infill a more viable option for communities around the state of California. Their three talking points: redevelopment, CEQA reform, and parking requirements.
Seattle's Answer to Affordable Housing
Zach Patton details the effects of Seattle's zoning regulation which allows for the construction of "backyard cottages." These cottages, writes the author, are a viable way to increase urban density and provide affordable housing.
Decentralizing Decisionmaking in New Orleans' Recovery
Various plans and strategies have been crafted over the years to try to help New Orleans recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. While early plans took a stronger stance, the city is now taking a less heavy-handed approach.
Suburban Growth Still Leads, But in Changing Ways
Suburban population growth in the U.S. is still on the rise, but new trends show that those suburbs closest to urban cores and those farthest away are driving the growth.
A Philosophical Basis for New Urbanism
Raymond Hain says the arguments in favor of New Urbanism are often "murky", and design is in the eye of the beholder. but is there a deeper, philosophical foundation for New Urbanism?
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
