Land Use
Private Ads in Public Spaces
The new public plazas in New York City have gained much popularity among locals -- and earned much money for the city. Officials have been renting out the spaces to advertisers, blurring the lines between public and private.
Density is Victim of the Economy
In Austin, TX, a planned transit-oriented development went bust. The new developer is taking the density down from 1,200 homes to "plus or minus 700."
Next Steps for Shrinking Cities: Results of the Planetizen Brainstorm
Bulldoze? Densify? Walk away? There are many ways cities can react to shrinking populations and abandoned neighborhoods. Planetizen readers decide which ways are the best.
Balancing Preservation and New Construction in Downtown Charleston
As the city of Charleston, SC works to develop a plan to guide future development along the eastern end of Calhoun Street from Marion Square to the SC Aquarium, preservationists express concerns about possible new guidelines.
Highway Teardowns Benefitting Traffic Flow and City Life
The Infrastructurist offers four case studies of cities that have removed highways. The result: less congestion.
The Burnham Plan Was Also the Bennett Plan
The 1909 Plan of Chicago is widely credited to Daniel Burnham. But Burnham's right-hand-man, Edward Bennett not only played a big role in writing the plan, he also helped put it into action.
Struggling Cities Could Become Bike Utopias
As some cities in the Rust Belt depopulate, they present opportunities to develop into new bike utopias. This op-ed from The New York Times argues Detroit is a perfect example.
Making Temporary Use of Empty Development Lots
Empty lots are scattered throughout San Francisco, sites of would-be towers that have been temporarily put off by the building bust. Instead of letting these lots sit empty until construction, some are finding ways to utilize them in the meantime.
Ocean Zoning Moves Forward
Gov. Deval Patrick of Mass. has released a draft zoning plan to regulate the waters off the state's coast, particularly around Cape Cod and Cape Ann.
St. Louis Opens New Art Park
Two vacant lots in downtown St. Louis have been revived as an urban art park, featuring works by world-renowned artists.
Supreme Court Nominee's Eminent Domain Experience
Back in 2006, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor had a role in a controversial eminent domain ruling. Reason magazine takes a look at the decision and what it might mean for property rights if she's confirmed to the Court.
Investing In and Revising Mexico City's Center Square
Mexico City's Centro Historico is undergoing a broad redevelopment, which has resulted in more investment, more events, and more use. However, some there are worried that increased commercialization will tarnish the public square.
Farming in the Subdivision
Organic farms are increasingly being included in site plans for new subdivisions. And homebuyers seem to like them.
A Walk On The High Line
Managing Editor Tim Halbur reviews The High Line, the much-lauded new linear park in Manhattan.
A Tour of America's Nuclear History
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation is called the nation's most contaminated place, with pits containing nuclear waste like plutonium. It's also a historic site in terms of America's dabblings with nuclear weaponry, and now it's open for tours.
New Power Grid Would Slice Through Rural Areas
Expanding America's power grid to connect wind and solar power plants to the urban areas they fuel will require thousands of miles of transmission lines. Most of it will be built in rural areas where locals are not likely to be very welcoming.
Mississippi River Dams Doom Gulf Marshes
Marsh loss in the Gulf region is being exacerbated beyond repair by dams along the Mississippi River, according to a recent study.
A Different Kind of New York Street Conversion 100 Years Ago
While New York City is currently taking space away from automobiles and giving it to pedestrians and cyclists, the New York City of 100 years ago was doing exactly the opposite. And it was a popular idea.
Ways to Retrofit the City
You don't have to tear a city down to make it green, according to this piece from the Boston Globe, which offers some emerging ideas.
Brainstorm: Can Cities Shrink Gracefully? Should They? How?
As the recession digs in, cities across the country are left with large swaths of abandoned or vacant places. Can these cities shrink gracefully? Do they even need to? Vote on ideas submitted by the Planetizen community, or suggest your own.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
