Land Use

Alamo Heights, a suburb of San Antonio, grapples with whether to adopt a "New Urbanist" (but slightly more traditional) approach to its major thoroughfare to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

May 29, 2009 - San Antonio Express-News

A proposal authored by Stanford students for a class to create a pedestrian-only zone near campus has gotten the attention of business owners and the community.

May 28, 2009 - Streetsblog

The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) has opened new offices with the goal of interacting more with the public and creating an 'urban center'.

May 28, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Empty swimming pools and deserted roadside motels feature prominently in No Lifeguard on Duty, a new book of photographs.

May 28, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Last week in Seoul, Bill Clinton announced a new collaboration between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council to go beyond the single LEED building and create new green development models for whole communities.

May 27, 2009 - The New York Times

Shelby County and Memphis are on the verge of adopting a new smart growth zoning code to slow urban sprawl and breathe reinvigorate urban centers. The county's Main Street Mall will remain car-free. "Pedestrian-friendly" is the new planning theme.

May 27, 2009 - The Commercial Appeal (Memphis

Construction begins on Aerotropolis Atlanta, an unusual "live-work-play mini-city" development going up close to Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport- so close, in fact, that there will be a connecting walkway directly to the new international terminal.

May 27, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Peter Calthorpe is in Markham, Ontario working on, in his words, 'the highest manifestation of transit-oriented development I have been involved in.'

May 27, 2009 - The Toronto Star

A battle over the height of a proposed skyscraper in San Francisco emphasizes the need for an update to the city's 25-yr old plan, says critic John King.

May 27, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Three cities - three directions on how their transportation infrastructure was shaped by national transportation and housing legislation, and the role of influential leaders like CO Gov. Lamm, OR representative Earl Blumenauer, and NY's Robert Moses.

May 26, 2009 - PBS

Bethelem, PA, long famous for its steel industry, has faced years of hardship when the jobs went away. Locals are pinning their hopes on a new casino opening over the ruins of a steel factory.

May 26, 2009 - The New York Times

This post from Governing looks at the long planning process of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public park that's been in the works for 7 years. Comprehensive design plans were recently approved and construction is set to begin.

May 23, 2009 - Governing

A controversial bill on the desk of FL Gov. Crist is touted by supporters as 'smart growth' because they feel it will direct growth to urban areas, which are defined as 1,000 people per sq. mile. At stake is transportation mitigation of new projects.

May 22, 2009 - The New York Times - U.S.

As New York City prepares to pedestrianize Times Square, New York Magazine profiles Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who they call "equal parts Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses."

May 22, 2009 - New York Magazine

The Pittsburgh City Council has put a cap on the number of alcohol-serving establishments on the city's South Side, but property owners are crying foul.

May 21, 2009 - Pittsburg Post-Gazette

The results are in! We asked for you ideas for reusing the empty car dealerships cropping up around the country. Urban gardens? Flying car launch pads? These ideas may seem far out, but the number one answer may surprise you.

May 21, 2009 - Nate Berg

The San Francisco Chronicle's John King looks at the city's new public plaza -- a successful "small move" in the face of unrealized "big plans".

May 21, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Expansion of Los Angeles' light rail system is moving ahead, as a new leg heads west. Though funding is secure, controversy still surrounds the route and its design.

May 21, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Miller-McCune talks with vertical farming innovator Dickson Despommier about why his idea is the future of food for cities and how it can go from blueprint to reality.

May 21, 2009 - Miller-McCune

Residents in the greater Boise area are teaming up for a community visioning process they hope will help guide future physical and economic development in the region. It's been tried before, but organizers argue this time will be different.

May 19, 2009 - The Idaho Statesman