Land Use
Dropping Bombs and Dropping Parking Lots
This post from The Overhead Wire looks at the impact of parking lot sprawl in American downtowns -- and finds a striking resemblance between those downtowns and bomb-ravaged cities from World War Two.
Rail Plans Move Forward in Philadelphia
Plans to create a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, as the city approves funding for environmental studies and early design work.
American Commutes, in Font Form
Graphic designer Martha Kang McGill took commuting data from several American cities and made an easy-to-compare representation of the information using no more than a font and some colors.
Representing and Understanding the City Graphically
Columnist Jeanne Haffner goes hands-on to learn how graphic representation is used in the day-to-day work of planning.
Abandoned Train Infrastructure Becomes Amusement Park
The abandoned infrastructure for an inner-city rail project in Lima, Peru, has been adapted into a playful amusement park.
The Importance of Being Urban
If we are "urbanists," does that mean we're anti-suburban? Or do choice and economics define our choices? Architect Fanis Grammenos reflects on his own history of shelter and the ideology of urbanism.
Transit-Oriented Housing Safer From Foreclosures
New research from the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that the chance of foreclosure is higher in places with limited access to public transit.
The Physical Legacy of Vancouver's Olympics
This piece from Fast Company looks at the legacy that will remain in Vancouver after the Olympics are over.
San Francisco Looks At Converting Parking to Public Space
Inspired by the home-grown Park(ing) Day parking spot conversion event, the city of San Francisco is launching a pilot project to convert street parking in its North Beach neighborhood to outdoor dining areas and public spaces.
Zoning Loosened to Help Home Businesses
The rough economy has made code officers negotiators between irked neighbors and entrepreneurs trying to make a living in their living rooms.
Turning a Golf Course into a Public Oasis
National City, CA has only 2 acres of public parks per 1000 residents, as opposed to the national average of 10 acres. A new plan proposes to transform a 44-acre golf course into an innovative new central park.
Tough Choices in Pleasantville, NY
Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.
Creating a Network of Bikeways
Mike Lydon discusses the importance of creating "bikeway networks" -- systems of bike lanes and infrastructures that have varied forms for varied situations.
Vancouver Tops List of Livable Cities
As the Winter Olympics kick off in Vancouver, the city has been named the world's "most livable city".
Looking at America Through its Food
A new demographic tool from the USDA compiles data about food choices and characteristics, allowing the creation of detailed maps. Edible Geography wonders what using food as a metric will tell us about the U.S.
Times Square Becomes Pedestrian Area Permanently
Pedestrianized area's in Manhattan's Herald Square and Times Square will remain permanently closed to auto traffic.
Florida Amendment Could Shake Up Local Planning
Florida voters are facing an amendment this November that could dramatically reshape the way local planning occurs.
Is Walkscore A Useful Planning Tool?
The online walkability tool is sexy but not perfect. Real estate site are beginning to use it; could planners use it too? Bill Fulton gives his two cents.
The Mormon Church Backs Mixed-Use Project
City Creek Center is a $1 billion mixed-use development project that some say is a godsend for downtown Salt Lake City, creating jobs during a tough economy. Others wonder how the church's influence will play out in the culture of the project.
Decay in Suburbia
Fast Company pulls together a handful of recent reports to paint a grim picture for the suburbs, as the number of people living in poverty rises, housing values decline, and infrastructure built in the 60s and 70s erodes.
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
