Land Use
400 Miles of New Highways
That's what the Maricopa Association of Governments is proposing, to meet the needs of the millions projected to move into the Phoenix metro area by 2050, along with 320 miles of new rail transit. Some are questioning the population projections.
Combining Pavement and Reusable Materials to Make Urban Parks
Allison Arieff argues that cities should look to reversible parks modeled on the Pavement to Parks program to prevent blight, combat the practice of land banking, and model sustainable practices.
New Jersey Bills Called Threat to Planning and Environmental Protection
Environmental groups in New Jersey have warned that state legislators are planning to bring forth a series of bills that could negatively affect local planning powers and state environmental controls.
Living Past the Tipping Points
A new report in the journal Nature suggests that there are seven thresholds for determining planetary health -- and we're already past three of them.
The History of San Francisco's Urban Form
Some call it a city of neighborhoods. This piece from the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the history of the urban form of San Francisco and why it looks the way it does today.
Urban Sports Creating New Life in Civic Spaces
Urban sports like bike polo and urban golf are taking off in Germany, and are beginning to bring life back to formerly uninhabited concrete spaces.
Friday Funny - Zoning on the Menu
I'll have a Conditional Use Permit, on the rocks, with a twist...
Is a Digital Neighbor as Good as the Real Thing?
Can Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace replace the neighborhood bar, cafe, or hangout? Mary Newsom says no.
City Votes to Control Big Box Stores
Lynchburg, VA approved a new regulation to control big box development in their city earlier this week, despite protests that it would hurt the economy of the area.
UnSprawl Case Study: Agritopia in Gilbert, Arizona
Crafted with a sort of evangelical "New Ruralism," the 166-acre Agritopia neighborhood east of Phoenix mixes gardens, pastures, orchards, restaurants, lush trails, and more with historically inspired homes designed to bring neighbors together.
Icons Versus Places
Fred Kent of the Project for Public Spaces was recently entangled in a dispute with architect Frank Gehry over the impact of iconic architecture in cities. Though Gehry's work has its moments, Kent says city emphasis on icons is a mistake.
Let's Teach Children Planning
Planners often encounter ineffective public participation because of the fact that citizens often are not taught planning skills in school, says Michael A. Rodriguez.
Climate Change Stumps California Planners
Although climate change is a predominant issue for California's land use planners, they concede they are just making up new practices and lack the tools they really need. Paul Shigley reports from the CAL APA Conference.
City Selling Itself
Neosho, Missouri, facing a severe budget crisis, is searching its inventory for property it can sell off. Some say the easy properties have already been sold.
Oklahoma City Releases Broad New Plan
A broad new plan has been unveiled in Oklahoma City. Included in the plan is a new 70-acre downtown park and a raft of transit improvements.
Creating Communities To Grow Old In
Meeting the needs of aging residents has been a challenge for many cities. Some suburban communities are pioneering the conversion to an elder-friendly layout.
Park(ing) Day 2009
Last Friday was Park(ing) Day 2009, a growing movement where city parking spaces are transformed into miniature parks as a comment on public space (and the lack thereof). Here's a glimpse into Seattle's version.
San Francisco's Fast Park Movement
New parks are popping up with a quickness in San Francisco, where planners have fast-tracked the conversion of street spaces into pedestrian parks.
Radburn Plan Alive and Well in LA
Village Green, a utopian, multifamily development in the Baldwin Hills district of Los Angeles, was built in 1941 and inspired by the Radburn Plan. The low, California style apartments ring a large, common open space.
Des Moines, Iowa Moves Forward with "Complete Streets" Policy
Despite opposition from businesses and neighborhood groups, the city of Des Moines, Iowa is intent on implementing a program to make local streets friendly to non-drivers.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
