Land Use

Columbus Kills its Mall

20 years after the Columbus City Center opened its doors, the now nearly abandoned mall is slated to be demolished. The redevelopment agency plans to replace it with a park.

February 10, 2009 - The Columbus Dispatch

How Much Space Do You Need?

Charles Platt uses CIA Factbook data on populations to create a visual representation of how much land there is per person in different nations.

February 9, 2009 - BoingBoing

Buffing Up The Bronx

City planners are rezoning an area of the Bronx known for auto shops and storage units to try to create a new bustling neighborhood like SoHo.

February 9, 2009 - The Daily News

We're Just Not That Into the Mall Anymore

The New York Times takes a humorous look at the America's love affair (and breakup) with the mall over an Orange Julius at the Mall of America.

February 9, 2009 - The New York Times

A Form-Based Code For Cincinnati

Cincinnati City Council has approved $50,000 in funding for the development of neighborhood-based form-based codes. The funding is the first step of 'Smart Code' implementation throughout several Cincinnati neighborhoods.

February 8, 2009 - Building Cincinnati

A Look at the Cities of the Future

This slideshow from Treehugger offers visions of the future of cities -- from decades ago and today.

February 7, 2009 - Treehugger

Subsidize Green Neighborhoods, Not Green Cars

DC writer Alec Dubro questions the pursuit of the green car, concluding we should cease its financial support. Though people may prefer the car culture, it would make more sense to pursue a ‘post car future’, citing Portland’s compact neighborhoods.

February 6, 2009 - The Progressive

Niemeyer's Plan to Refresh Brasilia Meets Opposition

Architect Oscar Niemeyer has released plans to build new iconic buildings near the UNESCO-protected cultural and government center he designed in Brasilia 50 years ago. But locals have voiced opposition.

February 6, 2009 - Associated Press

What Future Awaits the Suburbs?

The suburbs are struggling right now, but they are still around, physically. Allison Arieff asks what will happen to them next?

February 5, 2009 - The New York Times

Peter Calthorpe's Stimulus Prescription

In this op-ed, Peter Calthorpe warns against a massive investment to stimulate sprawl as was done after WWII. He notes 3 areas that need smart investment to make the American Dream sustainable: urban transit, environment, and multi-family housing.

February 5, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Height-For-Space Strategy Works, Mostly

San Francisco and other cities have historically given developers the incentive to build taller for providing a proportional amount of public space. This article looks at what has worked as well as how it has backfired.

February 4, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Atlanta Beltline Project's Future Unclear

Mixed communication, contested railway lines and the collision of local, state and federal entities has put the future of Atlanta's Beltline greenspace and transit project.

February 4, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Camouflaging Infrastructure

Artist Joshua Callaghan paints over utility boxes in his community to make them disappear into their surroundings.

February 2, 2009 - Joshua Callaghan

Towards 'Dynamic' Zoning

Don Elliott, author of A Better Way to Zone, argues that dynamic zoning regulations can help cities grow appropriately and avoid bottlenecks to good development.

February 2, 2009 - Don Elliott

Hawaii Light Rail to Connect With Airport

The Honolulu City Council has agreed to slightly re-work the route of the region's recently-approved light rail system to connect with Honolulu International Airport -- a move that has angered some residents.

February 1, 2009 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Abandoned Farmland Becoming Rainforest

As rural villagers abandon farms for the city, tropical lands are reverting to rainforests.

January 31, 2009 - The New York Times

A City of Leftovers

Tijuana is literally built with the development waste of nearby San Diego, California. This video by Laura Hanna shows how.

January 31, 2009 - The Nation

The Top Trends Shaping Place

The Project for Public Spaces has released a summary of the top ten trends shaping the future of America's communities -- from public markets to community-based transportation planning.

January 31, 2009 - Project For Public Spaces

Friday Bummer: Final Parking Spaces

A researcher of weird roadside attractions stumbled onto an unusual clash of land uses - cemeteries wedged into parking lots. Here's a collection of photos.

January 30, 2009 - Roadside Resort

Towards Land Recyclability

Urban development needs to be re-considered as urban redevelopment, according to this column from MinnPost.

January 29, 2009 - MinnPost

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.