Land Use
'Place First' Parking Plans
Wes Marshall and Norman Garrick illustrate the problem with parking plans today, and how to fix them.
A Different Kind of Public Art in Olympia
An audio artwork called "Bus Station" will be installed in Olympia, WA's downtown transit station, to be heard over the public-address system.
What More 'Livable Streets' Could Mean for New York
This article from The New York Observer looks at how New York City might be different with more "livable streets".
Suburbs Aren't the Only Places Reacting to Rising Energy Prices
This article from USA Today looks at how some big cities are reacting to rising energy prices. Two examples from metropolitan Phoenix highlight the fact that it is not only suburbs that are being forced to respond.
The Eight Aspects of Good Downtowns
As the downtown master plan of Baton Rouge turns ten years old, planners are looking at the next stages of development. They say eight factors play into making this and other downtowns successful.
Pay No Attention to the Neighborhood Behind the Curtain
In a last-minute effort to beautify the city before the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics, officials in Beijing have put up walls and screens to hide unsightly neighborhoods from the eyes of visitors. Those behind the walls are not happy.
Should Store Owners Be Allowed to Repel Teenagers?
Stores in Vancouver suburbs have installed a device outside their stores called a 'Mosquito' that emits a high-pitched frequency that the average adult can't hear. The device is effective in decreasing vandalism, but at what cost to public space?
Urban Agriculture is Growing
Allison Arieff reports on the latest happenings in urban agriculture, including the planting of a full-scale edible landscape in her own backyard.
New Study Links Obesity to Land Use Patterns
A new study by the University of Utah shows that people who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to be leaner than those who live in auto-oriented areas.
Astor Place Slated for Improvement
New York's DOT is proposing a new plan to transform Astor Place from feeling like a freeway median to a pedestrian-friendly public space.
Kids Afraid to Play in Public
A recent report by The Australian Commission of Children and Young People reveals that kids in Sydney are too afraid to play outside or ride the bus.
Embracing 'Tactility'
Architect Ken-Ichi Sasaki believes that planners have focused too much on the visual to the detriment of the tactile.
Home Economics
Philip Langdon comments on the the economy of oil and its effects on urban design in the July/August issue of New Urban News.
An Architect-Designed Mega Plan in Istanbul
One of the world's largest urban renewal projects is about to break ground in the Kartal area of Istanbul, and every aspect of the new neighborhood is designed by a star architect. The Wall St. Journal reports on the new "city-building industry".
Coconut Grove Looks to Revamp, Modernize Waterfront
Miami's Coconut Grove waterfront neighborhood may receive a makeover if city commissioners approve a new master plan. However, one questions remains: who is going to fund it?
Appalachia Creates a 'Suitability Map' to Entice Responsible Development
A key idea of western North Carolina's Mountain Landscapes Initiative is to create a map of land already in conservation, layered with land that should be preserved, so that developers, builders, and residents together can plan responsibly.
Fighting Isolation With Sleepovers
After a murder in his neighborhood, writer Peter Lovenheim decided that he needed to become closer to his neighbors. So he packed up his sleeping bag and invited himself over for a sleepover.
Fast-Food Moratorium Moves Ahead in L.A.
A proposal to ban any new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles for one year has received unanimous approval from a city committee, and will head next to city council for approval. Concerns have been raised about what qualifies as "fast food".
Property Rights vs. Height Limits
Local officials in Manasota Key, FL tried to preserve the character of their community by putting height restrictions in place, but a thwarted developer has been awarded $500k for the limitations these restrictions imposed on his property rights.
Paris 'Beach' Opens
The annual transformation of riverbanks to beaches has begun in Paris, where the River Seine becomes a widely visited outdoor public space known as Paris Plages.
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
