Land Use
The Incredible Shrinking Home
A new AIA report shows that new homes under construction are getting smaller in response to market forces.
Eroding Beach Sparks Property Rights Battle
As a Texas beach erodes and the waves come closer to shore, homeowners are scrambling to figure out what to do when the public beach invades their private property.
Portland Goes Car-Free, For a While
For six hours this Sunday, streets in North Portland will be off-limits to cars.
Toronto Looks West
This column from the Toronto Star argues that Toronto needs to take at least a few lessons from Vancouver if it wants to improve its planning.
China Using 10 Times More Cement Than Anyone Else
The Oil Drum charts recent figures released by the U.S. Geological Survey, which show a stunning growth in cement use (and therefore, presumably, building activity) in China as compared to world usage.
The Promise of New Industrial Jobs
Bethlehem Steel left 25 years ago, but a new, mysterious energy company is brining a glimmer of hope to Lackawanna, New York. The proposed plant, to be built on Bethlehem's brownfields, would convert petroleum coke into synthetic gas.
Creating a Place for Public Debate of City Planning and Design
Baltimore considers following in the footsteps of Paris, San Francisco and Copenhagen by opening a "design center", a place for people to gather and debate the design of their city.
London's Buried Rivers Rise Again
The Mayor of London is pushing a plan to bring London's undergrounded rivers to the surface.
Public Art That's Popular
People love to complain about public art, but an installation in Emeryville, CA is almost universally loved. One expert says, 'It creates something that is thought-provoking. It isn't just decorative.'
Tiny Monaco Using Stilts to Expand
The second-smallest country in the world (after the Vatican) has plans to expand its territory by building more land on stilts in an idea inspired by oil rigs.
The Reversal Of The American Dream
As walkable urban communities become the neighborhoods of choice, are suburban subdivisions destined to become twenty-first century slums?
The Gentrification of Harlem
From Home Depot to high-rise office buildings, Harlem's upward trend is producing "root shock," causing some residents to believe it is only a matter of time before they are displaced.
Parks Seen as Key to Downtown's Raleigh's Future
Planners and community leaders in Raleigh, North Carolina are looking to find ways to bring more residents to the city's struggling downtown. Many say building more parks and playgrounds will be crucial to attracting new residents.
Oklahoma's Car Culture Forced to Adapt
Oklahoma City residents used to 70-mile commutes are turning to carpooling as gas hovers at $4 a gallon. But with the largest land area of any U.S. city, providing public transit remains a major challenge.
Church Vs. Casino
It's ethics vs. economics in a debate over a proposed casino in Stranraer, Scotland.
Controversial Public Art Piece Given the Boot
Vancouverites send a sculpture packing, stirring up a debate over the role of public art.
'Takings' Case Challenges Govt. Rights Over Federal Lands
A case over land rights in the West going back decades has been awarded to the estate of a deceased property rights activist, who contended that the Forest Service deprived his ranch of water.
Cloning Speaker's Corner
A charity in Britain wants to replicate the success of London's heavily used Speaker's Corner in other parts of the country to encourage public interaction and discussion. Some say it's an idea that could never be.
Urban Farms Create Flow of Food and Cash in Cuba
Urban farms in Cuba have proven successful at feeding the country and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Transforming Streets Into 'Urban Oases'
A new San Francisco plan seeks to follow in the footsteps of cities like Copenhagen and Portland in revitalizing streets, alleys, medians, and crosswalks. The goal is to bring the city's outdoors to its 'rightful place as the center of civic life.'
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
