Land Use

Malls: Old vs New

A fight over a new development in suburban L.A. accentuates not only the tenacity and bitterness of local politics, but also two radically different visions for 21st century retail: large enclosed shopping malls or smaller New Urbanist templates.

August 31, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

All Eyes On Air District's Sprawl Fee Litigation

California's Central Valley, where farms are rapidly being converted to tract housing, has the worst air quality in the state. A new "sprawl fee" on developments based on vehicle trips they would generate has spawned a legal challenge from builders.

August 31, 2006 - The New York Times

In Monterey California, It's Slow-Growth Advocates Versus Developers and Immigrants

What to do with an area that produces some 80 percent of the nation's lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach that lacks in housing for migrant workers? Why build more housing of course. Not so fast say "slow-growth" advocates.

August 31, 2006 - Wall Street Journal via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

UK Government Accused Of Violating 'Protective Planning' Laws

Environmentalists in England are charging local and central government officials with bending their own rules to allow various developments in scenic, rural areas and environmentally-sensitive lands.

August 31, 2006 - The Guardian

Growth Makes Town A City

The town of Columbia, Maryland, is on the verge of transforming into a full-blown city. Pushing a broad redevelopment plan, officials are trying to ease the transition while some residents resist.

August 30, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

The Cul-de-Sac Backlash

Some communities are limiting or outright banning cul-de-sacs, but residents still value the privacy and security they provide.

August 29, 2006 - The New York Times

Six Achievable Steps To Confront Global Warming

A new report from U.S. PIRG identifies achievable strategies for the United States to reduce global climate impacts by 20 percent.

August 29, 2006 - US Public Interest Research Group

Houston's Growing Pains

Planners are using public participation to overcome past haphazard development and create a vision for the city's transit corridors.

August 29, 2006 - The Houston Chronicle

Major Foundation Engaged In Land Conservation Effort

The Mellon family foundation has a land preservation conservation campaign that started in the late 1970's. It has saved 3.6 million acres of endangered or historically significant sites in all 50 states.

August 29, 2006 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Small Oregon Town Cuts UGB Acreage

The city planning commission in the Southern Oregon town of Jacksonville recently passed a motion to reduce the acreage of a proposed urban growth boundary to more accurately reflect the town's population growth trends.

August 29, 2006 - Mail Tribune

Miami Beach Struggles With The Cost Of Parking

To compensate for the rising cost of providing parking structures, the city is proposing to hike its impact fee to $35,000 per space.

August 28, 2006 - The Miami Herald

Planner Profile: Joe DiStefano

August 28, 2006 - Joe DiStefano

Will Florida's Growth Management Controls Encourage Sprawl?

Home builders in Florida say that the state's plan to make developers pay for new infrastructure will promote development on cheap land away from cities.

August 28, 2006 - Tallahassee Democrat

China's Cities Told To Guard Against Sprawl

The country's leaders warn against the environmental problems that urban sprawl patterns generate, and call for compact urban development.

August 27, 2006 - Xinhua News Agency

Farmers Use Easements To Protect Land

Housing developments are threatening centuries-old agricultural land in Western North Carolina, but farmers are fighting off developers with the help of conservation easements.

August 26, 2006 - Mountain XPress

'Self-Inflicted' UK Flooding Could Be Planners' Fault

Leading British scientists are warning the country that forecasted high tides could flood many low-lying areas. They caution that the coming devastation could have been prevented by better floodplain planning and more environmental considerations.

August 26, 2006 - BBC

Bicycles No Longer Welcomed In China's Cities

China's pell-mell race towards modernization reduces reliance on bicycle for transportation.

August 25, 2006 - Sierra

Denver's New Rail Line Is Successful At Attracting Development

As renters increasingly value access to transit, more and more new apartment and mixed-use developments are springing up around the city's new light rail stations.

August 24, 2006 - CBS 4 Denver

Upstate New York Towns Slow Down Growth Of Wind Farms

Commercial wind farms are to many small towns in rural, upstate NY what the Cape Wind proposal is to Cape Cod -- highly controversial. Moratoriums play key role in developing land use regulations to quell citizen opposition.

August 24, 2006 - The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY

Suburbs Are Making Canadians Fatter

A new study in Canada provides additional evidence linking the obesity epidemic in North America with suburban sprawl.

August 24, 2006 - Canada.com

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.