Land Use

Supreme Court's Endangered Species Ruling A Victory For Builders

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the federal Clean Water Act takes precedence over the Endangered Species Act when considering approval of development plans. The ruling is seen as a victory for developers.

June 26, 2007 - The Business Journal of Phoenix

New Prize Recognizes Jane Jacobs' Spirit

Having funded Jane Jacobs' groundbreaking research in the late 1950s, the Rockefeller Foundation has created a $100,000 prize in her name.

June 26, 2007 - The New York Times

Planning For Rising Sea Levels

For the coastal California city of San Diego, the threat of global warming and rising sea levels is on the minds of many local officials and planners.

June 26, 2007 - San Diego Union Tribune

Worries Over UGB-Splitting Bill And The Onslaught Of Sprawl

A powerful home builders lobby in Oregon helped push a bill through the state legislature that some say threatens the urban growth boundary for the city of Eugene, and essentially opens the flood gates for sprawl in the area.

June 25, 2007 - Eugene Weekly

Conservation Easements On The Rise

With a favorable federal tax incentive, more and more people are donating land in the form of conservation easements -- agreements that set aside the land and prevent future development.

June 24, 2007 - The New York Times

Bruegmann: Sprawl Is Natural And Is Part Of History

Once considered "sprawl" by Londoners, the city's row houses now form the essence of the city. Are attacks of sprawl in the US built on "an extremely shaky foundation of class-based aesthetic assumptions and misinformation?"

June 24, 2007 - Forbes

Army Looks To Expand Training Bases

Citing the need for larger battle spaces for military exercises, the U.S. Army has announced plans to acquire up to 5 million acres to expand its bases.

June 23, 2007 - USA Today

Shaping America's Cities: Part 3 - A Debate Over Mass Transit

Author Robert Bruegmann and activist Gloria Ohland continue their week-long debate on planning issues. Today's topic is mass transit and the automobile.

June 22, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Shaping America's Cities: Part 2 - A Debate Over Smart Growth

Author Robert Bruegmann and activist Gloria Ohland debate Smart Growth.

June 21, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Which Cities Will Be Abandoned by 2100?

A special Forbes series on the Future of Cities includes estimations about the types of communities and major cities may face extinction by 2100.

June 21, 2007 - Forbes

Shaping America's Cities: Part 1 - A Debate Over Sprawl

Author Robert Bruegmann and activist Gloria Ohland debate over urban sprawl.

June 20, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Are The Cities Of The Future Destined To Be Mega-slums?

By 2030, an estimated 2 billion of the 5 billion people who will be living in cities will live in slums, primarily in Africa and Asia.

June 20, 2007 - Forbes

The Corruption Of Smart Growth

With many developers touting their various projects as "smart growth", the term is losing much of it meaning.

June 20, 2007 - The Hartford Courant

Ranch vs. McMansion

Wayne Senville is on a trip across the U.S. on Route 50. He reports on how Creve Coeur, Missouri, is a well-kept suburb west of the city of St. Louis, is handling the trend of ranch homes are being torn down and replaced with McMansions.

June 19, 2007 - Greetings From Route 50

Oregon's Measure 37 Heading Back To The Ballot

In Oregon, the controversial land use law Measure 37 is on its way back to the ballot this November, as lawmakers look to limit the development rights granted by the measure in 2004.

June 13, 2007 - The Oregonian

A Walkable Downtown Los Angeles?

As part of a new set of guiding principles that call on city planners to 'demand a walkable city', Los Angeles may adopt new standards requiring developers to widen sidewalks, not streets.

June 13, 2007 - LA Downtown News

TODs Prove To Be A Boon For Urban Regions

In this special report, the WSJ examines the growing popularity of rail-based TODs, examining their effect on land values as well as the challenges they may face in obtaining approval.

June 13, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal

Book That Examines Suburban Lifestyle Inspires Life Changes

The book, "Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul" is making the rounds among church congregations who find meaning in its message.

June 12, 2007 - The Washington Post

California Sues Municipalities for Bad Urban Planning

Using a technique typically used by advocates, California's Attorney General is trying to use lawsuits to persuade local governments to curb sprawl and prevent global warming.

June 11, 2007 - USA Today

A Browner Shade of Green: The New Water Rules and the Next Chapter of Sprawl

Stormwater mitigation rules are supposed to help protect the environment, but the current regulations also end up encouraging sprawl over urban redevelopment.

June 11, 2007 - Lisa Nisenson

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.