Land Use
Detroit To Build New Parking for Small Businesses
The city will invest $9 million in an initiative to build customer parking on city-owned lots to boost economic development.
In Reversal, Ontario Government Could Open Toronto Greenbelt to Development
The Toronto Greenbelt was an urban growth boundary created in 2005 as one of the most obvious political victories for the Smart Growth movement in North America. A new bill would reverse course on the region’s growth policies.
Proposed Park Yet Another Hurdle for Houston Interstate Expansion
The Interstate 45 widening project, halted by a federal order and opposed by many local officials and organizations, could hit a new snag if White Oak Bayou becomes a city park.
Anchorage Eliminates Parking Requirements Citywide
Anchorage is the latest city to enact sweeping parking reforms, in another blow to the car-centric status quo of planning.
How Low Land Taxes Contribute to the Housing Shortage
The relatively low cost of holding on to vacant lots leads to underdevelopment in what are often prime residential areas.
$323 Million Waterfront Project Cruising Along in St. Louis
Lighthouse Point, a $323 million marina and waterfront development proposed for the banks of the Mississippi River, has already been granted a special district, tax abatements, and sales tax exemptions.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Issues 2022 Grants
The organization awarded 25 grants for projects that promote outdoor recreation and access to trail facilities for underserved communities.
America’s Housing Shortage Is More Dire Than We Thought
How much housing does America need to reduce soaring prices? Potentially more than anyone has estimated.
Feds Award $13 Million for Transit Oriented Development
The Federal Transit Administration selected 19 projects aimed at boosting development, affordable housing, and connectivity to transit.
Where Car-Free Streets Won Out
While some open streets experiments have met with backlash from community members, others were so successful they led to permanent changes.
Outdoor Dining Parklets No Longer Cheap and Easy
Cities in Santa Cruz County, California are making outdoor dining laws permanent, and some businesses are getting sticker shock at the extra cost of maintaining the pandemic-era expansion of al fresco dining.
Nashville Sets Downtown Parking Maximums
Nashville is the latest city to enact a substantive change to the parking requirements set by the city’s zoning code—doing away with parking minimums and setting parking maximums in the city’s Urban Zoning Overlay.
European Cities Act on Density
The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.
Los Angeles County Launches Environmental Justice Department
The new department will develop plans for addressing the impacts of air and water pollution, extreme heat, and climate change on vulnerable communities.
San Francisco Could Strike Deal on New Tower
The city is leveraging height increases and density bonuses to acquire more properties for affordable housing.
Palo Alto Includes Industrial Rezonings in its State-Mandated Housing Element
Palo Alto, a Silicon Valley city with a history of exclusionary zoning tactics, has produced a new Housing Element that calls for more than 6,000 housing units to be built in the city by 2031.
Where and Why Rezonings Are More Likely to Succeed
A new analysis of developer-initiated rezonings in Louisville, Kentucky sheds light on how the land use regulation system works.
Federal Protection Proposed for Chesapeake Bay
Two Maryland lawmakers will introduce legislation to create the Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area to protect the region’s important ecological and cultural resources.
Voters Reject Miami Beach High-Rises
Developers planning to build above the city’s current height limit will have to go back to the drawing board.
Proposed Legislation Sounds Alarm on Mississippi River Drought
Without concerted restoration efforts, the river’s historically low levels could dramatically impact shipping activities and economic development throughout the region.
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
