Land Use

Sacramento Creates Infill Housing Council

The council will work with city officials and developers identify workable sites for infill housing as an alternative to sprawl.

July 18, 2006 - The Sacramento Bee

Uses Mix As University Splits

Concordia University, in Austin, Texas, is gearing up to move to a new location. But the 22 acres it's leaving behind won't be empty for long. A large-scale and high-rising pedestrian-friendly development is slated for the site.

July 18, 2006 - The Austin Chronicle

Will Sprawl Fee Spread To The Bay Area?

The Bay Area's Air Quality District is awaiting the outcome of the building industry's litigation against the country's first regulation of "indirect sources" in California's heavily polluted Central Valley.

July 17, 2006 - The Contra Costa Times

Car-less In Seattle

Pedestrian pioneer Alan Durning describes what his family of five is learning by living without four wheels in Cascadia's largest city. Can they survive without the essential currency of the modern American community?

July 17, 2006 - Alan Thein Durning

The Politics Of Planning In Hong Kong

Government officials are finding themselves at odds with an ever more vocal public over major urban development proposals.

July 16, 2006 - HK Magazine

Is Organic Food Always Sustainable?

As the demand for organic foods increases, suppliers are importing crops from overseas, calling into question some of the environmental benefits.

July 16, 2006 - San Diego Union Tribune

Worries Over The Success Of New Urbanist Town Center

Neighbors of a successful "downtown" project in a Minneapolis suburb voice concerns that its success may mean more density and parking nightmares for their community.

July 13, 2006 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Total Flying Experience

In the begining there was the duty-free shop. These days, though, airports contain a multitude of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, essentially doubling as a suburban mall.

July 13, 2006 - The Next American City

Higher Taxes Could Encourage Sprawl

Proposed tax hikes in San Francisco could hurt the region's smart growth efforts by encouraging businesses to move out of the center city.

July 13, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Washington State Will Vote On Property Rights Initiative

Supporters and opponents of the controversial proposal are preparing for a major campaign in the fall.

July 13, 2006 - The Seattle Times

Seaside, New Zealand?

After touring Seaside, Florida, a New Zealand developer is taking inspiration back home and developing two master-planned communities with garden parks and communal areas. Plans are underway to bring New Urbanism to New Zealand.

July 13, 2006 - The New Zealand Herald

The Younger Crowd Wants Transit

As the country's housing preferences shift from the widely spread to the urban and dense, the prevalence of transit-oriented development planning increases.

July 12, 2006 - Smart Growth Online

Urban Renewal in Post-Industrial Detroit

As part of a larger, worldwide series, Guardian's architecture critic Dejan Sudjik writes about grand plans for Detroit's turnaround.

July 12, 2006 - BBC News

Bruegmann: Urban Myths About Sprawl And Congestion

Robert Bruegmann, author of "Sprawl: A Compact History," writes that traffic congestion is caused not by sprawl but by misconceptions about sprawl.

July 12, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

U.S. Population Goes Coastal

Every day 1,500 new homes rise along the U.S. coastline. National Geographic asks, "Are America's coastlines are in danger of being loved to death?"

July 12, 2006 - National Geographic

The Battle Over Sprawl and The Future Of America

Former journalist Anthony Flint discusses his new book, which chronicle of the fledgling smart-growth movement and the challenges it faces. Some see Flint as a moderate voice in the highly-charged debate.

July 11, 2006 - Grist Magazine

How To Make Melbourne The Most Livable Again

Architects, artists, urban planners, developers, designers and historians comment on the world's formerly most livable city, why it's lost the title and how to can reclaim it.

July 11, 2006 - The Age

Smart Growth Is Also Smart Investment

Current trends indicate that pedestrian- and transit-oriented developments are becoming more and more attractive, especially to younger people. This smart growth is also turning out to be a profitable investment.

July 11, 2006 - CNN

A Scathing Rebuke For LA's Building Department?

The Los Angeles City Controller issues a 235-page audit of the city's Department of Building and Safety. While the report appears to be highly critical, a close reading indicates most problems result from chronic understaffing.

July 11, 2006 - Los Angeles Business Journal

Coverage Of Rob Lowe's Mega Mansion Leads To Newspaper Implosion

The wealthy, reclusive owner of the Santa Barbara News-Press rebukes editors for coverage of an article about actor Rob Lowe's petition to build a mega-mansion. It's the latest in a series of problems that leads to an 'editorial bloodbath'.

July 10, 2006 - The Santa Barbara Independent

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.