Land Use

Aspen

Aspen Presses Pause on New Construction, Short-Term Rentals

Residents and elected officials of the famously wealthy mountain town of Aspen don't like the way the city is headed.

December 13, 2021 - The Colorado Sun

Empty Retail

Opinion: 'Instant' Delivery Services Could Decimate Street Vitality

The race to deliver goods at lightning speed has the potential to create 'dark cities' as street-level storefronts give way to closed-off warehouses only frequented by delivery workers.

December 10, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

An overhead image of a large wooden building as it's being constructed.

What Is By-Right Development?

A by-right approval (also known as an as-of-right approval) is granted when a development proposal strictly conforms to zoning and building codes and, thus, qualifies for construction without requiring discretionary approval.

December 9, 2021 - James Brasuell

Buckhead, Atlanta

Atlanta's Buckhead Plans to Secede Over Upzoning

One Atlanta neighborhood is campaigning to secede from the city as the battle over zoning reform heats up.

December 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Downtown Los Angeles

L.A.'s New Housing Element Calls for 456,000 New Homes

The newly updated Housing Element of the city of Los Angeles General Plan makes an ambitious commitment to housing construction—after decades of slow construction and a population out of scale with the city's housing stock.

December 7, 2021 - Urbanize Los Angeles

Downtown Houston overlooking Interstate 45.

Contentious Houston Freeway Widening Project Inches Forward

Federal officials have given TxDOT the go-ahead to resume work on a small portion of a controversial interstate widening project in downtown Houston.

December 5, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

Transit Oriented Development

What Is Smart Growth?

Smart growth describes an approach to planning and development that prioritizes compact built environments, designed for benefits to the economy and the environment.

December 3, 2021 - James Brasuell

Washington D.C. - The National Mall

What Is the City Beautiful Movement?

Known for grand buildings and sweeping green spaces, the City Beautiful movement combined philosophy and architecture into a powerful planning ideology that still drives urban design into the present day.

December 2, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

California State Capital

Land Use Regulations on a Collision Course in California

The future of planning in California depends on how lawyers reconcile the Housing Accountability Act with the California Environmental Quality Act.

December 2, 2021 - State & Local Government Law Blog

National Harbor

Upzoning Plan Faces Opposition in Prince George's County

A rezoning plan in Prince George's County, Maryland is receiving strong criticism from residents who worry redevelopment without tenant protections will lead to displacement.

December 2, 2021 - DCist

A movie studio buildiing located in Old Toronto's Port Lands is fenced off from the sidewalk and protected by a security guard station.

Are Movie Studios 'Highest and Best Use' During a Housing Affordability Crisis?

Toronto's answer to the question posed in the headline is, "yes." One columnist wonders if the city can do more to balance its priorities.

December 2, 2021 - Toronto Star

Pacific Ocean

Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning

The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.

December 1, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

View of Wrigleyville neighborhood before a Chicago Cubs game

New Development Continues in Wrigleyville

New mixed-use projects bring residential units, retail, and entertainment venues to the neighborhood surrounding Chicago's Wrigley Field as stadium-adjacent development grows in popularity.

December 1, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Urban Living

Leadership Change at the D.C. Office of Planning

D.C. Planning Director Andre Trueblood is leaving the helm of the District's Office of Planning.

November 30, 2021 - Washington Business Journal

Nigeria

Urban Development in African Cities

Rising populations and political challenges complicate the future development of Africa's major metropolitan centers.

November 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

San Francisco Street

Reimagining San Francisco for the Post-COVID Era

A San Francisco nonprofit is developing a set of recommendations for making downtown neighborhoods more flexible and welcoming to a more diverse set of users.

November 30, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

San Francisco Muni

Climate Change Law: A Primer for Cities

A report from the Sabin Center provides a legal framework for municipal-level action on climate change policy.

November 30, 2021 - Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Children Playing

How Urban Design Affects Children's Cognitive Development

A European study suggests that good urban design can affect cognitive and motor function development in young children.

November 30, 2021 - Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Toronto Construction

Toronto Reconsidering its Parking Requirements

Parking reform is reaching new frontiers.

November 29, 2021 - CBC News

Arlington, Massachusetts

A Primer on Arlington County's Missing Middle Housing Study

The county is evaluating its options for spurring construction of 'missing middle' housing that would provide more housing types in the D.C. suburb.

November 29, 2021 - DCist

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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.