Density
Study Shows Smart Growth Reduces Automobile Usage
A new study shows that denser, more transit-oriented development will lead to an overall decrease in miles driven, reports Angie Schmitt.
Suburban Canada Dreams of Density
As one of North America's largest suburbs, Mississauga is joining some of its neighbors in the Greater Toronto Area in planning an unprecedented effort to replace its suburban roots with something more urban.
Is Density Inherently Desirable?
Kaid Benfield wades into the density debate by pointing out that density and sprawl can go hand in hand.
It's Not the Size of the Building That Counts, But How You Use It
In an urbanizing world, density is being recognized for its ability to stimulate the "metabolism of daily life." In an essay for The Wall Street Journal, Richard Florida argues that all density is not created equal, however.
London's Vertical Solution to its Housing Woes
For a city of its size, London and its skyline are notoriously flat. Now, as the city struggles to expand its housing stock to meet the needs of it surging population, increasingly taller solutions are being prescribed, concerning some.
Buffalo Zoning Supports Sprawl
David Steel explains how Buffalo's zoning code not only makes it impossible to build the type of neighborhoods people love, but also guarantees that low density development pays less taxes.
NPR Turns Its Attention to Cities
Announced this week by All Things Considered hosts Melissa Block and Robert Siegel, National Public Radio is launching a new series called the NPR Cities Project and they're asking listeners for their input.
Building Typology as One Solution to Visualizing and Embracing Density
While raw density numbers are sure to pick a fight, discussing character-based building typologies one neighborhood at a time may help find common ground.
Is Neighborhood Activism Stifling Community Planning?
Roger Valdez gives his take on the new obstructionism that is dominating public participation and holding up much-needed growth in Seattle and elsewhere.
Towards a More Nuanced Understanding of Density
Arguing for the value of historic low and mid-rise, but also dense, areas of Brooklyn, Washington D.C., and New Orleans, Edward T. McMahon asks us to reconsider the pursuit of density as an end in itself, and the high-rise as its fullest expression.
An Argument for Housing Choice
Trying to thread the needle between those who celebrate the demise of the exurb and those who bemoan smart growth policies, Edward Glaeser argues that we can, and should, have it all when it comes to housing choice in America.
The Surprising Environmental Benefits of Size and Density
A recent article from Richard Florida shows that the size and density of cities offers considerable advantages to the environment, beyond what is commonly understood.
Is Walking a Liberal Value?
Will Oremus investigates an occurrence he noticed recently in Tom Vanderbilt's series on walking – that the cities with the highest "walk scores" were all liberal – and asks why conservative cities don't walk.
Who's Benefitting From Historic Preservation?
As wealthy communities learn to use historic districts to inflate property values, socially conscious urbanists must think twice about the purpose and place of preservation, Will Doig reports.
Do Compact Cities Dream of Electric Cars?
New research suggests that the electrification of automobiles can undermine planning efforts to create denser development patterns and may work against policies that encourage non-motorized forms of mobility, such as biking and walking.
California Redefines Density
Census data reveals that California is the most urbanized state, with the most dense urban areas. But in California, sprawl, density, crowding, and urbanism are not always what they seem. Fortunately, a new law may help planners make sense of it all.
As the Global Population Explodes, Experts Ask Where They'll Live
A conference held in London last Tuesday, called "Planet Under Pressure," provided a forum to begin to answer the question, reports Roxanne Palmer.
Maximizing the Economic Potential of American Cities
Inspired by three books published in the last year that help to elucidate the role of cities and density in making people and countries richer, Ezra Klein compiles some lessons for economic development in the United States.
Does density raise prices?
In For A New Liberty, libertarian intellectual Murray Rothbard writes that leftist intellectuals had raised a variety of complaints against capitalism, and that "each of those complaints has been contradictory to one or more of their predecessors.” In the 1930s, leftists argued that capitalism was prone to ‘eternal stagnation”, while in the 1960s, they argued that capitalist economies had “grown too much” causing “excessive affluence” and exhaustion of the world’s resources. And so on.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
