Downtowns
A People-Friendly Plaza for D.C.
A new public plaza is being built in Washington D.C., and this rundown from The Dirt highlights its people-focused design.
Creating a Network of Open Spaces
The city of Baltimore has a new open space plan it thinks will lead the city to future growth that is smarter, more vibrant, and better overall for its residents.
Forget The Automobile, More Streets for Pedestrians and Cyclists Coming to L.A.
Despite the city's heavy dependence on cars, a newly-approved project in Los Angeles will transform a Downtown street into a better experience for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit-riders.
Updating and Improving Philadelphia's Downtown Plazas
Three public plazas in the center of Philadelphia are set to see much-needed makeovers, and soon.
Urban Park Commended for Revitalizing Detroit
The Urban Land Institute recently awarded Campus Martius Park in Detroit the 2010 Urban Open Space Award for helping to rejuvenate the historic city center.
The Rise of Mid-Sized Cities
The Boston Globe discovers that midsize towns across Massachusetts are ditching the mall and revitalizing their downtowns.
Census Proves That Downtowns Are Coming Back
Earlier this week, the new American Community Survey data was released. Daniel Nairn writes that the new data show "a reversal of the 20th century story of urban decline."
The Office Goes Urban
Motivated by factors such as municipal incentive packages and the changing preferences of younger workers, many companies are relocating to central business districts, reversing a post-war trend that based the American workplace in the suburbs.
Downtown Rebirth Through Two-Way Streets
The city of Richmond, Virginia, is hoping to undo years of downtown driving confusion and congestion by converting its web of one-way streets into two-way streets.
Downtown Improvement District Lives Up To Name
This column from MinnPost praises the year-old Downtown Improvement District in Minneapolis for helping to revive the city's downtown core and give people a reason to walk.
Revitalizing Downtown in Small and Mid-Sized Cities
Small and mid-sized cities in Canada are taking innovative steps to revitalize their downtowns, and lure businesses and entrepreneurs back.
The Design Behind St. Louis' Downtown Park
Landscape Architecture Magazine looks at the design behind the new downtown art park in St. Louis and calls it a "hybrid oasis" in the city.
Salt Lake Suburb Pins Hopes On Downtown Revival
South Salt Lake is seeking to revive itself economically by creating a downtown entertainment district connected by a streetcar.
Density Uber Alles
Is density a goal unto itself? John Parman argues that a 38-story building proposed for San Francisco has little to do with walkable urbanism, and continues "a sorry tradition of case-by-case rezoning."
A Flying Tour Through Downtown Tokyo
This video takes a futuristic tour of Tokyo -- through an editing technique that parallels the imagery to give the impression of weightless flight.
Dropping Bombs and Dropping Parking Lots
This post from The Overhead Wire looks at the impact of parking lot sprawl in American downtowns -- and finds a striking resemblance between those downtowns and bomb-ravaged cities from World War Two.
From Memories to Master Plans
Maine mill town asks citizens to record their memories at downtown "Heart Spots" as part of the master planning process.
Downtowns Not the Economic Engines They Used to Be
Downtowns used to serve primarily as the economic and job hub of a community, but are shifting to be more focused on providing a entertainment center and civic forum.
The Informal Economy: Michael Jackson Edition
I knew it was going to be a madhouse in downtown L.A. for Michael Jacksons memorial service, but I had to go see what it was like for the urban novelty of a huge swath of downtown closed off for thousands of fans and mourners.
Pagination
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.