Manhattan

World Record Sale for Manhattan Real Estate, Again

The $5.46 billion sale last October for the private 83 acres of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village barely topped the prior world record set for the same property in 2006 and preserved 5,000 apartments for middle income renters.

January 15, 2016 - The Real Deal

The End of Manhattan's Music Row

The changes sweeping New York City include the end of Manhattan's Music Row.

January 5, 2016 - The New York Times

Uber Car

Uber's Impact on the New York Rush Hour

Researchers found a small uptick in Manhattan traffic during rush hour, as Uber gains more riders from 4 to 7 p.m. than taxis lose. Uber also holds general sway over the other boroughs when it comes to for-hire vehicles.

December 23, 2015 - FiveThirtyEight

Take the 'Green Line': Design Firm Pitches 40-Block Park on Broadway in New York

Perkins Eastman has created a splashy proposal for a linear, at-grade park running along a long stretch of one of New York's most famous avenues.

December 18, 2015 - Dezeen

Friday Eye Candy: Explore Manhattan in 1609

A new online interactive project allows new access to the history of Manhattan before Dutch settlers began taking residence on the island in 1609

October 2, 2015 - CityLab

Upper Manhattan's Disappearing Bodegas

Rising rents and competition with chains are taking their toll on Manhattan bodegas, a mainstay for hispanic neighborhoods for their fresh and ethnic foods. As their numbers decline, chain stores increase, and Walk Scores drop.

August 5, 2015 - The New York Times N.Y. / Region

Hudson Yards Towers

Manhattan's Hudson Yards 'Mini-City' Back on Track

Stymied for a time by lackluster investment, planned redevelopment of Hudson Yards on Manhattan's West Side is picking up speed. Joining residential buildings and budget hotels, office towers will bring municipal revenues back up.

June 30, 2015 - The New York Times

One57

Why New York Barely Taxes Its Billionaires

If taxed at an average rate, the buyer of One57's $100.5 million penthouse should have paid $1.3 million in property taxes. Instead, the property was assessed at $17,000. Here's why.

June 6, 2015 - CityLab

High-Rise Approval Secures $220 Million for Grand Central Terminal Improvements

In exchange for the approval to build One Vanderbilt, a 63-story office tower adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the developer will give the MTA $220 million for upgrades to entrances of the Metro-North Railroad and the terminal's subway entrances.

June 2, 2015 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

New York Vacant Storefront

'High-Rent Blight' on the Rise in Manhattan Retail Districts

Why are so many shops closing in New York's richest and best-known neighborhoods?

May 26, 2015 - The New Yorker

Will Upzoning Destroy the Beaux Arts Legacy of Midtown Manhattan?

A development proposal for a 1,450 glass skyscraper adjacent to Grand Central Station prompted the Architectural Record to wonder whether New York is chipping away the "Beaux Arts heart" of Manhattan.

February 13, 2015 - Architectural Record

Parks—or Playgrounds for Billionaires?

New York may be the most famous example of the parks becoming the most conspicuous signifiers of neighborhoods for the haves, versus the have-nots, but Inga Saffron hopes that cities everywhere can find ways to even the playing fields.

February 4, 2015 - The New Republic

Downtown Phoenix Skyline

Cities Growing Faster than Suburbs (But Not by Much)

Eliot Brown, commercial real estate reporter for The Wall Street Journal, writes on urban trends largely influenced by firms seeking to attract the brightest young workers with decidedly urban preferences. Mid-size and large cities are prospering.

January 5, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

$170 Million Park Would Replace Manhattan's Pier 54

With designs by architect Thomas Heatherwick and Landscape Architect Mathews Nielsen, a park proposal for the Hudson River would make a splashy addition to the neighborhood that boasts the south end of the High Line.

November 19, 2014 - The New York Times

New York Skyline Fisheye

Visualizing Manhattan's Shrinking Density

Although Manhattan has seen in influx of skyscrapers since 1910, overall residential density has shrunk since then.

September 25, 2014 - Vox

DC Nightlife

Pedestrians vs. Bicyclists: How to Make Peace

In this op-ed special to The Sacramento Bee, Michael Andersen of PeopleForBikes and Melissa Merson of America Walks make a convincing argument for protected bike lanes to improve both bike and pedestrian safety by getting cyclists off the sidewalk.

August 25, 2014 - The Sacramento Bee

Famous Mexico City traffic

Why and Where Driving is a Rational Choice

A recently released tool for analyzing the efficiency of travel modes in cities around the country reveals that driving is almost always a better choice—at least in travel time—than transit.

July 8, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Even Celebrities Get Ticketed for Riding the Wrong Way in the Big Apple

As all law-abiding cyclists know, one must ride with, not against the traffic, even if you are Alec Baldwin. The actor was arrested for the violation, plus a few additional things, like not having ID, that made matters worse.

May 16, 2014 - The New York Times

Pier 25, Hudson River Park, Tribeca

24 Hours in Manhattan's Winter Landscape

It is probably fair to say that most people think urban landscapes are at their best in the warm months. They may be right. But after a recent tromp through a frigid Manhattan, I am reminded how great cities can be in winter.

February 10, 2014 - Mark Hough

To Improve Street Safety, NYPD Cracks Down on Elderly Pedestrians

How far should cops go to ticket jaywalkers, particularly when dealing with non-English speaking senior citizens? An 84-year-old upper-West Side resident was targeted by New York's finest, and ended up arrested, bloodied and hospitalized.

January 27, 2014 - New York Post

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.