Neighborhood Character
The Charms of 'Illegal Neighborhoods'
A longtime resident of an old, eclectic neighborhood reflects on what makes the area so desirable and why new places like it are effectively outlawed today.
Washington D.C. Downzones to Curb Pop-Ups in Rowhouse Neighborhoods
Owners of rowhouse properties in Washington D.C. will no longer be able to add height and density by building pop-ups. The construction provoked the ire of aesthetically minded critics and, now, the regulatory controls of the District's zoning code.
Los Angeles (Temporarily) Bans New McMansions
Concerns about out-of-character construction, much of it oversized, has led the Los Angeles City Council to prohibit construction of additional 'McMansions.' In some areas, all new development will be held up for two years.
Not All Preservationists Are NIMBYs
In the quest for density and infill, preservationists often stand beside those who want static cities. But both preservation and density can be ideologies, and thoughtful land use demands a nuanced middle ground.
Affordable Housing a Hot Election-Year Topic in Nashville
As affordable housing and its related challenges—gentrification, preservation, and displacement, for example—become more challenging in Nashville, candidates in the city's 2015 race must take a stand on the issue or risk alienating voters.
Does Limiting Rowhouse Expansions Preserve, or Prevent, Affordable Housing?
The Washington D.C. Zoning Commission is considering a proposal to limit the ability to convert or expand rowhouses. The proposed ordinance has provoked controversy about the effect of the law for the city's supply of housing.
Is Racism Behind the Density Debate in San Diego?
A high profile environmental attorney in San Diego called out neighborhood opposition to development that would add density for "selfishness and closet racism."
McMansions Spark Debate in Decatur, Georgia
Call them teardowns, infill, or McMansions, the affluent suburb of Decatur, Georgia is dealing with growing concern about neighborhood character and tree canopy as property owners adopt the trend toward new, large houses in existing neighborhoods.
Proliferation of 'Pop-Ups' Irks Washington D.C. Neighborhoods
Washington D.C. is experiencing a "rush" on new construction of renovated townhouses or "pop-ups," which many say do not fit the character of the neighborhoods where they tend to proliferate.
Zoning Code Change Considered to Protect Philly’s Cornice Lines
To protect the character of city blocks, a Philadelphia councilwoman has proposed new restrictions on building heights on blocks with uniformly two-story buildings.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
