San Antonio

Texas Embraces Cycling to Slim Down Residents and Beef Up Economies

From the panhandle to the Gulf coast, cities across traditionally car-crazed Texas are building bike-share systems and expanding bike infrastructure to lure businesses, residents, and improve public health.

August 19, 2013 - The Texas Tribune

How a 75-year-old Courthouse Became the GSA's Paragon of Sustainability

Chris Bentley explains how San Antonio's Beaux Arts federal courthouse became an unlikely paragon of the GSA's sustainability efforts while balancing a sensitive historic renovation.

April 7, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Rise of Municipal Urban Design Departments

San Antonio City Design Center's Executive Manager Mark Brodeur describes his observations of the nationwide trend in cities establishing independent urban design departments.

March 25, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

Out-Migration: An Urban Conundrum

High cost of living and lack of jobs are driving urban populations out of cities, and simply increasing density requirements might not be enough to reverse the trend, argues Jim Russell.

February 19, 2013 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Tactical Urbanism: A Look Back at 2012

From guerrilla wayfinding to future-tising, these are my top five, perhaps lesser known, highlights of a banner year for Tactical Urbanism.

December 30, 2012 - Mike Lydon

Bringing a Dead Mall Back to Life

Five years ago, Graham Weston, the chairman and co-founder of Rackspace, had a wild vision to transform an abandoned mall into his company's headquarters. His unique approach has revitalized the adjacent city of Windcrest, a suburb of San Antonio.

November 1, 2012 - The New York Times

Better Block Event Reintroduces San Antonio to The Alamo

Businesses and residents in San Antonio are celebrating what a temporary makeover of Alamo Plaza last weekend revealed about the potential to bring locals back to the city's tourist mecca.

August 22, 2012 - San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs Pioneering Water Conservation Effort

With a multipronged strategy, San Antonio has managed to achieve the nearly impossible - keeping water use flat while accommodating substantial growth - rightfully earning it the title "Water's Most Resourceful City," reports Mose Buchele.

August 10, 2012 - NPR

Economic Segregation Spreads Across America's Cities

Emily Badger looks at new data from the Pew Research Center that shows, "As Americans are growing farther apart on the income scale, we are also effectively moving apart from each other within cities, into our own economic enclaves."

August 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Where Americans Can Retire 'Like Kings'

Lisa Stark identifies the top ten U.S. cities were retirees can live on less than $100 per day.

July 20, 2012 - ABC News

Exposing How Publicly Subsidized Housing in Texas Encourages Segregation

Texas has come under scrutiny for a pattern of developing low-income housing projects in areas already suffering from poverty and blight. Karisa King describes how the NIMBY mentality is reinforced by the subsidization system.

April 24, 2012 - Texas Tribune

America's Expanding Cities

Nate Berg explains why recent headlines about the rise of the country's urban population shouldn't have smart growth advocates claiming victory just yet.

March 30, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

River Walk Leans Away From Tourism in San Antonio

San Antonio's River Walk is getting a new stretch of revitalized riverfront, but it's neither the utilitarian drainage ditch of the past nor the heavily sculpted tourist attraction of recent years.

March 12, 2010 - San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Tries Bus Wi-Fi

San Antonio is wrapping up a month-long experiment that has offered free Wi-Fi internet access on some of its buses.

November 24, 2009 - The Houston Chronicle

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.