Urban Development

The Road Forward: Cost-Effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport
This new 165-page book, available free, is a resource for identifying practical, cost-effective policies for reducing passenger transport emissions on land, and especially in urban areas.

Cities and Automobile Dependence: What Have We Learned?
Thirty years ago Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy introduced the concept of automobile dependency. In this article they reexamine the evidence, consider criticisms, and discuss how their insights changed—sometimes painfully—planning practices.

Urban Development in African Cities
Rising populations and political challenges complicate the future development of Africa's major metropolitan centers.

What Are Streetcar Suburbs?
Named after the mode of transportation that made their existence possible by dramatically reducing travel times, streetcar suburbs are communities located along streetcar lines farther out from city centers, on the periphery of the urban areas in the late 19th century.

Creating Suburban Exclusivity in the City
City life is being sold as a convenient version of the suburbs, with similar amenities minus the time-consuming commute.

Expert Voices 2019: Why Cities?
As cities define our world in new ways every day, Penn Institute for Urban Research asked nearly dozen urban experts, “Why cities?”

Can Rapidly Urbanizing Cities in Low and Moderate Income Countries Become 'Smarter'?
Penn IUR's Eugenie Birch, Richard Voith and Susan Wachter ask: Can rapidly urbanizing cities in low and moderate income countries become "smarter"?

Compact Cities Are Environmentally and Economically More Sustainable
Sprawl leads to more emissions, but the economic costs are also high. Policies and strategies that ensure compact growth are essential.

The Fragility of Growth in a Post-Industrial City
A chapter by Jeremy Nowak, who passed away this summer, adapted from the book "Shared Prosperity in America’s Communities."

Resource-Efficient Urban Planning Helps Achieve Economic, Social, and Environmental Goals
A new report shows that low-carbon development policies can help to achieve numerous planning goals including job creation, improved safety and public health, social inclusion, and improved accessibility.
Brick & Story
City of Mt Shasta
McKenna
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.