Urban Development
Dear Cities: Let’s Make FIFA Count
The first-ever pan-North American World Cup offers urban planners a unique opportunity: to undo the legacy of failed promises and show that mega events can actually benefit the cities they visit.
NYC Unveils First Comprehensive Greenway Plan in 30 Years
New York City’s Greater Greenways plan charts an ambitious, equity-focused expansion of its 500-plus-mile greenway network, aiming to connect more neighborhoods to parks, waterfronts, and safe, sustainable transportation options.
Miami Adds New TOD Incentive
Developers can apply for a land use variance for housing projects within half a mile to one mile of rail stations, but the complex process means few are likely to take advantage of the program.
How Disgust Shapes Perceptions of Density
A new study reveals a telling link between an individual’s disgust sensitivity and how they respond to urban density.
Opinion: As Prison Populations Drop, Shuttered Facilities Offer Opportunity
The redevelopment of hundreds of former military bases in the 1980s provides a model for how similar facilities can be repurposed to serve the surrounding communities.
Why NYC Needs More ‘Deliverista Hubs’
The city began construction on a facility that will provide seating, shade, and e-bike charging for delivery workers. Its 80,000 ‘deliveristas’ could use many more.
Revitalizing LA’s Historic General Hospital
Los Angeles County is transforming its historic General Hospital into a mixed-use community with housing, healthcare, and green space — an ambitious project aimed at revitalizing underserved neighborhoods while preserving a cultural landmark.
Omaha Mayor’s Proposal Would Build 1,900 New Housing Units Along Streetcar Line
Mayor Ewing introduced a new plan that would allow the city to begin distributing affordable housing financing as early as next year.
To Sprawl or Not to Sprawl: But Is That the Question?
As a debate rages in mainstream media about whether or not America should sprawl, a housing researcher says that's the wrong question. We need to do both.
Hawaii’s Tsunami Scare Reveals Evacuation Shortfalls
A tsunami alarm revealed serious flaws in Oahu’s evacuation planning, prompting calls for urgent improvements in emergency infrastructure, coordination, and public safety.
What Housing Crisis?
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order that prohibits the construction of duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes from replacing single-family-homes destroyed by the recent wildfires in Pacific Palisades, i.e., the suspension of SB 9.
Delivering on the Promise of Parks
In LA County, even amid budget challenges, new parks are opening, targeted investments are being made in underserved communities, and long-term plans are guiding progress — demonstrating a sustained commitment to parks as essential infrastructure.
First NYC Hotel Conversion Completes Construction
A 2021 state law aimed at promoting hotel conversions has had a rocky start, only now yielding its first completed project.
The Basics of Artificial Neural Networks: What Urban Planners Should Know
Planetizen AI columnist Tom Sanchez takes us under the hood of the technology that drives many AI tools.
Sea Level Rise is Drowning This Pacific Island Nation; They Have a Plan
The nation of Tuvalu has created an ambitious plan to relocate its entire population and preserve key cultural and historic resources as rising seas threaten to wipe it out within three decades.
A Vision for the Future: LA County Releases Draft Sustainability Plan
Los Angeles County has released the draft 2025 OurCounty Sustainability Plan — shaped by community input — and is inviting public feedback through August 22 to help guide the County’s path toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.
Honoring Elders: California Tribe Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing
The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians is launching its first senior housing project in Los Angeles County, creating 26 affordable units to serve Native elders and address longstanding housing inequities.
Half of Rural Texas Hospitals Could Close
Texas has lost 25 rural hospitals in the last two decades, more than any other state.
Chicago Eliminates Parking Minimums Near Transit
Changes to a city ordinance make it easier to build ‘by-right’ car-free developments near train stations and pave the way for more affordable housing.
A Historic Investment in LA County’s Parks and Open Spaces
Los Angeles County has launched its largest-ever competitive grant program, investing $58 million to expand park access, enhance climate resilience, and support community-driven projects in the areas that need them most.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
