Urban Development

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio Turns 300

Alamo City enters the 300 club.

May 9, 2018 - Texas Monthly

Colorado Water

Growth Requires New Water Supply Solutions in Colorado

Colorado cities located north of Denver consider the future of water as the region grows. New infrastructure and new partnerships will be necessary to meet demand for water in the future.

May 9, 2018 - The Denver Post

Brooklyn Queens Connector

BQX Streetcar Lacks Funding in de Blasio's Proposed Budget

It's been awhile since the proposed BQX Streetcar project had any forward momentum in New York City.

May 9, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Denver, Colorado

Denver Bans 'Slot Homes,' But Not Before They Changed Neighborhoods

Aerial photos show just how completely some areas of the city were transformed before the building typology was eliminated earlier this week.

May 9, 2018 - The Denver Post

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Portland Makes ADU Incentives Permanent

Development fees can add some $15,000 to the cost of building a home in Portland. Residents adding an accessory dwelling unit to their property won't need to worry about those expenses, as long as they don't use the limit for short-term rentals.

May 9, 2018 - Portland Tribune

Interactive Map of Boston

New Citywide Mapping Tool Marks a New Era for Planning in Boston

The Boston Planning & Development Agency released a powerful new map of the entire city—complete with layers like shadows, flood plains, and zoning districts—to the public.

May 9, 2018 - The Boston Globe

Target Parking Lot

6 Ways Big Box Stores Harm Communities

A compendium of big box dissent.

May 9, 2018 - Strong Towns

golf course homes

Report: More Mortgage Interest Deduction Goes to the Wealthy After Changes

Changes to the Mortgage Interest Deduction ostensibly made the housing subsidy more progressive. The real consequences of the change, however, make the deduction "significantly more inequitable that it was in years past."

May 8, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Main Street bridge crossing the St. Joseph's River

New Revitalization Toolkit for Smaller Legacy Cities

Not every Legacy City has the size and cultural cache of a Pittsburgh or a New Orleans to aid in its recovery, but there are resources available for smaller cities examining pragmatic revitalization strategies.

May 8, 2018 - Greater Ohio Policy Center

Michigan

A $130 Million Infusion for Detroit's 'Strategic Neighborhood Fund'

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Planning Director Maurice Cox announced a major new funding initiative to support the city's Strategic Neighborhood Fund. Funding will support projects in seven target neighborhoods.

May 8, 2018 - The Detroit Free Press

Trump Campaign

Lawsuit Challenges the Trump Administration's Approach to Fair Housing

Housing Advocates have filed a lawsuit to press the Department of Housing and Urban Development to enforce requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

May 8, 2018 - The Washington Post

Ontario, Canada

Doug Ford, Candidate for Ontario Premier, Would Open Toronto Greenbelt to Development

A prominent conservative with an infamous name is promoting single-family home development in the Toronto greenbelt as a way to release pressure on the Toronto housing market.

May 7, 2018 - Toronto Sun

Seattle Victorian

Zoned Out: Seattle Prioritizes Single-Family Residential

In Seattle, most (88 percent) of the city's new housing is being developed in a few small, already dense areas around the city. Most of the city is reserved for single-family housing.

May 7, 2018 - The Seattle Times

San Francisco

California as a Model for Housing Legislation

The Golden State may have the nation's most severe housing crisis, but there is one area of state housing policy where it shines, becoming a model for other states that want to advance accessory dwelling units, also called granny or in-law units.

May 7, 2018 - Next City

Beacon

How the Lights in Our Cities Became Too Bright

“Why are lighting designers and experts nearly unified in their belief that outdoor lighting in past years has been excessive?”

May 7, 2018 - Metropolis Magazine

Cleveland 4th Street St. Patrick's

Can Density Prevent Diabetes?

In Australia, a new study will determine the best ways to make high-density developments healthy places to live.

May 7, 2018 - Diabetes.co.uk

View of solar panels on roofs

California to Require Solar on New Residential Buildings

The California Energy Commission will decide on new energy standards for residential construction this week.

May 6, 2018 - The Orange County Register

Seattle, Washington

Amazon, Seattle Go to War Over Proposed Tax

Amazon, a company with cities throwing money at its feet all over the country, has decided to halt construction on an expansion in its hometown over a proposed "head tax."

May 5, 2018 - The New York Times

Sprinkler Sprawl

As Drought Returns to Texas, Report Recommends Stricter Rules on Outdoor Water Use

A report from a coalition of nonprofits recommends, among other restrictions, allowing outdoor watering only twice per week.

May 5, 2018 - The Texas Tribune

Delay Sign

Op-Ed: 'Public Mood' Has Turned Against Cars in Cities

A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.

May 4, 2018 - The New York Times

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.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.