Urban Development
Saving Walkable Urban Places
A few key changes can help downtowns out of the ‘urban doom loop.’
Experts Call for Extreme Heat Action Plans as Communities Face Growing Risks
Experts are urging cities and counties to develop heat action plans and personalized heat warnings as extreme heat becomes a leading cause of climate-related deaths.
Governor Newsom Signs Bills to Restrict Oil and Gas Operations Near Communities
The signed legislation grants local communities more authority to restrict oil and gas operations near sensitive areas and address the environmental risks of idle wells, while also ensuring the permanent shutdown of low-production wells.
Floodplain Development Largely Concentrated in Gulf Coast States
Many U.S. cities use ‘routine’ practices like zoning changes and permitting to discourage development in high-risk flood zones.
California Law Would Streamline Adaptive Reuse Process
A bill passed by the state senate would ease the permitting process for office conversions in central city neighborhoods.
Atlanta: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City
The nation’s first majority-Black city, Atlanta, has a rich identity steeped in African American culture and a sprawling footprint shaped by a complex history of the enterprising ‘Atlanta spirit,’ race relations, and segregation.
Thousands of Affordable Housing Units Planned Near New Haven Train Station
The proposal could breathe new life into a long-neglected area near a heavily trafficked Amtrak station.
Historic LA Filming Complex Could Get $1B Makeover
A revised plan for a revamped ‘Television City’ in mid-city Los Angeles was endorsed by the City Planning Commission, but faces more hurdles before full City Council approval.
Creative Ways to Activate Roofless Buildings and Vacant Lots
Pocket parks aren’t the only way to repurpose underused urban spaces.
The Essential Role of Parks in Advancing Sustainability
Parks are vital to sustainability, providing environmental, economic, and social benefits that improve public health, support biodiversity, and promote equity, as recognized in Los Angeles County’s OurCounty Plan.
New Study Shows How Urban Trees Improve Public Health
Louisville's Green Heart project demonstrates that strategically planting trees in underserved neighborhoods can significantly reduce inflammation levels, highlighting the health benefits of urban greenery through a novel, data-driven approach.
How Jersey City Dramatically Improved Its Public Realm
The city’s new Department of Infrastructure consolidates the management of public amenities and has guided the creation of new bike lanes, pedestrian plazas, and parks.
New Book Shows How Geographic Technology Tackles Global Challenges
In his new book, Jack Dangermond explores the transformative impact of GIS technology in solving global challenges through spatial data, highlighting its widespread application across sectors and its potential to design sustainable futures.
Great Album Covers with Urban Planning Themes
Album covers that evoke urban themes.
Mall Redevelopment in Silicon Valley
Dead malls across the Bay Area are being transformed into R&D centers, housing, and transportation hubs.
Columbus, Ohio's High-Frequency Transit Future Up for Vote in November
Despite being the nation’s 14th largest city, Columbus, Ohio has no high-capacity transit. That could change this November as city officials put a levy before voters that would provide $6.2 billion by 2050 to fund an ambitious bus rapid transit system.
Symposium Highlights the Crucial Role of Trees in Combatting Extreme Heat
Experts emphasize that planting and maintaining trees in urban areas is essential for reducing extreme heat, cooling cities, and preventing heat-related illnesses, especially as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.
Small Towns Lead in Parking Reform
Small towns and communities around the country are eliminating parking requirements at a faster rate than big cities.
Fourth Ward Project Aims for Sustainability on Atlanta's Beltline
A new megaproject hopes to bring new life to a former industrial site.
Pedestrians First: Tools for a Walkable City
A comprehensive new website provides information on why and how to improve community walkability and offers practical tools for evaluating walking conditions.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
