Urban Development

Millennium Tower

S.F.'s Central SoMa Plan Would Add 40,000 Jobs, 7,000 Housing Units

YIMBYs are describing the jobs-housing imbalance represented in the Central SoMa Plan as reminiscent of the housing policies of cities farther down the Peninsula.

April 6, 2018 - BeyondChron

Wheelchair Ramp

The Americans With Disabilities Act Survives Congress (for Now)

Threat of a Senate filibuster has blocked the progress of a bill that would restrict enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

April 6, 2018 - Rewire.News

Fayetteville, Arkansas

A Suburban Retrofit Rides the Bike Trails

Communities around Northwest Arkansas have placed bike infrastructure at the center of a plan to retrofit suburban communities.

April 6, 2018 - The Atlantic

Volunteers

When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays

Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.

April 5, 2018 - Bloomberg

Galveston, Texas

Makeover Revealed for Galveston's Popular Stewart Beach

The Galveston Park Board of Trustees is looking to add some bells and whistles to an already popular destination.

April 5, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Intercontinental Hotel

Massachusetts Considering a Hotel Tax on Short-Term Rentals

Legislation moving through the Massachusetts Legislature would implement the same tax on short-term rentals that already applies to hotels. Local jurisdictions would also be free to implement their own taxes on short-term rentals under the law.

April 5, 2018 - The Boston Globe

Ohio River

Ohio Announces 320 'Opportunity Zones'

The new Opportunity Zones program is one to watch as states around the country throw their hats in the ring.

April 5, 2018 - CityBeat

Weymouth, Massachusetts

The Planned Community of the Future Is Also a 'Smart City'

Planned community developer LStar Ventures is building a smart city experiment near Boston.

April 5, 2018 - The New York Times

New York Vacant Storefront

Mayor de Blasio Wants a Vacancy Tax to Combat Empty Storefronts

The hottest trend in commercial real estate, letting storefronts in Manhattan sit empty while waiting for top dollar, is robbing the city's streets of the benefits of a bustling economy.

April 5, 2018 - New York Post

Jersey City Demolition Ban Is All About the 'Bayonne Box'

An inexpensive architectural style is deemed unfit for a town looking to preserve its history—and become a more sophisticated city.

April 4, 2018 - The Jersey Journal

Free Floating Bikeshare

BART Has Had Enough of Dockless Bikes

With piles of them strewn around stations, the transit agency is "cracking down" on bikeshare companies.

April 4, 2018 - San Jose Mercury News

Trees and People

Walkability Needs Nature

The healthiest neighborhoods are both walkable and green, according to a growing body of evidence.

April 3, 2018 - PlaceMakers

Brazos River

APA-Texas Acknowledges the Great Places of the Lone Star State

There are a lot of great places to celebrate in Texas, and the state chapter of the American Planning Association is in the second year of a program that calls attention to the role of planners in making them happen.

April 3, 2018 - Great Places in Texas Announcement

Society Hill Philadelphia

Philadelphia Gentrification: A Historical Perspective

Gentrified in the 1960s during the height of urban renewal, Society Hill is a historical precedent as Philadelphia confronts present-day gentrification.

April 3, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Walking the Dog

Dog Parks and Yoga Lawns: the New High Rise Residential Amenities

Construction is wrapping up on a new high-rise residential tower cleverly dubbed Catalyst, signifying a shift in urban living in the city of Houston.

April 2, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

White House Seder

Dayenu!

Those of us who cherish cities have much to be grateful for (at least in some cities).

April 2, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

BART Train

Researchers Find a Model of Redevelopment Without Displacement

It's the "holy grail" of urban planning, say researchers.

April 2, 2018 - The Mercury News

Nashville

Tennessee Legislature Blocks Nashville's 2016 Inclusionary Zoning Policy

Republicans in the Tennessee State Legislature made sure Nashville will never know if its inclusionary zoning policy would have delivered affordable housing in the city.

April 2, 2018 - Tennessean

Satellite Imagery

The Civic in the Suburbs

How to put the "park" back in the business park.

April 2, 2018 - Kathryn Firth

Bicyclists White House

Trump's 2020 Budget Includes a New 'Planning and Vision Implementation' Agency

The centerpiece of the Trump Administration's draft budget outline for 2020 is the creation of a new Cabinet-level department tasked with solving the nation's planning and infrastructure challenges.

April 1, 2018 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

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.