Urban Development

How Overly Restrictive Land Use Regulations Hurt the Nation's Economy
Two economics professors from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley argue that the housing crisis doesn't just affect booming coastal cities. It's a national problem.

Miami Beach: A Four-Foot High Barrier Island Awaited Irma
A city of almost 92,000 people sits on a one-mile wide island designed by nature to protect the mainland from ocean swells, storms, and hurricanes. The seven-mile long island, which floods even when sunny, was spared from catastrophic storm surge.

Luxury High-Rises Sprout Alongside Los Angeles' Expanding Subway
Los Angeles' extended Purple Line subway may very well spur an extension of the "linear downtown" along Wilshire Boulevard. Luxury high-rises are the most conspicuous new arrivals.

College Campuses Prepare for a Future Without Parking
Some college campuses need more parking than others, depending on commuting rates and walkable housing supply. Some campus planners are hoping, however, that soon all universities will need a lot less parking.

Amazon's Second HQ Poised for Smart Growth
With a second headquarters, Amazon is poised to expand its preference for walkable places into a new city. However, maybe the company should take the high road and not beg for subsidies.

Building Along Busy Corridors? Public Health Experts Urge Caution
Plans to densify a busy Vancouver corridor have prompted concern among public health experts.

A Shifting Sense of Urban Design in Dallas
In an opinion piece, architecture critic Mark Lamster discusses the merits and deficiencies of recent Dallas developments. He praises a rising sense of "progressivism" in the city's design choices.
Innovation District Taking Shape in Downtown Erie
The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, lead by a $4 million grant to Mercyhurst University, is in the process of implementing the Downtown Innovation District.

Northern Virginia Counties Not Happy With State Changes to Zoning Laws
Suburban housing construction has ground to a halt in Northern Virginia, according to county officials from the region, due to a law that changed the state's proffer system.

CNU Report Combats Suburban Poverty
The Puget Sound region provides a case study for the spread of poverty to suburban areas, and some region-specific recommendations for how to combat the challenges that result.

Considering the Street Level in San Francisco's New Urban District
In examining the question of whether a new high rise development in San Francisco achieves success at street level, John King picks up an age-old, but always relevant, debate.

Report: House Flippers, Not Subprime Loans, Were Responsible for the Housing Crash
According to a new study, richer borrowers drove the economy off the cliff in the housing crash of the Great Recession.
Opponents Want Less Development at S. Paul's Mega-Redevelopment Plan for the Ford Site
A master plan for the redevelopment of Ford's former Twin Cities Assembly Plant, set on 122 acres along the Mississippi River in St. Paul, is challenged by controversy.

The Pros and Cons of Concrete
A versatile building material with a long pedigree, concrete also has associations with ugliness and totalitarianism. Its reinforced variety, widely used today, can conceal a costly flaw.
How to Manage the Sprawl in Growing Megacities
Around the world, people continue to move toward urbanized areas in search of opportunity. Developing megacities and megaregions must plan ahead for the continued growth, according to Bloomberg.

Houston Flooding: Climate Change or Development Patterns to Blame?
The Guardian's former environmental editor asks if urban sprawl is as much to blame as climate change for the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

Florida Prepares for Irma: Building Codes, Cranes, Evacuation, Storm Surge
As Irma leaves the Caribbean and heads for Florida, with landfall expected this weekend, there is a lot to worry about: New building codes will be put to test, fuel to evacuate is in short supply, and cranes have not been dismantled.

Making the UN's Sustainable Development Goals Great Again
The United Nations' ambitious set of goals have proven unwieldy, with some commentators saying they represent "all things to all people." Reorganizing and prioritizing them could help.

Community Mapping Project Pays Off in More Ways Than One for Flint
The community's hard work has helped Flint planners take an inventory of its building stock, as well as secure needed funding from the federal government.

Strategies for Revitalizing Smaller Post-Industrial Cities
For every Pittsburgh or Cleveland success story, there's a story waiting to be told in smaller cities like Gary and Lowell.
Pagination
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.
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
Sarasota County Government
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)