Urban Development

Louisville Approves More Stringent Flood Protection Rules for New Development

As the remnants of Hurricane Harvey headed for Louisville, city officials were approving new legislation that enacts more stringent development standards in areas in flood prone areas.

September 2, 2017 - Courier-Journal

Tenants Rights

More Cities Supporting Legal Counsel as a Right for All Renters

Cities, headlined by New York, are finding new ways to support renters facing eviction.

September 1, 2017 - The Nation

Washington, D.C.

The World's First LEED Platinum City: Washington, D.C.

In 2011, Washington, D.C. adopted the Sustainable D.C. plan, establishing the capital as a leader in green building and sustainability planning. In 2017, the city is the first in the world to achieve a new mark of distinction for its accomplishments.

August 31, 2017 - WAMU

Affordable Housing

The Unequal Distribution of Public Housing Across Los Angeles

KPCC has published an interactive map showing the publicly funded affordable housing developments in Los Angeles County.

August 31, 2017 - KPCC

Toronto Regent Park

Condo Development Controversy Goes Viral in Toronto

The controversy over a proposed eight-story condo development in Toronto embroiled author Margaret Atwood this week.

August 31, 2017 - Toronto Star

Houston Flood

Houston's Drainage Problem

Houston received over 50 inches of rain from Hurricane Harvey in five days. While no city could survive that drenching unscathed, Houston was not prepared to handle the floods due to decades of neglect of stormwater management planning.

August 31, 2017 - The Atlantic

Puget Sound

Mapping the Differences Between Multi-Family and Single-Family Housing Costs

The city of Seattle provides the geography and market for a housing map that illustrates the differences between single-family and multi-family housing in terms of affordability.

August 31, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Durham, North Carolina

Not All Mid-Sized Local Economies Are Alike

The research director of the National League of Cities explains the defining characteristics of local economies—namely that of five distinct kinds of local economies, three serve to distinguish the nuances between mid-sized cities.

August 31, 2017 - CitiesSpeak

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

5 Ideas for the Milwaukee RiverWalk

The Milwaukee RiverWalk is already pretty great, but there's still work than can be done.

August 31, 2017 - Urban Milwaukee

South Bend

South Bend Has Big Innovation District Plans

Public Radio International (PRI) surveys the keys to an ambitious plan to restore the industrial "temples" of South Bend, Indiana.

August 30, 2017 - Public Radio International

Atlanta

First the Olympics, Then the Braves, and Now Georgia State Football

The Atlanta Braves left Turner Field, located in the Southeast Atlanta neighborhood of Summerhill, in 2016 to heavy criticism. Now the stadium has new life as the home to the Georgia State football program.

August 30, 2017 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

San Francisco Construction

Time Is Money for Housing Developments (and Residents)

While strict, suburban-style regulations often get a bad rap for the lack of housing in high demand cities, the red tape and other obstacles that delay development could be the worst culprit.

August 29, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Seattle, Washington

Amazon Makes Seattle the Nation's Biggest Company Town

The company town seems like a relic of a previous era of American industry, but Amazon and Seattle are redefining the concept.

August 29, 2017 - The Seattle Times

Pittsburgh to Gain a 23-Acre, $10 Million Urban Farm

The Hilltop Urban Farm project is moving along in Pittsburgh. Few, if any, community gardens have been built on this scale before.

August 29, 2017 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Austin Construction

For Discussion: Why Are More Millennials Choosing the Suburbs?

A trio of journalists gathers to discuss statistics that show the trends of U.S. population growth has shifted to suburban areas.

August 29, 2017 - Bloomberg

The End of Redevelopment Worsened California's Housing Crisis

Anthony York performs an autopsy of how decisions made by Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature during the Great Recession are influencing the housing market, nearly a decade later.

August 28, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Miami Brightline Construction

Trump Administration Kills Obama Era Local Hiring Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation quietly killed an Obama Administration program that would have been the only federal level local hiring initiative.

August 28, 2017 - The New York Times

Home For Sale Signs

Changes to Mortgage Interest Deduction Cap Still on the Table

One hot button item to watch as Congress takes up the issue of tax reform in the coming weeks: whether Republicans are able to follow through on a promise to reform the mortgage interest deduction.

August 27, 2017 - CNBC

Canton, Ohio

$750 Million to Create a Sports-Focused, Mixed Use Development in Canton, Ohio

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is about to get a major makeover. The development investment is the largest in the history of the city of Canton.

August 27, 2017 - The New York Times

Baltimore Rowhouses

Advocates Tout Community Land Trusts for Solutions to Displacement, Blight

Community land trusts are a favorite tool of advocates who want to take a communitarian approach to property and public space in cities facing the challenges of population decline, blight, and gentrification.

August 27, 2017 - Yes! Magazine

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.