Urban Development

Is There Space for Planning in Trump's News Cycle?
An analysis of Planetizen traffic in the first six months of the Trump Administration reveals an audience still focused, despite so many distractions, on the future of communities.

California's Housing Hypocrisy on Display in Marin County
Dan Walters, one of the most well known and longest tenured journalists and observers of California politics, has penned a scathing critique of Marin County's approach to growth.

Affordable Housing Incentives Get Pushback in Maryland
Montgomery County's plan for Bethesda calls for height bonuses in return for affordable housing. Residents neighboring the proposed incentive zones have successfully resisted that idea.
How Zillow's Approach to Data Reshaped the Real Estate Market
Zillow's chief analytics officer and chief economist offers insight into the company's approach to data, models, and the real estate market.

Housing Density a Missing Link for Emissions Reductions in California
Emissions from electricity generation are decreasing while those from transportation are increasing. If communities don't increase housing density to change travel patterns, it will only get worse, but the challenges may be insurmountable.

Building Resilience? There's a Standard for That
Resilience standards—like LEED--could transform building practices. But there are many standards to choose from, and few are aware that they exist. A new report helps planners and builders choose the right standard for every project.
Big Plans for Former Bethlehem Steel Parcel Near Buffalo
Officials in Erie County believe the former home of Bethlehem Steel, south of Buffalo, will be attractive to manufacturers given its proximity to Lake Erie and various highways and rail lines.

The 'Inclusionary Housing Calculator' Will See If Your Affordable Housing Ideas Pencil Out
The debate about inclusionary zoning persists—with some pro-development saying affordable housing fees and requirements stifle development before it can start. A new tool helps crunch the numbers behind the debate.

Portland Hoping for $1.3 Billion Renovation of its Airport
The Portland International Airport is getting its first major upgrade since 1956. Airlines would have to split the bill.

Pigs Will Not Fly at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago
The city denied an application for an art installation that would have tethered giant golden pigs to a barge on the Chicago River, temporarily interrupting the view of the sign on the infamous Trump sign.
Schuykill Yards Project Nets $5.6 Million to Neighborhood Programs
The Neighborhood Engagement Initiative funding from developers of Schuylkill Yards in Philadelphia is being called the largest program of its kind in the city.
Autonomous Vehicles and Streets: A Guide to Potential Impacts
As the arrival of autonomous vehicles (AVs) becomes more of a reality, cities need to start considering how this new technology will affect streets and street networks. This brief guide provides an overview and resources on this topic.

Billionaire Row's Newest Residents: Lawsuits and Foreclosures
The world's skinniest skyscraper, under construction on Manhattan "Billionaire's Row," is over budget with 60 stories left to build.

Manhattan's Midtown East Rezoning Wins Critical Approval
A City Council committee's approval of a proposed rezoning of Midtown East represents a big win for the de Blasio Administration. The Bloomberg Administration fell short in an efforts to upzone the neighborhood in 2013.
Art in the Face of Gentrification
Art and culture tend to be integral to helping disenfranchised communities self-identify, develop their identities, and organize around place-based issues. But its presence can also be used be used by real estate interests to market neighborhoods.

Pittsburgh Takes Property Data Visualization to the Next Level
Not all property data maps are created equal.

Critiquing Santa Monica's 'Grand Bargain' of a Downtown Plan
The city of Santa Monica increased in population by 6,500 between 1960 and 2010, while the rest of Los Angeles County grew by 60 percent over the same period. A debate over a new downtown plan that includes more housing was never going to be simple.

Traffic Concerns Sink Light-Rail-Adjacent Development in San Jose
The city of San Jose has a mixed record of moving forward with land use changes that complement its existing and expanding transit systems.

Op-Ed: To Lower Housing Costs, Make it Cheaper and Easier to Build Housing
The argument in the headline, put more specifically: inclusionary zoning, fees, legal challenges, and minimum apartment sizes are counter-productive. The only policy that will add housing stock, is to make it much cheaper to add housing stock.

Texas Bill Would Immunize Property Rights From Zoning Code Changes
The Texas Legislature and executive branch is continuing to wage a battle against local control, this time pursuing a land use law that would undermine zoning code changes, such as the current CodeNEXT process in Austin.
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)