Urban Development

Public Stoage

New York Joins Other Cities Hoping to Limit Self-Storage Facilities

Self-storage buildings are multiplying across New York City, where local officials would prefer to protect and grow the city's base of manufacturing and industrial jobs.

April 16, 2017 - The New York Times

Mt. Rainier

Seattle Upzones its Urban Core

A large swatch of downtown and an adjacent neighborhood can develop taller and denser after the Seattle City Council approved zoning changes this week.

April 16, 2017 - The Seattle Times

Monuments

Making Sure More Federal Grant Money Actually Gets Spent

Northeastern University students provide some of the first comprehensive study into a widespread problem with the neglect of federal grant money.

April 16, 2017 - Northeastern University

Renderings Alamo Master Plan

A First Look at the Alamo's $450 Million Master Plan

The Alamo's 300th birthday is coming up in 2024, and a $450 million project to reimagine the Alamo Plaza aims to make a visit to the historic site a more memorable experience.

April 16, 2017 - Rivard Report

Cincinnati

Revitalized Neighborhood in Cincinnati Wants to Keep Parking for Free

The age-old controversy over the cost of parking in heating up in East Walnut Hills, Cincinnati.

April 15, 2017 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Empty Parking Lot

Parking is a Commodity, Not an Experience

Retail across the US is shrinking precipitously. Where does that leave parking? Scott Doyon has pointers on not applying old logic to new dynamics.

April 14, 2017 - PlaceShakers

Uptown San Diego

San Diego Controversy Exhibits Disconnect Between Citizen Advisors and Planning Staff

A community plan update and a development proposal have led to hurt feelings and flared tempers in San Diego.

April 12, 2017 - San Diego Uptown News

Working to Ease Gentrification Around D.C.'s Ambitious 11th Street Bridge Project

From the beginning of the proposal for the new 11th Street Bridge between Anacostia and Capitol Hill, planners and designers have promised to prevent the displacement of residents living nearby the new amenities offered by the bridge and its park.

April 12, 2017 - Washingtonian

Corporate Parking Structures

How Apple's Headquarters Got More Parking Spaces Than Employee Spaces

Parking is back in the news, with a high-profile case study: the new spaceship-shaped headquarters of Apple in Cupertino has devoted a larger footprint to parking spaces than office space.

April 11, 2017 - The Economist

BART Train

Can Public Transit Run on Solar Power?

California's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has recently been exploring ways to power its system using renewable energy sources, but is it really possible to power one of the state's "top 10 power consumers" with alternative energy?

April 11, 2017 - Doggerel

Texas

Design Activism, Texas-Style

With suburban sprawl a long-standing issue in Texas, one San Antonio-based architecture firm is aiming to strengthen and revitalize its city's downtown core.

April 10, 2017 - Doggerel

'Farm-to-Condo' Urban Agriculture Finds Roots in Brooklyn

Urban agriculture and market-rate multi-family housing developments could be a perfect match.

April 10, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

High Rise Construction

New York Affordable Developers Pool Resources

Non-profit developers are joining forces to increase their buying power in the pricey New York housing market.

April 9, 2017 - Next City

Seattle

How Seattle Is Curbing the Power of Neighborhood Groups

In Seattle, City Hall wants to open the neighborhood planning process to new demographics. The changes have rattled traditional neighborhood councils.

April 8, 2017 - Next City

Infill Development is Key to Meeting California's Emission Reduction Law

If California is going to meet the new, steep emissions reductions required by a law passed last September, one of the most effective strategies will be to promote infill housing, according to a new report from University of California at Berkeley.

April 8, 2017 - Builder

Retail

Is Payless ShoeSource Bankruptcy a Sign of the Coming 'Retail Apocalypse'?

The latest Chapter 11 in a familiar story.

April 7, 2017 - The Washington Post

Boston Gaining a New Underpass Park

By summer, the empty and derelict land beneath the Southeast Expressway in Boston's South End will become and active, art-filled park.

April 7, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Housing Construction

Ten Ways to Frame Constructive Housing Messages

There are lots of arguments available for people that want to oppose new housing projects, but what are a few guiding principles for framing a supportive and constructive housing conversation?

April 7, 2017 - Sightline Institute

1 Wall Street and Empire Building

Friday Fun: An Interactive Tool That Explains Floor Area Ratio

The Center for Urban Pedagogy's latest tool provides an easy and fun way to explain a difficult but critical concept: floor area ratio.

April 7, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

St. Louis Cardinals

Voters Reject Soccer Stadium Proposal for Downtown St. Louis

Backers hoped a soccer stadium would ease the pain of losing the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles in 2016. Now St. Louis sports fans will have to go back to the drawing board.

April 6, 2017 - St. Louis Riverfront Times

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.