Urban Development

San Francisco

San Francisco's Mission Bay Provides a Case Study for Sea-Level Rise

The San Francisco Chronicle's John King continues his ongoing, in-depth coverage of sea-level rise and its potential impacts on local and regional concerns in the San Francisco Bay Area.

October 4, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Seatle Skyline

How 'Zoned Capacity' Skews the Debate About Housing

Zoned capacity is often as a statistic to support anti-development arguments. One write endeavors to thoroughly debunk the idea that Seattle has enough zoned capacity to meet its growing demand for housing.

October 4, 2016 - Sightline Institute

$1 Billion Agrihood Approved Near Orlando, Florida

The agrihood development trend is gaining traction around the country. Orlando County commissioners approved the latest, large example.

October 4, 2016 - Orlando Business Journal

facebook

Facebook Campus Expansion Moving Forward in Menlo Park

A proposal to expand Facebook's footprint in the city of Menlo park gained key approval from the city's planning commission recently. The full City Council still needs to approve the plan.

October 4, 2016 - San Jose Mercury News

Turner Field

So Long, Atlanta Braves (Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out)

A columnist absolutely eviscerates the Atlanta Braves organization as it plays its final game in Turner Field in Atlanta. The team is departing the city for a new suburban stadium in Cobb County.

October 4, 2016 - Marketwatch

San Francisco Mural

Housing Bond Money Doesn't Go Far in San Francisco's Mission District

The limitations of affordable housing funds are apparent in San Francisco, raising the question of where and how the process of building affordable housing can be improved.

October 3, 2016 - Mission Local

Seattle

Seattle Could Upzone its Way to Affordability

Seattle is considering a proposal to upzone some of the densest parts of the city as part of its Mandatory Housing Affordability program.

October 3, 2016 - The Seattle Times

The Plan of Çatalhöyük

Jane Jacobs, 'Cities First,' and the Virtues of Being Wrong

The great urbanist may have offered a flawed theory of urban origins, but that doesn't mean her idea is completely worthless.

October 3, 2016 - Dean Saitta

Los Angeles Homeless

Los Angeles Leader Steps Up On Homelessness Crisis

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, a veteran leader at the city, county, and state-level, addresses the funding gaps to address this urgent issue and shares some innovative models being deployed by the county.

October 1, 2016 - The Planning Report

New York Street

How Far Can You Take Complete Streets?

8th Avenue was one of New York’s first "complete streets." Coined in 2003, the term refers to including cars, pedestrians, bikers, and public transit into city thoroughfares instead of prioritizing cars. Today, the trend is growing to other cities.

September 30, 2016 - Doggerel

Washington D.C. - The White House

Planetizen Week in Review: September 30, 2016

Welcome, President Obama, to the NIMBY wars.

September 30, 2016 - Planetizen

Atlanta BeltLine

Leadership Shakeup at the Atlanta BeltLine

All is not well at the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, after two prominent board members, including Ryan Gravel, who originally proposed the idea for the BeltLine, resigned this week.

September 29, 2016 - SaportaReport

The gentrifying street-scape of the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, California

Downtown L.A.'s Chinese Real Estate Cycle

Chinese developers are pouring money into high-rise housing projects in Los Angeles. But will these be pieds-a-terre for absent buyers? And how are developers dealing with the American regulatory environment?

September 29, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Tuscany

'The Well-Tempered City': An Epic Book, and Why

In a review of Jonathan F.P. Rose's new book, 'The Well-Tempered City,' Chuck Wolfe enthusiastically endorses Rose's refreshing world view.

September 28, 2016 - The Huffington Post

Wine Barrels

Beer from Portlandia in the Land of the Rising Sun

Japanese cities and citizens look to Portland for inspiration.

September 28, 2016 - The Economist

Moynihan Train Hall

New York Has Plan to Make Room for Penn Station Renovations

With more than 600,000 daily commuters passing through, Penn Station is one of the busiest transit halls in the Western Hemisphere. Finally, there's a plan in place to make necessary repairs without making the commute even more unbearable.

September 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Melbourne

Jan Gehl on the Politics of Transforming Cities

Advancing the politics of public transportation and public spaces is not easy. Danish architect Jan Gehl and his firm Gehl Architects, however, have a track record of success with cities around the world.

September 28, 2016 - Lily Song

Cleveland

Cleveland–East Cleveland Merger Plan Overlooks Main Issue

East Cleveland, a struggling suburb of Cleveland, has ended up in so much fiscal distress that it is considering allowing Cleveland to annex it as a desperation move. We may need to rethink our decades of assumptions about home rule in the Northeast.

September 27, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Barcelona’s First Superblock: Fighting the Power of Habit and Wavering Political Will

Two weeks ago, after nearly two decades of waiting, Barcelona urban designer Salvador Rueda finally saw the first "Superilla" (Superblock) installed in the city. The superblock faced fierce opposition from unhappy residents and local businesses.

September 27, 2016 - Cities of the Future

President Obama

The Obama Administration Releases a Pro-Development Playbook

A new paper released by the White House offers a toolkit of economic evidence and policy recommendations designed to help cities overcome local opposition to development.

September 26, 2016 - Politico

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.