Urban Development

Birmingham, Michigan

20th Anniversary of the Birmingham Master Plan: City Planners Created an Industry Standard

It has been 20 years since the city of Birmingham, Michigan approved the Birmingham 2016 Master Plan. Robert J. Gibbs, one of the planners on a team that included Andrés Duany, describes the decisions and process that contributed to the plan.

July 13, 2016 - Robert J. Gibbs

Google Headquarters

Google, LinkedIn Complete 'Blockbuster' Land Swap

Big development news for two of the biggest names in the Silicon Valley.

July 12, 2016 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

Dayton, Ohio

The Common Traits of Successful Inner Ring Suburbs

Two suburbs of Cleveland provide a case study in how older, inner-ring suburbs can compete with the newer suburbs on the fringes of the region.

July 12, 2016 - Cleveland.com

Growth Chart

Population Analysis—Explained and Exemplified

Yonah Freemark provides a comprehensive explainer of the nuts and bolts of population analysis, applying that expertise to an examination of downtown population change.

July 12, 2016 - the transport politic

Fred Hartman Bridge

Development Still Going Strong in Baytown During Houston's Oil Downturn

The city of Baytown, located just east of Houston, is the location of several bright spots for the regional economy.

July 12, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

Zoning Amendment Allows Changes to Privately-Owned Public Spaces in Manhattan

Privately-owned public spaces on Walter Street in Manhattan could get a little more private and a little less public under terms of a new zoning amendment approved by the City Council.

July 12, 2016 - amNew York

Toronto

Toronto Is the Future

As part of "Guardian Canada" week, an author writes a paean to benefits of a growing, forward looking, diverse city.

July 11, 2016 - The Guardian Cities

TOD Sign

Portland Rejects Proposal to Expand Parking Minimums

If the proposed parking minimums had been in place over the past eight years, one-fifth of new development in the area would have been impossible, according to analysis reported by Bike Portland.

July 10, 2016 - Bike Portland

Hamburg Sets Inclusionary Zoning Pace in Western New York

With less than 60,000 residents, Hamburg, New York might fly under the housing policy radar, but the small town is the first in Western New York to approve inclusionary zoning. Buffalo could be next.

July 10, 2016 - The Buffalo News

Amusement Park in the Sky Proposed for Miami

Another high-profile example of the "bouncy house urbanism" popping up around the United States.

July 9, 2016 - Miami Herald

East Palo Alto

Water Draws the Line Between the Haves and Have-Nots in the South Bay Area

Development proposals in one of the least affluent communities in the Silicon Valley have repeatedly been scuttled due to a lack of water. Wealthier communities have more than enough.

July 9, 2016 - Palo Alto Weekly

RTD Bus

$26 Million Civic Center Station Renovation Breaks Ground in Denver

Few cities in recent years have broadcast as many headlining transit investments as Denver. The renovation of a station handling 15,000 passengers a day is the latest.

July 9, 2016 - The Denver Post

A Summary of CNU24 Detroit

Miss the Congress for the New Urbanism in Detroit? Hazel Borys shares some highlights, with help from Twitter urbanists.

July 8, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Cool, California

How Some Cities Stay Little

Some cities that want to grow are stuck in the small town zone, while others growing cities would prefer to stay small.

July 8, 2016 - Community Development Strategies

Downtown Houston

Houston's Appetite for Luxury High Rises Slowing Amidst Oil Slump

The ups and downs of the oil market are having an effect on the future skyline of the city of Houston.

July 8, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

New York City Zoning Map

Reexamining the Origins of Zoning

According to Seymour Toll's 1969 book, New York City's 1916 zoning code was less a civic-minded project than an attempt to protect elite retail districts from the riff-raff. The ramifications for American zoning at large are significant.

July 7, 2016 - PlanPhilly

Toward Inclusive Redevelopment: When in Doubt, Bring People Together

It's hard to get urban redevelopment right. Headlines are dominated by rising costs, gentrification concerns, and not-in-my-backyard blockading. Let's talk about a way to work toward more inclusive redevelopment.

July 7, 2016 - Medium

NYC-crosswalk

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street

In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

July 7, 2016 - The New York Times

San Francisco Sprawl

The Real Reasons Affordable Housing Isn't Being Built in California

The policy tools used to address our nation's housing shortfall often seem to worsen the problem. But this is because they ignore the underlying infrastructure and financing to support growth.

July 7, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Criticism Over Special Parking Arrangements for New Atlanta Braves Stadium

Cobb County, Georgia recently approved the "Accessory Special Event Parking" ordinance to limit parking operations around the Atlanta Braves' new stadium.

July 7, 2016 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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.