Urban Development

Detroit Redevelopment Boom Expected for 2016

An in-depth look at some of the high-profile properties slated for redevelopment in Detroit in 2016 provides inspiration for some of the properties that still need solutions.

December 29, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Grows Weary of the Bland Cookie-Cutter Apartment Buildings

Designers and architects in Charlotte, North Carolina are asking the city to raise the bar when approving new apartment buildings to prevent more of the repetitive wood-frame design that has swept the city.

December 29, 2015 - The Charlotte Observer

Central Park Aerial

New York City's Skyline Evolves With Tall, Skinny Towers

For better or for worse, the tall, skinny towers that have helped to remake New York’s iconic skyline appear to be growing in popularity among developers.

December 29, 2015 - New York Times

Funding Revitalization in the Post-Redevelopment Era

A Los Angeles City Councilmember discusses his instructive quest to cobble together funding for the revitalization of his district after the termination of community redevelopment agencies.

December 28, 2015 - The Planning Report

Rowhouses Have an Ally in Philadelphia

An important source of housing affordable to wide ranges of incomes has a new, well-funded ally in Philadelphia—the Healthy Rowhouse Project is hoping to make a big impact in 2016.

December 28, 2015 - PlanPhilly

CEQA Abuse 'Choking' Good Development, Study Finds

A study of CEQA litigation revealed widespread abuse that experts say undermines California's environmental sustainability goals.

December 27, 2015 - The Planning Report

Portland Houses

Portland Updating Regulations for Infill in Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods

Portland is tackling a critical but often controversial issue: how to regulate infill development in residential neighborhoods when growth is pushing landowners and developers to build bigger and denser.

December 26, 2015 - City of Portland

Endangered Places in 2015: Texas Dancehalls

Dancehalls—places for small-town Texans to gather for community—are struggling to survive in a changing Texas.

December 25, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Los Angeles Downtown Historic Core

Best Practices for Downtown Revitalization

Downtown revitalization comes in all shapes and sizes. A new, free guidebook from Smart Growth America offers advice for making revitalization work.

December 24, 2015 - Urban Land

Shanghai Shopping

Visualizing Global Urban Growth Through 2030

Geographer Duncan Smith mapped the predicted trajectory of worldwide urban growth from 1950 through 2030. Concentric circles of different shades show where and when growth was (or will be) the most dramatic.

December 24, 2015 - CityLab

Apartments St. Louis

St. Louis' Multi-Family Market Ready for Takeoff

Permits to rehab existing multi-family buildings have skyrocketed in St. Louis.

December 23, 2015 - nextSTL

Anchorage Considers Densification

In a city of sprawling surface parking, increased density may help close a serious affordable housing gap as Anchorage, Alaska, seeks ways to make development more affordable.

December 23, 2015 - Next City

Which Fears Are Blocking Solutions in Your City?

A former planning commissioner recalls often being surprised at the passion and anger displayed toward small changes around the city of San Francisco, and attempted to get to the nature of the fear driving the opposition.

December 22, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

16 Case Studies of Workforce Housing Protection

A new report from the Urban Land Institute responds to what it argues is a housing crisis among lower- and middle-income workers.

December 22, 2015 - Urban Land

Pershing Square

Los Angeles to Redesign Its 'Worst Public Space'

Josh Stephens reports on the Pershing Square Renew Design Challenge, an effort to redo one of the "world's worst squares and plazas." The new Pershing Square may hearken back to the years before its misguided 1992 redesign.

December 22, 2015 - Next City

Jakarta Skyline

Jakarta's Titantic 25-Mile Seawall

Indonesia's capital, population 10 million, is slowly sinking below sea level. To protect itself and drive the economy, the city is building a 25-mile bird-shaped seawall, to be topped with luxury development.

December 22, 2015 - Quartz

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Attempts Urban Intervention to Fix Its 'Most Boring Street'

Surrounded on all sides by glassy, modern towers, Philly's West Market Street has lacked the sort of attractions that have brought downtown workers to neighboring streets.

December 21, 2015 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Dallas Arts District

Help Has Arrived for Dallas' Aging Arts District

With sidewalks in disrepair and shabby looking trees, Dallas has turned to planning and design firm NBBJ to create a new master plan for its Arts District.

December 21, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Toward a Better Understanding of Supply and Demand

A housing market analyst finds that traditional models do a poor job of measuring supply and demand, which makes it very difficult to know how much supply is needed to meet demand.

December 21, 2015 - Pieria

Paris Trees

Paris Launches EcoDistrict on Train Station Site

After a decade of development, Paris' first EcoDistrict launched this year. Built in place of a disused train station, the district features offices, housing, and amenities built around clean and green principles.

December 21, 2015 - The Global Grid

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.