Urban Development

Op-Ed Decries the Idea of the 'Triumph of the City'
An unflinching op-ed begs a rethinking of narratives that cheer the "Triumph of the City." In the contemporary city, the argument goes, only the rich are better off from urbanization.
New York Construction Permits Break 50-Year Record
Not since 1963 have so many construction permits been issued. In fact, permits issued in the month of June alone exceeded the average annual total over the past two decades.
Code Changes to Allow Tiny Houses Sought for Atlanta
An Atlanta City Councilmember and local advocates are pushing for the city to join the ranks of cities that have allowed tiny houses as a solution to housing challenges.

Homebuyers Return to the Exurbs
It's been a while since 2008, and a new crop of homeowners is colonizing the far-flung exurbs. Mostly foreclosed and even abandoned last time around, the exurbs are still a risky buy.
Lessons in Waterfront Revitalization from Boston and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's Riverlife recently hired Vivien Li from the Boston Harbor Association. Li's career trajectory helpfully informs the kinds of decisions that drive good waterfront planning.

A Better Solution to Reusing Abandoned Property: Evidence from Flint and Detroit
Margaret Dewar of the University of Michigan blogs about her new article in Journal of Planning Education and Research, which investigates reuse of abandoned property in Detroit and Flint. You can download the article free until August 31, 2015.
Proposed Chicago TOD Ordinance: Increase Density, Eliminate Parking Requirements
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced an update of the city's 2013 transit oriented development ordinance. The new version of the ordinance would have a sweeping effect on the land uses around transit stations in Chicago.

Land Use Planning to Activate Downtown Nightlife
The Arlington County, Virginia downtown district of Rosslyn will provide the region's latest case study of a commercial district leveraging land use regulations to activate a dormant nightlife.

Jamaica, Queens: More Than Just a Stop on the Way to the Airport
Public and private interests have emerged to revitalize the Queens neighborhood, an inter-modal hub ten miles east of Midtown Manhattan.

Celebrating Chicago's Must-See Public Realm (Part 1)
Chicago has recently opened some of the most exciting urban landscapes we have seen in a while. And, as with New York and other cities, landscape architects are leading the charge.

Pedestrianization Models from China
For urbanization in China's cities to be truly human-centered, pedestrianization plans must be thoroughly considered.

Seattle Tower-Spacing Rules Cause Controversy
To preserve views, zoning rules from 2006 require adequate distance between residential towers of a certain height. As developers chafe against the restriction, residents still worry they'll be left facing a wall.

'Grow Chicago' Shows the How and Why of Transit Oriented Development
Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council has released a new toolbox full of interactive features intended to assist transit oriented development.

Boston Olympic Plan Includes 8,000 Units of Housing
As it vies to host the 2024 Summer Games, Boston's plan envisions two new permanent neighborhoods built with a mix of public and private investment. The final decision will take place in September.
Why 'Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing' Matters
An interview with a leading academic on the subject of fair housing offers perspective on the new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule created by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

7 Principles for Designing Safe Cities
A World Research Institute report offers seven prescriptions for designing safer cities. At the top of the list: avoid sprawl.
Community is Common Ground for Liberals and Conservatives
Supporters of New Urbanism may live across the political spectrum, but they all want to live in traditional neighborhoods.

California City Looks for Place to Stash Its Weed (Production)
The Northern California city of Arcata has long tolerated the production of California's most second-most-lucrative mood-altering crop. Now, the city is considering an official zoning designation to accommodate marijuana production.
Master Planned Neighborhood Focuses on Materials to Avoid Blandness
Could something as simple of the material selected for a residential tower prove the "antidote to suburban blandness"? A Parisian suburb thinks so.
Seattle Releases App to Track Development
Into an active development environment, and the resulting heightened pitch of development controversies, comes a new app from the city of Seattle that allows the public to track development projects.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
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)