Urban Development

Remembering Urban Renewal on Jane Jacobs's Birthday

Some think of May 4 as Star Wars day, others remember May 4 as the birthday of Jane Jacobs. Charles Marohn suggests that May 4 should now be known as "Urban Renewal Remembrance Day."

May 4, 2015 - Strong Towns

Reno Sign

Nevada's Most Interesting City: Reno

Long considered a desert backwater and second fiddle to Las Vegas, the city of Reno is having a resurgence. Small entrepreneurs, industrial giants like Tesla, and artists inspired by Burning Man are converging to overshadow the fading casino economy.

May 4, 2015 - Next City

99 Cents

99-Cent Stores: the Weed of the Urban Commercial Environment

A proliferation of 99-cent stores in the Woodhaven neighborhood in Queens has strangled the commercial offerings in the neighborhood. But can residents or the local business improvement district do anything about the trend?

May 4, 2015 - TimesLedger

Making Room for Skyscrapers in the Jane Jacobs Debate

A Market Urbanism op-ed makes the case for high-rise neighborhoods as an integral part of successful cities—even if some Jacobs fans tend to overlook the benefits of such parts of town.

May 4, 2015 - Market Urbanism

Beverly Hills Fountain

How Capitalists View Cities

The Milken Institute Global Conference brought hoards of business leaders to Beverly Hills last week. Sessions included some high praise for cities and buoyant predictions about innovation, development, and accommodating six billion city-dwellers.

May 4, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Charlotte Housing Development

'Missing Middle Housing' Website to Fill the Gap Between Supply and Demand

Opticos Design, Inc., the Berkeley-based urban planning and architecture firm has launched a new website dedicated to the missing middle of the housing market.

May 2, 2015 - Logos Opticos: Composing Vibrant Urban Places

Earth at Night

UN-Habitat Adopts International Guidelines for Urban and Territorial Planning

UN-Habitat has adopted International Guidelines for Urban and Territorial Planning intended to inform the United Nation's New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

May 1, 2015 - Bruce Stiftel

Detroit Strikes Deal to Move Red Wings Stadium Forward

A plan to build a new, $450 million hockey arena along the Cass Avenue corridor near Downtown Detroit has already faced criticism for its generous public subsidies. The City Council recently made sure the public will get something in return.

May 1, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Bracing for Gentrification in Houston's Near Northside

The average median price for home in Houston's Near Northside jumped from $49,500 in 2010 to $80,000 last year. Can these predominantly Latino neighborhoods retain their character as they change?

April 30, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

Small Town Art

Artists Breathe New Life Into Pennsylvania Town

Long suffering Rust Belt woes and lacking the name recognition of a Pittsburgh or Detroit, York opened its doors to another overlooked group: artists. The results so far are impressive.

April 29, 2015 - Belt Magazine

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Focus on Affordability at APA National Conference

For all the discussion about affordable housing at the APA National Conference in Seattle last week, clear solutions have yet to emerge. Polycentric regional planning is one long-term goal.

April 28, 2015 - CityLab

Arizona Suburb

Sun Belt Remains Destination of Choice for Migrants

Census Bureau data indicates that the shift to Sun Belt suburbs is still the majority preference. Turns out warmth, jobs, and affordable housing are a powerful triumvirate.

April 28, 2015 - The New York Times

Race and ethnicity 2010: New York City

Study: More Than Income, Race Influences Neighborhood Standards

Although income inequality receives plenty of coverage these days, research suggests that neighborhoods of color have less access to resources than white neighborhoods despite similar median incomes.

April 28, 2015 - Next City

How Community Benefit Programs Create Value-Added Growth and Protect Public Resources

With redevelopment funding no longer an option, South San Francisco and other cities increasingly are looking to a community benefits platform, according to Murtaza Baxamusa, a planner and urban planning professor.

April 28, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Chicago El

Even Chicago Struggles with Transit Oriented Development

As Chicago's population slowly dwindles, Yonah Freemark argues that the city needs to take advantage of one of its greatest assets: its transit network. Housing for residents of all incomes near transit stops may be the key.

April 27, 2015 - Metropolitan Planning Council

Cleveland 4th Street St. Patrick's

The Case for a Walkable Cleveland

In this long-form article, G.M. Donley reminds us why walkable and diverse communities have become such a planning staple. In Cleveland, New Urbanism contends with a history of sprawl and decreasing population.

April 27, 2015 - Belt Magazine

Will Expenses in Coastal Cities Lead to Northeast Ohio's Resurgence?

Joel Kotkin recently waded into the conversation about that it will take to return Legacy Cities into the prosperity of former years.

April 26, 2015 - The Plain Dealer

Staten Island Ferry "Spirit of America"

The Rise of the Fifth Borough

With real estate prices rising in the other boroughs, Staten Island is starting to look more like Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Extensive retail and residential developments are underway in what has always been New York City's suburban borough.

April 25, 2015 - New York Times

Salk Institute

Public Space and Placemaking—Emphasis on the Public

The Salk is an exceptional world-class space, and it is accessible, but it is not a public space, writes urban designer Howard Blackson, III.

April 25, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Supremo Tribunal Federal

MoMA Exhibit Explores Latin American Architecture

A new exhibit at MoMA celebrates the "fitfully idealistic" architecture of Latin America, 1955 through 1980. Broad in scope, the exhibition ranges from Brasília's bold utopianism to the community-focused tactics of Bo Bardi.

April 24, 2015 - The Economist

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.