Urban Development
Google Razed 80 Acres in Downtown San Jose. Then… Nothing Happened.
The project was expected to generate about $79 million annually in property taxes.
Philadelphia’s ‘Chinatown Stitch’ Freeway Cap in Danger After Feds Retract Funding
A project 15 years in the making would reconnect Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood after decades of being split in half by a roadway.
Eight Sci-Fi Books That Teach Urbanists the Dos and Don’ts of the Future
Science fiction has long painted a picture of the city of the future. What if it’s our roadmap out of dystopia?
Seattle Density Increase Stymied by Underground Power Line Requirement
A new policy that requires buildings with four or more units to bury their electrical lines is making housing development more costly and causing months-long delays.
February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’
In Defense of QUIMBY — a Rebuttal
Psychology shows that residents love what planners and architects don’t. Experience tells me that they’re right.
Alysa Liu's Oakland Training Center Highlights the Importance of California's Defunded Redevelopment Agencies
The financial and legal ecosystem that led to the creation of the Oakland Ice Center no longer exists after California dissolved its state redevelopment agencies.
Iowa County Passes Restrictive Data Center Ordinance
A new Linn County ordinance requires data center builders to conduct environmental reviews, limit light pollution and noise, and compensate the county for infrastructure costs.
Mamdani Proposes Reviving Sunnyside Yard Project in Meeting With Trump
A proposed redevelopment in Trump’s native Queens could create as many as 12,000 new housing units.
Salt Lake City Could Allow Backyard Homes on up to 3/4 of Residential Lots
A proposed zoning change would expand the residential areas where accessory units can be built.
California Seals 21 Urban Oil Wells in South LA After Decades of Activism
The permanent closure of a long-troubled South Los Angeles oil site marks a hard-fought victory for residents and underscores the growing urgency of addressing hazardous idle wells in communities nationwide.
The Parking Lot Maternity Leave
New parenthood is the stress test of suburbia. I’ve learned the hard way just how spectacularly it fails.
Report: LA Construction Permits Fell 40% After ‘Mansion Tax’
New housing permits fell sharply for both single-family homes and multifamily buildings after the city enacted a tax on property sales over $5 million.
100 Years ago, Zoning Changed how US Cities Grow. Today, it is Ripe for Reform.
Euclidean zoning was enshrined in U.S. town planning by a 1926 Supreme Court decision. Cities are recognizing it’s time for some drastic changes.
Baltimore Pushes ‘Whole Block’ Redevelopment Plan for Vacant Properties
The city will incentivize developers to take on projects that will renovate or redevelop unused city-owned properties.
Decades of Curbed Archives are Gone
The urban-focused publication amplified important voices discussing urbanism and development. Many of those articles are now unavailable.
Study: LA Could Get Rid of Almost Half its Pavement
Researchers say nearly half of the county’s paved surfaces could be redesigned to cool neighborhoods, manage stormwater, and improve public health.
Dear Trump: the Future Belongs to the Efficient
Trump abandoned climate protection goals claiming that cheap fossil fuel helps consumers and the economy. A mobility-focused analysis shows that he is wrong: resource efficiency is the key to health, economic success and happiness.
Massachusetts Governor Says Safety Funds Won’t be Tied to MBTA Communities Compliance
Gov. Healey faced backlash for requiring local fire departments to confirm compliance with the zoning law to receive state funds.
With Zero Office Conversions in Four Years, San Francisco Pins Hopes on New Special Financing District
City leaders hope the new incentive will spur the redevelopment of some of the city’s 30,000 square feet of vacant office space into housing.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
