Urban Development
45 Million SF of Development Planned for Densifying D.C. Suburb
A report from Cushman & Wakefield details the 45.3 million square feet of development currently projected at four Tysons Metro stations that will open soon along Northern Virginia's new Silver Line.
Did the Community Get Too Much out of the Atlantic Yards Deal?
In a recent filing, Forest City Ratner reported that it will lose $250-$350 million of its initial investment in the Atlantic Yards project. Higher-than-expected costs to build affordable housing, among other things, are being blamed for the loss.
Streetcars and Recovery
A study of streetcar-adjacent development patterns in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina provides lessons for the many U.S. cities building and planning new streetcar lines.

Top 10 Books - 2014
Planetizen is pleased to release its twelfth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2013.
Urban Land Institute Encourages Developers to Build for Better Health
The Urban Land Institute has a new project: convincing developers that they can, and should, design for health and wellness.

Large Companies Moving Back to Cities
The movement stems from demographic changes in the work force. For companies seeking younger hires, they need to go to where they prefer to live. Suburban campuses may be replaced by urban headquarters or the addition of satellite offices in cities.
Can Newark's New Image Survive Cory Booker's Departure
Cory Booker entered office with a goal of transforming Newark's reputation from failed city to recovering city. J.B. Wogan examines whether the new senator used the city as a platform to boost his own image, or enacted meaningful change.
What's Holding Up Redevelopment 2.0 in California?
When California shuttered its hundreds of local redevelopment agencies, many believed a new (if smaller) system for funding affordable housing and development in blighted areas would soon follow. Two years later, the state is still waiting.
Here's to the Visionaries
As the president and co-founder of Friends of the High Line prepares to leave the park he helped to create, it is a good time to consider the legacy of what is now one of the most famous contemporary landscapes in the world.
Jan Gehl Laments 'Birdsh*t' Architecture
Jan Gehl argued at the Royal Institute of British Architects annual research symposium that architects and urban planners must do more research on how their schemes affect people.
Future-Proofing Underground Condo Parking
Declining demand for zoning-mandated underground condominium parking has Toronto developers and architects talking about ways to design flexible sub-surface spaces to accommodate the possibility of alternate future uses.
Madrid Master Plan Prioritizes People over Cars and Development over Regulation
Completed about every 15 years, Madrid's General Urban Plan sets out a long-term vision for the city's development. The newest iteration replaces a "dud" from 1997 that has "dogged the city for years," reports Feargus O'Sullivan.
13 Ways to Kill Your Community
Scott Doyon reviews the book "13 Ways to Kill Your Community", by Alberta Legislative Assembly member Doug Griffiths and journalist Kelly Clemmer. In it, the authors reveal some of the "curiously recurring behaviors" that harm cities of all sizes.
Miami Becomes Safe Harbor for Cash and Celebrity Architecture
Rowan Moore looks at the multiple layers that are conspiring to make a maturing Miami the "new Most Exciting City in America". Diverse cultural offerings and branded architecture are attracting international investors.
Techniques for Bridging the Activist-Developer Divide
A frank discussion about growth and development at a recent Vancouver forum revealed the extensive common ground shared developers and neighborhood activists, and promising techniques for bridging their traditional divide.

Downtown L.A.'s Residential Revolution
A plan to build 1,500 rental apartments where six parking lots now sit is just the latest sign of the insatiable demand for housing gripping downtown Los Angeles.
$1.6 Billion Shopping Center Planned for Riot-Scarred Section of London
Following successful developments in Stratford and Shepherd’s Bush, Westfield, joined by new partner Hammerson, will build another shopping centre in south London's riot affected town of Croydon.
Predictability v. Flexibility
Just about everything we screw up as individuals and organizations has to do with our determination to optimize both extremes of predictability and flexibility, writes Ben Brown
18 Projects That Could Transform Detroit
Greenways, streetcars, and adaptive re-use projects are among the conceptual, as well as in-progress, initiatives profiled by Ashley Woods.
Frank Gehry Rides to Grand Avenue's Rescue; Will Officials Cheer or Jeer?
Christopher Hawthorne reports that Frank Gehry is back in charge of the design for the quixotic $650-million Grand Avenue redevelopment after a disastrous redesign nearly scuttled the star-crossed project.
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.
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
Sarasota County Government
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)