Urban Development

Over the heckles of hundreds of residents opposed to higher density and the two regional planning agencies making the decision, the Bay Area's growth plan designed to cut carbon emissions 15% by 2040 through better planning was approved.

July 20, 2013 - Pleasanton Weekly

Tasked with developing a plan for how D.C.'s underperforming neighborhoods could improve their attraction to shoppers and retailers, consultants Streetsense whittled down hundreds of factors into an 8-step guide to creating vibrant retail streets.

July 20, 2013 - Elevation DC

Urban Land looks at the reinvention of America's inner-ring suburbs. The authors explore the challenges of mixing uses, integrating cars and attaining authenticity as planners and developers seek the right recipe for the next big wave of development.

July 20, 2013 - Urban Land

NYC's revised plan for rezoning the area known as East Midtown met with a chilly reception from a variety of community and interest groups when unveiled last week. Planners are trying to finalize the controversial plan before Mayor Bloomberg exits.

July 20, 2013 - The New York Times

While cities are growing, it's comparatively easy to keep a healthy balance sheet. But for cities like Charlotte, managing the transition from a growth economy to economic sustainability is a treacherous one. Aaron Renn delivers a cautionary tale.

July 19, 2013 - Governing

Wasn't the era of the shopping mall supposed to be over? City Creek Center, the retractable roof-topped luxury shopping center financed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is being credited with breathing new life into Salt Lake City.

July 18, 2013 - The New York Times

The number of single households has grown three-fold since the 1950s. More sustainable and more likely to live in cities than married households, singles experience a major problem: metro areas are not planned for them but for nuclear families.

July 18, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

As the planet slowly emerges from the global recession, skyscraper construction is surging once again. One area seeking skyline augmentation is a continent that has heretofore shied away from the height race: Africa.

July 17, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

According to economist Christopher Thornberg, sky-high housing prices in California indicate a state suffering from an acute housing shortage. In an op-ed for the LA Times, he argues that local interest groups and "populist politicians" are to blame.

July 17, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Small-lot homes are popping up in the hillsides north of downtown L.A. While the new occupants, often young buyers who can't afford or aren't interested in traditional single-family homes and high-rise condos, are pleased, some neighbors are not.

July 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Times - Real Estate

The students of Gallaudet University, one of the world's premier colleges for the deaf and hard of hearing, helped transform H Street into one of D.C.'s 'hippest neighborhoods'. Could the area's popularity extinguish an enclave of deaf culture?

July 16, 2013 - The Washington Post

After less than a year on the job, Vancouver's planning manager is under fire for controversial proposals. Do the recent misfires reflect poor messaging, tight budgets, and short timelines; or a more fundamental problem with the city's leaders?

July 16, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

The low-income housing and new-markets tax credits are two of the most effective tools for stimulating affordable housing creation and the revitalization of low-income neighborhoods. Don't let them fall victim to tax reform, argues Michael Rubinger.

July 16, 2013 - The New York Times

A rising chorus of architects, urban planners and developers are criticizing the suburban scale of development sweeping through downtown L.A. as a missed opportunity. They argue high-rises should be built instead of mid-rise apartment complexes.

July 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Downtown News

As many planners know, building next to transit doesn't guarantee a project will have the ridership boosting effects envisioned by proponents of such developments. A new tool seeks to provide an objective measurement of TOD effectiveness.

July 16, 2013 - the transport politic

Reporting from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where a 2008 flood devastated 14% of this city of 126,000, John Eligon writes of the extensive rebuilding that has occurred in the flood plain - largely without protection from future floods.

July 14, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

Seemingly forgotten in D.C.'s rush to revitalize its once run-down neighborhoods is the allocation of new parks and open space, says Aaron Wiener. Are planners repeating the same mistake in the transitioning Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood?

July 14, 2013 - Washington City Paper

The fact that New York is loud is unlikely to surprise anyone. But despite decades of noise abatement efforts, the contributors to noise pollution keep multiplying. As scientists recognize the multitude of negative health impacts, what can be done?

July 13, 2013 - The New York Times

In a feature article and provocative editorial, The Architect's Newspaper seeks to examine the lead role that architects are playing in 'laying out the future of cities'.

July 13, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

As the back-to-the-city movement takes hold, cities are turning old industrial buildings into distinctive spaces prized as offices and lofts. St. Louis is trying to figure out how to preserve their legacy assets from crumbling as they await new life.

July 12, 2013 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch