Urban Development

With growth rates expected to continue to surpass the United States and Europe over the next decade, U.S.-based developers are making big bets on the demand for residential, office, and retail properties in Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia.

March 25, 2013 - The New York Times

Christopher Hawthorne continues his exploration of the changing face of Los Angeles, as seen along its boulevards, with an examination of the street where the city has perpetually "embraced and tested out the future" - Wilshire Boulevard.

March 25, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

San Antonio City Design Center's Executive Manager Mark Brodeur describes his observations of the nationwide trend in cities establishing independent urban design departments.

March 25, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

New analysis of census data has found that a quarter of the condos in some areas of downtown Vancouver are empty or occupied by non-residents, leading analysts to raise concerns about the role of investors in the city's housing market.

March 22, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

Business owners, city leaders, and community members would love to see the struggling Anacostia neighborhood transformed into a bustling retail zone. But onerous parking requirements in DC's outdated zoning code are stifling the city's own ambitions.

March 21, 2013 - Washington City Paper

A multi-agency planning effort is hoping to boost Phoenix's sustainability by creating a new model for urban development around the city's emerging transit corridor.

March 21, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has identified seven city neighborhoods as "Opportunity Planning Areas" where public resources will be directed to help shape and accelerate nascent redevelopment efforts, reports Fran Spielman.

March 20, 2013 - Chicago Sun-Times

Over the course of the year, the editors of Planetizen review and summarize thousands of articles, books, studies and editorials related to planning and urban development. Here are our picks for the most notable planning trends of the past year.

March 19, 2013 - Jonathan Nettler

While many cities are seeking to build large entertainment venues to revive their downtowns, St. Petersburg is taking the opposite track. Stephen Nohlgren examines whether Tropicana Field can be the city's next big urban mixed use development.

March 19, 2013 - Tampa Bay Times

In need of at least $230 million for system-wide repairs, NYC libraries, which receive less than $15 million a year from the city, look to strike land deals with private developers, report Joseph Berger and Al Baker.

March 19, 2013 - New York Times

Using Omaha's Old Market neighborhood as an example, Nathaniel M. Hood calls for an end to the urban "Entertainment District" - the common revitalization tool that produces a "single-use monoculture" that alienates families and baby boomers.

March 18, 2013 - Strong Towns

As SHoP unveils massive redevelopment plans for the Domino Factory site in Williamsburg, Su Friedrich rails against the gentrification that has already transformed the neighborhood in her film Gut Renovation, which premiered at Film Forum last week.

March 15, 2013 - Architectural Record

Recent exultant headlines about downtown's astounding growth overlook Chicago's troubling bifurcation into two cities — "one where optimism abounds, one where hope and opportunity are hard to find," writes Marilyn Katz.

March 14, 2013 - Chicago Tribune

Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Herzog and de Meuron, and Bjarke Ingels are some of the big names designing projects for Miami's hot again real estate market. Can their bold designs ensure that this building boom has legs?

March 14, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

The construction cranes dotting South Boston's waterfront are just one sign of the city's booming real estate market. Vibrant industries seeking to lure young professionals to downtown workplaces are helping to drive development.

March 12, 2013 - Bloomberg

Flavie Halais looks at both successful and unsuccessful cases of alleviating slum conditions on three continents. For the best results, practitioners must be more adept at problem solving and creativity than pure design.

March 10, 2013 - Architectural Record

AAA has been outspoken in their opposition to the parking reforms being debated in Washington D.C. For Matthew Iglesias, parking is a "privilege," not a right.

March 10, 2013 - Slate

This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2013 (BUILD Act), a bill aimed at assisting local communities in remediating and redeveloping contaminated sites.

March 8, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

A new arena for the NBA's Warriors and a $1.6 billion mixed-use development south of AT&T Park are among the projects planned for San Francisco's waterfront. But a transit system already at capacity presents a formidable challenge for planners.

March 8, 2013 - The San Francisco Examiner

In a compelling entry into the public dialog around placemaking, Project for Public Spaces argues that people, rather than merely places, create vibrancy in a community.

March 8, 2013 - Sustainable Cities Collective