Urban Development

What Happens When Transit Doesn't Bring Expected Development

Just outside of D.C., the Capitol Heights Metro station sits among empty parcels with brown grass and tall weeds, as the economic development that was to accompany the station never materialized. Will a proposed Wall-Mart come to the area's rescue?

October 18, 2012 - The Washington Post

Architect and Critic Propose Rescue Plan for Chicago Landmark

Preservationists have been outspoken in arguing for the protection of Prentice Women’s Hospital. Rather than bemoan Northwestern University's intransigence in finding a way to reuse the hospital, two powerful figures have put forth a way to save it.

October 18, 2012 - The New York Times

Massive Redevelopment Planned Around Toronto Convention Centre, and Controversial Casino

Last week, Oxford Properties Group released plans by Foster + Partners for redeveloping Toronto's Convention Centre and the surrounding area. With 7.35 million square feet proposed, the project is one of North America's largest redevelopment efforts.

October 18, 2012 - Urban Toronto

Suburbs Become the New Cities

Small towns like Carmel, Indiana have gained national prominence after redeveloping into "cities where people can live, work and play," writes Haya El Nassar.

October 18, 2012 - USA Today

Assessing Disney's Impact on Urban Planning

Rachel James speaks with historian Jennifer Gray about the impact that Disney's "particular brand of nostalgic, comforting architecture and urbanism" has had on the way people experience the city and professionals plan for it.

October 17, 2012 - SmartPlanet

Where are America's Most Expensive Zip Codes?

There's been a change at the top of Forbes' annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, writes Morgan Brennan. For the first time ever, a neighborhood in New York City tops the list.

October 17, 2012 - Forbes

Outdated Law Prevents NYC from Cashing In on Luxury Apartments

A New York state law on the books since the 1980s undervalues property tax rates on multimillion dollar residential buildings, providing astonishing discounts to New York City’s wealthiest homeowners.

October 16, 2012 - The New York Times

Can Designs Match Bold Ambitions for NYC's Tech Island?

The release of the sketchy first plans by designers SOM, Morphosis, and James Corner Field Operations for Cornell's new tech campus on New York's Roosevelt Island kick off the project's public review process.

October 15, 2012 - The New York Observer

A Push to Turn a Historic Hospital into a Town Center in D.C.

A year after the historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed its doors, a mix of uses - from embassies to schools to a town center - are being envisioned for the 110-acre campus.

October 15, 2012 - The Washington Post

Feds Award Nearly $1 Billion to SF's Embattled Central Subway Project

The SF Municipal Transportation Agency's Central Subway project, opposed by transit advocacy group SaveMuni, received a Full Funding Grant Agreement from FTA that dedicates $942.2 million to the Caltrain to Chinatown extension of the 'T' LRT line.

October 15, 2012 - RT&S (Railway Track & Structures)

Friday Eye Candy: Toronto Grows Up

The CBC has compiled a selection of 8 interactive before and after images of Toronto's skyline that dramatically document the city's condo boom over the last decade.

October 12, 2012 - CBC

Downtown LA Sees Signs of a Development Boom

Carol Schatz, President and CEO of the Central City Association (CCA) of Los Angeles, discusses Downtown LA's reemergence as one of the hot development and rental markets in Southern California, reflecting a national trend as the economy recovers.

October 12, 2012 - The Planning Report

The American City Makes a Comeback

Architectural Record explores the rebirth of the American city through the lens of three cities reinventing themselves through public initiatives, architecture, and urban design: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City.

October 12, 2012 - Architectural Record

Radical Plan Goes Small, Not Big, to Densify Raleigh

Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan discusses the plan put forth by three Raleigh architects to densify the city's pre-existing residential neighborhoods by creating a new RA-50 or "Alley Residential" zoning classification.

October 12, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Design

Fetishizing Urban Decay Becomes Fashionable at NYC’s Newest Attractions

Sarah Goodyear attributes the appeal of NYC's High Line, and the recently opened Barclays Center, to not only smart urban design, but also the nostalgia of urban decay.

October 12, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Is Your City Suffering From Gentrificationphobia?

Matthew Yglesias diagnoses a common predicament facing many urban communities: the fear that improving living conditions is a bad thing.

October 11, 2012 - Slate

Return of Rail Could Be Ticket to Reviving Landmark St. Louis Station

Once a national hub of passenger rail service, St. Louis's majestic Union Station hasn't seen a train in five years. The impending sale of the station may provide the opportunity to bring a historic use back to one of the country's grand relics.

October 11, 2012 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

New Small Lot Housing Development in L.A. Asks: 'How Dense Can You Go?'

An enterprising developer and experimental architect are pushing the boundaries between L.A.'s suburban style of single-family housing and its need for dense infill development on a site in the city's Echo Park neighborhood.

October 10, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Will a Brooklyn Superfund Site Become the Borough's Next Hot Nabe?

On-again, off-again, and now back on-again plans to redevelop the polluted area between two of Brooklyn's most affluent neighborhoods have the residents of Gowanus divided on the direction of their gritty community.

October 10, 2012 - The New York Times

Plan for NYC's Largest Ever Development Comes Into Focus

As the Hudson Yards project prepares to start construction on Manhattan's west side, Justin Davidson examines the plans for the borough's "largest remaining chunk of emptiness" and shares exclusive new renderings.

October 9, 2012 - New York Magazine

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.