Urban Development

Using Adaptive Reuse to Scale the Urban Future

Chuck Wolfe uses the urban scale adaptive reuse of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace in Split, Croatia to argue for blending the past and future on a broader scale.

February 8, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

New Study Ties Housing Affordability to Sustainability

Sarah Laskow reports on a new study by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) that seeks to rethink how affordable housing is defined to incorporate transportation costs.

February 7, 2012 - Good

See the New WTC Views, 80 Floors Up

This Architizer blog post features breathtaking photos from the WTC Progress Twitter account.

February 7, 2012 - Architizer

Exhibit Seeks to Understand Japan's 'Metabolism' Architecture

The new exhibit at Toyko's Mori Art Museum will be the first architecture showcase since the 2011 earthquake, and displays a movement central to the country's history of building and rebuilding.

February 7, 2012 - The New York Times

Innovation when Good Planning Policy Has Become the Norm

Scott Doyon argues for a stripped-down, back-to-basics 'punk rock' approach to urban growth and development to replace the 'rock and roll' excesses of planning during the housing boom; and he profiles the new innovators who are doing just that.

February 5, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Indy's Unique Plan to Leverage the Super Bowl

As Super Bowl week comes to a close, Emily Badger reports on the host city's efforts to use the event as a catalyst for substantive change throughout the city.

February 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Marking the Day Redevelopment Died

A year after Gov. Jerry Brown announced his intent to kill redevelopment and repatriate billions of dollars in tax monies that go to local agencies, the day of reckoning has finally come. Over 400 agencies officially shut down on Feb. 1.

February 2, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

North America Rethinks Its Strip Malls

As the strip malls ubiquitous across the suburbs of the United States and Canada lose favor and become increasingly derelict, planners and developers debate whether there is anything about the 'retail relics' worth salvaging.

February 1, 2012 - France 24

Refining the Software of Placemaking

In New York and Washington, Rod Stevens reports on two very different examples of the importance of programming, or "software", to placemaking.

February 1, 2012 - Urbanophile

Big Ideas Proposed for Chicago's Navy Pier

Blair Kamin reports on proposals from five teams of celebrated designers vying to re-imagine Navy Pier. They reflect big ideas, and big budgets.

February 1, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

As New York Plants One Million Trees, Benefits—and Some Burdens—Grow

The city’s MillionTrees program fights asthma and global warming. But tightening maintenance budgets, increasingly severe weather and decades-old planting decisions complicate trees’ contribution.

February 1, 2012 - City Limits

The Story Behind Stanford's Withdrawl from NYC Tech Campus Competition

Did it seem odd when Stanford University withdrew from a competition to build a new $2 billion Applied Sciences and Engineering campus in New York City just as officials were about to decide the winner, and Stanford was the perceived front-runner?

January 31, 2012 - The Stanford Daily

Sidestepping Zoning to Build Green in NYC

Even in New York City, it's a pain to try to "green" a building with insulation, overhangs, and other methods that violate zoning. Katharine Jose reports on the Zone Green Text Amendment, which addresses such impediments, and the team behind it.

January 31, 2012 - Capital New York

SoHo Residents Balk at BID

Is it justified to believe that a proposed SoHo business improvement district, widely embraced elsewhere in the city, would only attract more hordes of visitors and non-residents? Proponents say that residents are fear-mongering.

January 30, 2012 - The New York Times

Is One of New York's Most Successful Parks Heading for a Reckoning?

Charles V. Bagli and Lisa W. Foderaro report on the successes and challenges facing Hudson River Park, which is now running short on money for routine maintenance, and was supposed to be the model for New York City parks to come.

January 30, 2012 - The New York Times

Investing in Detroit's Renaissance

Dan Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., is perhaps one of Detroit's biggest boosters of late. And he's putting his money where his mouth is.

January 28, 2012 - The Detroit News

A Campy Song Competition Serves as the Catalyst for Urban Renewal

In Baku, Azerbaijan, the opportunity to host the annual Eurovision song competition in May has served as a catalyst for showing off the city as an untapped luxury tourism hot spot.

January 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Green Building Trends To Watch in 2012

Claire Easley talks with the "godfather of green," Jerry Yudelson, about the "megatrends" to watch for in the Green Building industry over the next year.

January 27, 2012 - Builder Magazine

The Rise of the Megacity

Through the lens of Chengdu and Delhi, Paul Webster and Jason Burke explore how the rise of the megacity is changing the way we live.

January 26, 2012 - The Guardian

Abu Dhabi Forges Ahead With Plans to Create a Cultural World Capital

Abu Dhabi today reaffirmed its commitment to completing the long-delayed project to build a $27 billion cultural and tourism project known as Saadiyat Island.

January 25, 2012 - The New York Times

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.