Urban Development
The Evolving Attitude of Environmentalists
Passage of a bill in Berkeley that allows taller buildings to be built in the city's downtown illustrates changing attitudes about development amongst environmentalists.
The Wisdom and Future of Short-Run Transit
By looking at three Los Angeles examples of very short rail lines, writer Alissa Walker suggests that seemingly pointless but fun transit systems could be the best way to use transit to improve urban areas.
Florida DOT Says No to Ped-Friendly Streets
Brickell Avenue in Miami is in one of the most densely populated areas in Florida. FDOT is slated to begin a major resurfacing project here, but refuses to consider additional crosswalks or bike infrastructure, ignoring pressure from locals.
Five Materials Improving Sustainability In Construction
Joe Peach explains the technology behind five materials that will dramatically increase sustainability in the building industry. Among the list are wool bricks which are stronger, greater insulators and don't require firing to set.
White Elephant Stadia Plague South Africa
Just months after the completion of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, expensive stadia built for the event sit empty and unused.
A Look at Contemporary Berlin
This photo slideshow from Places offers a look at the city of Berlin and the fast pace of change underway there.
Questioning A 'High Line' for Jersey City
A proposal for a "High Line"-like park in Jersey City has some locals deeply concerned about the project's large price tag.
Developing A Coexistence Between High Speed Rail and L.A.
Los Angeles architect Roger Sherman is trying to help guide the car-centric L.A. area into harmonious coexistence with the state's planned high speed rail.
Outlet Centers Are Hot With Retail Developers
Retail Traffic Magazine reports that some developers who specialized in regional malls are moving over into developing outlet centers. Says an analyst, "The whole value concept is resonating right now."
Silicon Valley Start-Ups Head Downtown
The area's tech firms, which typically favor office parks, are increasingly drawn to revitalized urban centers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
What Jane Jacobs Prevented
A new exhibit at the Cooper Union revisits architect Paul Rudolph's vision for a megadevelopment built around Robert Moses' expressway project that would have destroyed much of SoHo and Tribeca.
Environmentalists Torn Over Smart Growth
A Berkeley, CA growth initiative revealed the stresses that smart growth play on grassroots environmental organizations like the Sierra Club where members determine positions.
Enough With the New, Greenfield Utopias
Sarah Goodyear of Grist thinks Masdar, Songdu City and other smart mega-projects are fascinating, but, she says, what about fixing the cities we already have instead?
The Plan That Changed Urban Planning
A tour shows off the results of a plan that "completely changed the direction of urban planning for much of the last century."
Skyscraper Blight?
James M. Russell calls a proposed office tower to be built across from the new Penn Station "2.83 million square feet of blight." What makes a skyscraper blight?
Lassoing a Plan for El Paso
Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX will be getting 30,000 more troops under the Base Realignment and Closure program, which means a major effort to plan for the added people.
Recession Chic in Braddock, PA
Braddock has become the poster child for a sort of bootstrap revitalization - an attitude that Levi's wants to rub off on their jeans. In exchange for using Braddock as a brand enhancer, the company built Braddock a community center.
City Branding Can't Be Lipstick on a Pig
PlaceMaker Scott Doyon says that for cities -- maybe more than any other organization -- branding is about who you really are, and what what you really do, not a meaningless slogan or logo.
Shanghai Expo Closes With Focus On "Development through Development"
The Expo’s stated theme was “Better City, Better Life,” and organizers boasted it was the first World’s Fair devoted to the contemplation of cities.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
