Urban Development
Global Cities Becoming Global Mega-Regions
A new report from the United Nations says that world cities are increasingly becoming mega-regions of developed areas, and governing these regions must become a new focus of governments.
Big Box Casino On Its Way To Philadelphia
The new casino rising along Philadelphia's Delaware River is likely to be little more than a drab Big Box with gambling inside, according to this review from Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron.
A Lot of Rezoning, But Little Growth
A new report from the Furman Center finds that the effect of the 100+ rezonings under the Bloomberg administration is minimal, with upzonings and downzonings almost canceling each other out.
Why Shanghai Won't Be Vancouver
Shanghai is preparing for the 2010 World Expo, but the Chinese investment won't create anything like the urban investment created in Vancouver for the Olympics, says Brendon Crain.
A Middle Eastern Oasis for Sustainable Transportation
Like the U.S. in the mid-20th Century, much of the growth in Abu Dhabi over the last 35 years has catered primarily to the automobile. But new plans are re-wiring the city to make Abu Dhabi's streets more hospitable to pedestrians.
Residential Growth Cap Overruling Could Reshape California
A recent court ruling preventing a California town from placing a cap on residential development could change the shape of the state, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's John King.
Higher Fees Drive Developers to Outskirts
In Corpus Christi, Texas, a park development fee on inner city properties has developers crying foul, claiming it discourages development in inner cities where it should be encouraged.
Political Skirmishes Delaying Ground Zero Construction
New York City's Ground Zero has sat as an empty hole for years. Though infrastructure work is underway, politics are holding the rebuilding back, according to this interview with New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger.
Splicing Small Farms into Residential Development
Small farms are increasingly being integrated into new housing development proposals. One new project in Washington is betting on the growing popularity of local food to draw in homebuyers.
Disney-Adjacent Development, For Sale By Owner
Built during the height of the boom, GardenWalk in Anaheim was a can't-fail mixed-use shopping center with condos. The retail opened just as the recession hit, and this week the developer has put the condo construction rights up for sale.
The Rise of NORCs
There are senior-living and retirement communities all over the U.S., but a new breed of housing for the elderly is emerging in cities across the world: the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community, or NORC.
High Speed Rail Sprawl
Some planners are warning that high speed rail could spur exurban growth and sprawl.
Rethinking Urban Alleyways in Seattle
Through a new competition, the city of Seattle is looking to revive and reuse the alleys of the urban core.
The Importance of Street Names
In Seattle, the street names were settled a century ago. Naming alleys and other unnamed civic features is a way to reclaim urban spaces and enhance heritage. Kurt Cobain Way, anyone?
Density Uber Alles
Is density a goal unto itself? John Parman argues that a 38-story building proposed for San Francisco has little to do with walkable urbanism, and continues "a sorry tradition of case-by-case rezoning."
TIGER Grants May Take Transit Off Endangered List
Less money for highways, more for transit and "complete streets" - New Urban News takes a look at where the $1.5 billion TIGER grants are going.
Green Features Aren't Selling Houses
Green housing features like solar roofs and angled walls add cost to a development, and lenders don't see added value. So as CNN reports, green housing currently faces a stiff market.
Ghetto-ization: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Density
At first glance, the historic Ghetto streetscene in Venice is an appealing new urbanist community. In another place at another time, the virtues of compact, walkable and dense were the very isolation we now abhor.
Redevelopment Agencies Circle the Wagons, Fight for Funding
Redevelopment agencies, lead by the CRA, are planning their strategy for how to keep their local redevelopment funding from the state. CP&DR blogs and tweets from the California Redevelopment Association conference.
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)
