Urban Development

The Best Laid Plans of New York City's Building Boom

This slideshow from New York looks at a handful of residential and office buildings in New York City that have either stalled or completely halted development.

April 22, 2009 - New York

Getting Creative with Blight

Encouraging the creative class to rent and eventually own in foreclosed neighborhoods revives blighted neighborhoods, but the strategy isn't without controversy or setbacks.

April 22, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Small Casino Town Preparing For Big Leagues

With new rules that are going to push it closer to Las Vegas-style gambling, the small Colorado casino town of Blackhawk is getting ready to handle the new crowds as it becomes more of a draw.

April 20, 2009 - The New York Times

From Condo to Affordable Housing

Officials in New York are pushing a plan to reuse foreclosed or abandoned condo projects as affordable housing.

April 20, 2009 - City Hall News

Turning Luxury Condos Into Affordable Housing

Housing advocates and policymakers in Brooklyn are working with developers to take half-finished luxury condos (stalled out by the economic crisis) and transform them into affordable housing.

April 19, 2009 - City Hall

Nobody Walks in Dubai

The United Arab Emirates has plenty of tall, flashy buildlings, but the rush to build has largely left street life scarce in many parts.

April 18, 2009 - The National (Abu Dhabi)

Transit, or Schools?

Atlanta school leaders consider renegotiating a Tax Allocation District (TAD) agreement that was set up to help fund projects such as the Beltline, a 22-mile loop of transit, trails, parks and development around the city.

April 17, 2009 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stadium to Nowhere

Kansas City has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a new indoor arena with the hopes of luring a pro basketball or hockey team. But a year and a half after opening, nobody's biting.

April 17, 2009 - The Atlantic

Un-Developing Abandoned Housing Developments

A stalled and abandoned development along the Florida coast is being scouted by the Trust for Public Land as a possible site for "un-development" -- a return to its natural state as open space.

April 17, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Ahead of Itself and Undeveloped

A Washington, D.C. entertainment district was meant to follow the construction of a baseball stadium, but, for now, the area is victim to overly ambitious plans to develop as quickly as possible.

April 17, 2009 - The Washington Post

Largest Real Estate Bust In History

General Growth Properties, the 2nd largest mall operator in the nation, declared bankruptcy this morning. The company was felled by mounting debt from short-term mortgages it used to expand its holdings.

April 16, 2009 - The New York Times

Where's the Middle Ground?

Downtown Los Angeles' Figueroa Corridor is getting two new high-rises, the "all" in the area's seemingly "all-or-nothing" approach to development, says Christopher Hawthorne.

April 16, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

The Disproportionate Costs of Resort Developments

A new report out of Oregon suggests that the fiscal costs of successful resort developments significantly outweigh their benefits -- and taxpayers are burdened with the tab. Erik Kancler of Central Oregon LandWatch explains.

April 16, 2009 - Erik Kancler

Politics-Driven Planning Rules Toronto

During a round table discussion between four of Toronto's most prominent architects conclude that the city's planning, deemed dysfunctional by one, falls short.

April 16, 2009 - Toronto Star

Zoning Update in Oakland?

An antiquated set of zoning laws has been at the heart of a debate between preservationists and developers in Oakland for years, though a compromise in the form of new zoning rules may be in the city's near future.

April 15, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Flexibility and Integrity

Portland urban designer Arun Jain has released his Urban Design Framework, a vision that requires planners to give themselves more leeway "without giving up core values."

April 15, 2009 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Developers Pressed Appraisers For Higher Values During Boom

Reporters at the Land Use Accountability Project have uncovered evidence that home appraisers were under great pressure at the height of the bubble to inflate home values.

April 14, 2009 - Land Use Accountability Project

Preaching Urbanity in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has seen its share of foreclosure in its outer suburbs. Local planners and urban planning professors see this as an opportunity to convince locals of the benefits of city living.

April 14, 2009 - Deseret News

HUD's Dollar Program Misses Mark, Benefits Contractors and Investors

An L.A. Times investigation reveals that HUD's 10-year-old Dollar Homes program provided little lasting benefit to the intended recipients and significant rewards to investors and contractors.

April 13, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Urban Infill Inevitable, Says ULI Leader

William Hudnet, former mayor of Indianapolis, now with ULI, spoke at a gathering in Sacramento on the inevitable wave of urban infill, less auto-dependent development to come due to state climate protection laws AB 32 and SB 375, and regional plans.

April 13, 2009 - The Sacramento Bee

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.