Urban Development
Cape Town's Growth Outpaces Infrastructure Funding
The pace of development in Cape Town, South Africa, is too fast for the city to keep up with infrastructure improvements. Officials are calling for increased gas taxes to generate funding for maintenance of roads and other infrastructure.
HUD Says 'Too Many Houses on the Market'
HUD Secretary Steven Preston said this week that the U.S. is facing a 'fundamental oversupply' of houses, which will continue to weigh down the economy.
Improvement District Strikes Fear in Small Businesses
Tacoma, Washington has created a local improvement district in the Broadway-St. Helens neighborhood to create an 'urban village' and improve old infrastructure, but existing small businesses are afraid of being priced out.
Predicting McCain and Obama's Effect on Cities
Neal Pierce asks the question, 'Who's Best for Cities, McCain or Obama?' The evidence has been difficult to come by, but Pierce unearths some clues and makes some logical predictions.
Toronto's High-Rise Boom Could Mean End of Sprawl
Toronto is swimming in high-rise construction, with the second highest rate in the world. Some say this shift to the urban core spells the end of sprawl in Toronto.
The Books of Moses
Robert Moses, New York's controversial master builder, is the subject of a new series of novels.
The Bust Belt
How exurban expansion paves the way for the next housing crisis.
Chinatown Debates Gentrification, as Hipsters Descend
New York's Chinatown has been impenetrable to non-Chinese entrepreneurs for a century, but new glitzy bars and restaurants are beginning to push through. In a neighborhood that has suffered since 9/11, locals debate the merits of outsider investment.
Cheap Sicilian Villas, Some Strings Attached
In Salemi, Italy, 3000 villas ravaged in a 1968 earthquake are now on the market for about U.S.$1.41. However, interested buyers must adhere to a number of stipulations, including a two-year deadline for development.
A Grand Public Space in Indianapolis
Civic leaders in Indianapolis are considering closing Monument Circle to traffic. Says one, "From a European perspective, this could be one of the great public spaces in America."
Make No Little Plans, 100 Years Later
As the 100-year anniversary of the writing of the Burnham Plan for Chicago approaches, the city and its suburbs are thinking big about how to improve the city.
Canada's Most Sprawled City Reconsiders- Developers Protest
Calgary has the largest ecological footprint of any large Canadian municipality. The city council is trying to fix that history with Plan It Calgary, a new land use and transportation plan- and developers are none too pleased.
Cambodian Cool
The Cambodian city of Siem Reap is a hotbed of tourist activity -- and of tacky hotels. Many say this sprawl of hotels is a major problem in the city, but new designs are making the city a cooler place to visit and live.
No Slowing Floodplain Development in Britain
Floodplain development has proven time and time again to be big trouble when heavy rains come. But in Britain, that's not stopping it.
Developers and Activists Battle in Berlin
Activists are fighting to keep the bank of the Spree River accessible as a two multi-billion Euro projects move in.
Little Havana Stadium Moves Forward
Despite controversy over its funding,location and impact, the Florida Marlins are likely to build a new retractable-roof stadium on the former site of the Orange Bowl in the city's Little Havana neighborhood.
Too Many Malls, Too Few Tenants
Large shopping centers across the country have grown in quantity and size for years, but developers say that overbuilding may now be a problem.
Are Form-Based Codes 'Green Zoning'?
Albuquerque's new "form-based codes" could offer city planners another model for denser, more pedestrian-friendly growth.
Grocery Stores are Shrinking
For years, the sizes of grocery stores have grown increasingly to provide a greater variety to the consumer. Andrew Martin explains why retailers have now begun opening smaller stores instead.
Ground Zero Project Shows Little Signs of Progress
Seven years on, the site of the former World Trade Center remains largely barren. However, despite delays and claims of over-budgeting, the Port Authority says new development at Ground Zero s expected to finish on schedule.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
