Urban Development
Planner Faces 'Withering Criticism' on Revitalization Plan
City planners in Charleston, SC would like to see some local malls redeveloped as mini-downtowns, filling in their parking lots with buildings, but local developers think they're insane. 'This really horrifies me,' says one business person.
'Place First' Parking Plans
Wes Marshall and Norman Garrick illustrate the problem with parking plans today, and how to fix them.
The Eight Aspects of Good Downtowns
As the downtown master plan of Baton Rouge turns ten years old, planners are looking at the next stages of development. They say eight factors play into making this and other downtowns successful.
$300 Million Mixed-Use Coming to Providence
A $300 million mixed-use development is bringing new life to a long-neglected industrial district of Providence, RI.
Toronto's Waterfront: For Cars or People?
Christopher Hume argues that Toronto's planners, in planning for easy vehicle access to the revitalizing waterfront, will be harming it as a pedestrian environment.
Urbanity Reaches Oklahoma City
'The Brownstones' is the name of a new housing development in Oklahoma City, an example of how urbanity is becoming a lifestyle choice. The video is highly promotional, but is worth watching to see the 'brownstone style" development in its setting.
To Live and Diet in LA
In the face of alarming obesity rates among many of its low-income residents, LA's City Council has voted to approve a moratorium on the construction of new fast-food restaurants in South LA.
Great Allegheny Passage Brings Unexpected Revitalization
Hiking and cycling traffic on the Great Allegheny Passageway has brought jobs and prosperity to small towns along the route.
Home Economics
Philip Langdon comments on the the economy of oil and its effects on urban design in the July/August issue of New Urban News.
Hercules Backs 'New', 'Smart' Waterfront
Plans for a "new urbanist/smart growth" development on the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay Area town of Hercules has received unanimous approval from the city council, eliminating the need for inclusion on the November ballot.
Columnist Neal Peirce Discusses the Past and Future of the Metropolis
Planetizen talks with journalist and syndicated columnist Neal Peirce about the trends he's seen over the course of his career and the future of America's metropolitan regions.
Does HUD Need To Be Modernized?
Professor Sudhir Venkatesh of Columbia believe it is time for HUD to be replaced by a more nimble agency capable of responding to the 21st century city.
NIMBYs On Vacation
Next American City nails NIMBYs for their vacation choices.
Friday Funny: Developers Bad at Naming Streets
Developers often see naming streets as their way of making a mark, naming streets after daughters, alma maters, or the family dog. But they often find themselves tangled up in regulations and the limits of their own creativity.
Moscow Tops List of World's Most Expensive Cities
Moscow tops an annual ranking of the world's most expensive cities. The survey examines housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment for corporations and government agencies determining living costs for expats.
A Portrait of New Urbanism
Terrain.org profiles Bradburn Village, a successful New Urbanist project in Westminster, Colorado. As one resident puts it, 'Bradburn is designed around community.'
Coconut Grove Looks to Revamp, Modernize Waterfront
Miami's Coconut Grove waterfront neighborhood may receive a makeover if city commissioners approve a new master plan. However, one questions remains: who is going to fund it?
Appalachia Creates a 'Suitability Map' to Entice Responsible Development
A key idea of western North Carolina's Mountain Landscapes Initiative is to create a map of land already in conservation, layered with land that should be preserved, so that developers, builders, and residents together can plan responsibly.
A New Downtown for Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona planners have released a new vision for their downtown, in a 'trend toward urban living'.
Black Flight or White Gentrification?
The Wall Street Journal reports that middle-class African-Americans are leaving America's major cities in droves, leaving remaining African-American cultural and religious institutions struggling to adjust to this new demographic reality.
Pagination
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)