Urban Development

From Parking Lot To Pedestrian-Friendly

The University of Utah wants to transform an eight acre parking lot near its stadium light rail station into shops, offices and condos.

April 8, 2008 - The Salt Lake Tribune

When Redevelopment Plans Work

Once considered a backwater near Los Angeles' westside, Culver City has experienced a resurgence. Residents like the new restaurants, but aren't prepared to cope with all the effects of the successful redevelopment.

April 8, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

An Ambitious Plan For New Orleans' Riverfront

The city wants to remove unused warehouses and port-facilities and open up several miles of its riverfront for public enjoyment.

April 7, 2008 - New Orleans Times-Picayune

The Reality Of Infill

While planners generally sell plans with "integrated infill" and "elegant density" that pairs new development with public amenities, the reality of what gets built in neighborhoods isn't always what's promised.

April 7, 2008 - The Oregonian

Cities Need To Be Built For People, Not Cars

With observations from six world cities on four continents, the new book "Endless City" calls for development that supports people and the environment, rather than automobiles.

April 7, 2008 - The Hartford Courant

How Housing Choices Affect Climate Change

NPR's Climate Connections series explores how American's lifestyles affect climate change. In this first of two articles, Elizabeth Shogren introduces an Emory University researcher who moves out of Atlanta into her 'dream house' in the suburbs.

April 7, 2008 - National Public Radio

Another Year Later, New Orleans Still Waiting

With little evidence of progress in the city's 17 designated recovery areas, residents grow ever more frustrated with local officials.

April 6, 2008 - The New York Times

After Disaster, Town Sprouts Back 'Green'

Local leaders and residents of Greensburg, Kansas -- which was devastated by a tornado last year -- are hoping to rebuild their town into a model of environmental sustainability.

April 5, 2008 - WorldChanging

Park And Play

Parking structures topped off with synthetic fields offer a practical solution for areas where parking and recreation space is in short supply.

April 5, 2008 - Athletic Business

Friday Funny: The New Gentrification

The nation's gentrified neighborhoods are threatened by new trend.

April 4, 2008 - The Onion

Mexican Developer Wants To Build New Cities From Scratch

Capitalizing on the booming Mexican home market and government calls for better urban planning, Mexico's second biggest residential developer is planning six new towns complete with homes, stores, employment and schools.

April 4, 2008 - Reuters

Transplanting A Forest

A real estate developer in Southhampton Village, New York is planting over 400 mature trees on an undeveloped plot of land -- hoping to recreate the area's historic scenery and make a fortune in the process.

April 2, 2008 - The New York Times

Saving The Neighborhood, One Signature At A Time

A arcane provision in the New York City Charter that increases the threshold for a zoning change approval to a three-fourths vote of the city council may help opponents defeat a proposed rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem.

April 2, 2008 - The New York Times

Skybridges Kill Streetlife

A graduate planning student at the University of Utah has compiled a report on the effect of skybridges as part of her efforts to combat the proposed skybridge for downtown Salt Lake City.

April 2, 2008 - Deseret Morning News

Building in the Danger Zone

This article from Next American City looks at the new land use ideas that are guiding development in disaster-prone areas.

April 1, 2008 - The Next American City

Los Angeles' Brawl With Sprawl

Officials in Los Angeles were successful in implementing high-density growth policies to curb sprawl. However, a disconnect between culture, transportation policy, and the real estate market may have disastrous consequences.

March 31, 2008 - The Economist

Embracing Alleys in San Francisco

Alleys are a major part of the character of San Francisco, and many parts of the city are trying to embrace these unique aspects of the urban makeup.

March 31, 2008 - The New York Times

The Densest Cities in America

The blog post features a list of the top five densest cities in America, and looks at the conditions that have made them that way.

March 31, 2008 - Environmental Graffiti

A Look Inside Beijing's Mind-Boggling Development

This article from Metropolis Magazine features a tour of Beijing as it prepares for the Summer Olympics. The scale of development is almost overwhelming, according to author Philip Nobel.

March 30, 2008 - Metropolis Magazine

San Francisco's New PD Talks About City's Challenges

Architect Magazine talks with San Francisco's new planning director, John Rahaim, about the urban planning challenges and issues in the city.

March 29, 2008 - Architect Magazine

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.