Urban Development

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

Big Plans Lack Vision and Ambition in New York

In this piece from The New York Times criticizes plans for a railyard redevelopment in Manhattan as overblown and lacking architectural ambition.

March 28, 2008 - The New York Times

Atlanta's Streetcars Sidetracked

Atlanta's ambitious plans for inner-city rail were downsized, as New Urbanist Andres Duany criticized the City's implementation of his vision for streetcars in Midtown Atlanta.

March 28, 2008 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Funding Remains Uncertain for Sydney's 'Grand Project'

A major plan to improve Sydney's walkability, urban design and public transit system have been applauded throughout the city. The only problem is figuring out how to pay for it.

March 27, 2008 - The Sydney Morning Herald

What Will Happen After the Flood

This article from Architect Magazine wonders what coastal cities will look like after the sea level rises.

March 26, 2008 - Architect Magazine

China Needs 'Supercities'

A new report calls on China to cluster its development into "supercities" to obtain greater economic prosperity.

March 26, 2008 - Xinhua

Planning with the Starchitects

Architects are not just architects anymore. Now they are planners, too, and some high profile projects all over the world show that this trend is likely to continue.

March 25, 2008 - Architect Magazine

San Francisco's Little-Known Public Spaces

A policy requiring new commercial developments to include public spaces has created more than a dozen new public places in downtown San Francisco since the 1980s. Some say more effort is needed to make these public places known by the public.

March 25, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

City's Condo Cravings are Self Destruction

Critic Christopher Hume bemoans the destruction of historic homes in Toronto to make way for new residential condo towers.

March 24, 2008 - The Toronto Star

Influx of Luxury Towers Transforms New York

Luxury residential towers are popping up all over New York City, bringing about what one critic calls the "greatest transformation in the city’s physical identity since the 1960s".

March 24, 2008 - The New York Times

Slowdown Offers Chance to Rethink Growth

The economic slowdown has caused a slowdown in growth, even in the Salt Lake City area -- recently one of the nation's fastest growing regions. This editorial calls on officials to use the slowdown as a chance to reconsider the area's growth pattern.

March 24, 2008 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Why the Breakdown of Atlantic Yards is a Loss For New York Planning

New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff discusses why the impending breakdown of the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn is a harsh blow to urban planning in New York.

March 24, 2008 - The New York Times

Slicing and Dicing Superblocks

If 'superblocks' are so bad, why are we still building more of them?

March 24, 2008 - Streetsblog

Viewing L.A.'s Density Debate From the Passenger's Seat

A Los Angeles Times columnist hears about the Los Angeles density controversy and sees its implications during a recent drive around town with County Commissioner Zev Yaroslavsky.

March 23, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Das Chinatown

The planning process has taken a little longer than expected for a Chinese investor looking to create Germany's first Chinatown.

March 22, 2008 - Der Spiegel

What's in a Name?

The town of Slough gets no respect, but it's trying.

March 22, 2008 - The New York Times

'Slumburbia': Exurban Decay Spurred By Mortgage Crisis

The mortgage crisis is devastating many communities far from urban centers, while 'inner cities', regionally speaking, are weathering the financial storm far better thanks to their urban form that makes them attractive to those that can afford them.

March 21, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Will The Atlantic Yards Project Go Bust?

The slowing economy is causing Forest Ratner to re-think buildout plans for their controversial Atlantic Yards development. New York City history tells us it won't be the first time a large scale project goes the way of the economy.

March 21, 2008 - The New York Times

Introducing Smart Growth To An Edge City

A new master plan for Los Angeles's Century City attempts to undo some of the shortcomings that typically plague Modernist master-planned edge cities. Its goals include walkability, greening, and a more appealing public realm.

March 21, 2008 - Planning Magazine

Rural County Population Nearly Doubled in Less Than a Decade

With a growth rate of more than 75% over the last seven years, Kendall County, Illinois, is changing fast and the local farming community is struggling to adapt.

March 21, 2008 - The Associated Press

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.