Urban Development

Raising The Roof On America's Malls

The tide in mall development is changing to incorporate elements of nostalgia for 'Americana' and a hometown feel, complete with story lines, but concerns over traffic congestion and over-development persist.

April 23, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Searching For Moscow's Secret Suburb

Russia's super-rich live in a secret suburb hidden in a forest outside Moscow.

April 23, 2007 - BBC

Little Saigon Threatened By Retail Chains

Seattle residents are protesting a 600,000 square foot retail development set to move into the city's historic Little Saigon neighborhood. They fear that the character of the neighborhood will be erased by the major chain retailers on tap to move in.

April 23, 2007 - The Seattle Times

New Greenhouse Gas Rules For Massachusetts Developers

New rules have come into effect in Massachusetts that will require developers of large-scale projects to estimate and reduce their greenhouse gas production.

April 23, 2007 - The Boston Globe

Can Ottawa Become 'Cool'?

Amid recent talk amongst Canadian officials about the future of Canada's capital city, Ottawa, some say the government city is too square to become an international destination. But others see a way for Ottawa to "swagger".

April 22, 2007 - The Ottawa Citizen

Concentrating Housing Near Freeways Is Bad, Even In Portland

An atmospheric scientist is telling local officials in Portland, Oregon, that the concentration of new housing in existing high density areas may be a bad practice, as these areas tend to be located near freeways, and therefore high pollution.

April 22, 2007 - The Portland Tribune

Can A Stadium Also Be An Arena?

Owners of Dolphin Stadium in north Miami-Dade County hope a $250 million dollar renovation will help reposition the stadium as an entertainment mecca for the Americas, effectively blurring the line between traditional stadium, theatre, and arena.

April 20, 2007 - The Miami Herald

Uproar Over Land Grabs In Spain

The Spanish housing market is under threat from a growing number of accusations that local town councils are abusing their power to claim land for public developments -- and dedicating land to resort communities and golf courses.

April 20, 2007 - Bloomberg

From Growing Corn To A Growing Community

This slideshow from Slate shows how a cornfield in Pennsylvania developed into a new residential community.

April 19, 2007 - Slate

Is St. Louis Finally Turning Around?

St. Louis is an older American city that may share more in common with Detroit than perhaps any other city in the U.S. from an urban growth perspective. However, the population decline appears to finally be halting as downtown shows signs of rebirth.

April 19, 2007 - The New York Times

The Second-Most Expensive Home in The U.S.

A Beverly Hills mansion called the "Fleur de Lys" goes on the market for $125 million, making it the second-most expensive private residence in the United States.

April 18, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal, Real Estate Journal

Have Cities Abandoned The Poor And Middle Class?

A new book argues that most American cities have fully embraced neoliberal policies that encourage gentrification, privatization, and corporate invasion -- at the expense of lower- and middle-class residents.

April 18, 2007 - The American Prospect

An Interview With Two Of Canada's Top Planners

Toronto's Robert Freedman and Vancouver's Brent Toderian offer their thoughts on good city building.

April 18, 2007 - Canadian Architect

Who Wants To Live Next To A Celebrity?

Developers of high-end condo projects are offering celebrities discounts on units, in hopes that their names will help sell a property.

April 18, 2007 - RealEstateJournal.com

Thoreau's Walden May Become A Soccer Field

This report from NPR looks at a Massachusetts school's efforts to build soccer fields in part of the forest Henry David Thoreau wrote about in his book Walden.

April 17, 2007 - NPR

$1.5 Billion Plan To Bring Hollywood To Austin

An ambitious $1.5 billion mixed-use project announced recently in Austin, Texas, proposes to anchor a 681-acre development with sound stages and other media-focused infrastructure. Will this project die a slow death like similar efforts before it?

April 17, 2007 - Austin American-Statesman

The Link Between Impact Fees And Growth

The city of Tuscon, Arizona is considering adding new impact fees to cover the cost of municipal services, but the new fees might stymie growth and encourage sprawl.

April 16, 2007 - Arizona Daily Star

Getting 'Creative' To Protect Artists' Spaces

A consultant's report recommends Atlanta codify the protection of artists' spaces in new zoning. Many cities are trying to redress the "Catch-22" of gentrification -- the displacement of artists from neighborhoods they helped turn around.

April 16, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Is The Worst Over For The Massachusetts Housing Market?

Market research shows that though buyers still have an advantage, the Massachusetts housing market will shows signs of stability over the next six to twelve months.

April 16, 2007 - The Boston Globe

Tokyo Project Sets Mixed Use 'Benchmark'

This report looks at the new Tokyo Midtown mega-development, which the author suggests will become the new standard for mixed use.

April 16, 2007 - International Herald Tribune

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.