Urban Development
Ventura, CA Adopts Downtown Retail And Office Strategy
Bill Fulton, a city council member for Ventura, California, offers an insider's view on adoption of the city's downtown retail and office strategy. The consultant's report.
Wildlife Returns To Contaminated Canal -- Will Housing Follow?
A canal in Brooklyn has been contaminated by sewage and runoff for years, but as conditions begin to improve, developers are thinking about ways to build houses in the primarily industrial area.
New Report Claims Density Hasn't Worked For Sydney
The policy of urban consolidation that Sydney has followed for 20 years is straining the region's infrastructure, while providing little to no affordable housing, argues a newly published paper.
Planning Not A Priority For Philly's 'Would-be' Mayors
While Philadelphia may be hosting this year's National Planning Conference, a recent forum demonstrated that the current candidates for Mayor lack any sort of vision for the city's development.
Andrés Duany On Austin
With the annual Congress for New Urbanism coming to town in 2008, Duany offers his thoughts on the Texas Capital on a recent visit.
City Subsidizes Gentrification In Black Neighborhoods
With tax abatement for 5 to 15 years for renovated properties, the City of Richmond, Virginia, loses $14.6 million each year in real estate taxes. Meanwhile, long-time residents are pushed out by high taxes for unrenovated houses they own or rent.
Affordable Housing Not Adding Up In New Orleans
Despite vastly higher levels of federal affordable housing tax credits awarded to Louisiana, developers are pulling out of projects because they can't make sufficient profits.
Citizens Use Second Life For Public Input On Design
A residents' association in Paris is inviting locals to share their ideas about redeveloping a garden and public space in the center of the city by creating them in the virtual reality world Second Life.
Redevelopment Projects Have Some Residents Wary
Surrounded by major government centers and large new public works projects, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is preparing to reveal a plan to redevelop its waterfront -- a revival effort many residents are wary of.
Riverfront's Potential For Improving Quality Of Life
Harris Steinberg, director of PennPraxis, outlines one important lesson from the Central Delaware Waterfront Planning Process, which his organization is charged with leading. He describes the importance of open space as a catalyst for development.
Feeling Negative Smart Growth Side Effects
After New Jersey's Washington Township built a new smart growth-style town center, new residents jumped to move in. But lack of coordination among state agencies may now be contributing to the township's challenges with education and taxes.
From Struggling Town To Luxury Resort
A small Swiss village may become a new luxury resort, as Egyptian investors have targeted the site for redevelopment. Many residents were at first apprehensive, but have come to see the redevelopment as a savior for their struggling home
Rural County Readies Itself For Urban Transition
With a number of large housing developments underway, rural Jasper County, South Carolina, is anticipating a rapid urban transition. Local officials are looking to draft a growth plan to ensure that developers whims won't shape the region.
Planning And TOD To The Rescue
This column from The San Francisco Examiner describes how "urban planning can save the world", and identifies transit-oriented development as a major solution to global warming.
Incentivizing Green Building
The British Columbia village of Saanich has passed a measure that will make it easier for developers building energy-efficient projects to get approval. Green builders will also receive building permit fee rebates.
Booming Town Seeks Water From Reluctant Neighbor
An 11-year drought in the Southwest U.S. has a growing small town in Nevada looking to pump water from nearby Beaver Dam, Arizona. Many in the Arizona town are upset over the proposed water-snatch, which they say limits their own ability to develop.
Convert A Condo--Take A Hike
At yesterday's L.A. City Council meeting, landlords and tenants sparred over affordable housing, money, and incentives for the middle class. After the dust settled, councilmembers voted: landlords may have to pay higher fees to relocate tenants.
Farmland Dwindles As Land Values And Development Increase
Farmland in British Columbia is being rapidly snapped up by residential developers as land values increase. This pressure is threatening the area's remaining fertile farmland.
The Next Generation Of Street Furniture
A bid is up for new street furniture in Toronto. Three firms have submitted their proposals for innovative street furniture, public restrooms, and bus stops. Some of the designs can be seen in this slideshow.
Opposition Growing To Public Subsidies For Retail Mega-Projects
Proposed state legislation in Arizona will punish cities that offer subsidies to retail projects. Kansas City's new mayor was elected on an anti-TIF platform. Increasingly, public financing for urban revitalization is coming under attack.
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.
City of Charlotte
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
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)
