Urban Development

Personal Mobility

Infrastructure Bill an Opportunity to Redesign Transportation to Move People, not Cars

By focusing on traffic safety, the Biden administration's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure has a chance to make good on its potential to shift the nation's infrastructure planning for the benefit of the people and the planet.

April 5, 2021 - John Stout

End of the Mall

Can Mall Redevelopment 'Urbanize the Suburbs'?

Local leaders in Virginia are banking on mall redevelopment projects to revive their tax bases and create more mixed-use neighborhoods.

April 2, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

SEPTA Bus Transit

Opinion: Philadelphia Mayor is Failing Transit Riders

By staying conspicuously absent from the controversy over the closure of the Somerset El station, the mayor has avoided involvement in an issue that affects the whole city, according to Philadelphia's leading architecture critic.

April 2, 2021 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Campanile

One Berkeley Resident's Fight to Desegregate the City

Dorothy Walker has spent decades working to eliminate housing discrimination. In February, the city council finally agreed.

April 1, 2021 - Grist

Texas

Austin City Council Urges TxDOT to Reconsider I-35 Expansion

In a letter to the department, the city called for an increased focus on shifting demand away from single-occupancy vehicles and boosting other forms of transportation.

April 1, 2021 - KVUE

New York Development

What Is Upzoning?

Upzoning is a term used to describe changes to a zoning code made to increase the amount of development allowed in the future.

March 31, 2021 - James Brasuell

Amazon Fulfillment Center

Warehouse Sprawl Prompts Calls for Regional Planning

As e-commerce giants like Amazon build more and more facilities, advocates say a regional approach is needed to prevent sprawl and look beyond local benefits.

March 31, 2021 - NJ Spotlight

London Crowded Street

What Is the Future of London's 'Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods'?

As local councils debate making permanent changes implemented last year, can pedestrian and cycling advocates hold on to their victories?

March 31, 2021 - The Guardian

Taipei, Taiwan Skyline

Californians Seek Normalcy by Relocating to Taiwan

As the pandemic continues to disrupt life in the United States, some Taiwanese Americans are rebuilding their lives abroad.

March 30, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Colorado Springs, Colorado skyline

Colorado Springs Drafts New Regional Annexation Plan

A regional planning proposal in El Paso County, Colorado calls for uniform standards for unincorporated developments, which would make it easier to receive city services if annexed in the future.

March 30, 2021 - The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

Tenants' Rights

HUD Has Money for Tenant Organizing. Why Isn’t the Agency Spending It?

HUD can provide $10 million to tenant organizers each year, but the funding has largely gone unspent since the early 2000s. Will that change with a new administration and newly approved HUD secretary?

March 30, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Denver, Colorado

Cleveland Wanted Townhomes, What it Got Was 'Slot Homes'

Members of the Cleveland Chapter if the American Institute of Architects are raising awareness about the unintended consequences of zoning changes made in 2018 to make it easier to develop townhomes in the city.

March 30, 2021 - Cleveland.com

Little Tokyo Los Angeles

Los Angeles Passes New Rent Relief Package

The city will offer a new round of rental assistance to eligible families who owe back rent.

March 29, 2021 - KTLA

Desert Road

3D-Printed Neighborhood Coming to the California Desert

The developer of the 15-home community claims they will produce homes with a tenth of the waste of traditional construction in record time.

March 29, 2021 - The Guardian

For Rent

As Luxury Rents Drop, Low-Income Tenants Pay More

With increasing pressure on the nation's supply of affordable housing, low- and middle-income renters are seeing their rents go up while higher-quality apartments drop prices to lure back remote workers.

March 29, 2021 - The Washington Post

Fall Sprawl

Revised Requirements for Sidewalks and Bike Lanes at MassDOT

The new guidelines call for pedestrian and bike infrastructure as part of the design of new state-run projects.

March 29, 2021 - Streetsblog Massachusetts

St. Louis Metrolink

Five Principles for Good Infrastructure

American policymakers could improve the effectiveness of infrastructure projects by focusing on five key elements.

March 29, 2021 - Governing

Suburban Homes

Dan Gilbert Announces $500 Million Investment in Detroit Neighborhoods

Dan Gilbert, the billionaire credited with the revitalization of development interest in and around Downtown Detroit, made a bombshell announcement in his first in-depth interview since suffering a stroke in 2019.

March 26, 2021 - The Detroit News

Houston, Texas

A New Metropolitan Blueprint for Texas

Traditionally associated with its wide-open spaces, Texas is now, undeniably, defined by the cities and suburbs that comprise its built environment.

March 25, 2021 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Freeway Exit

Opinion: America's Infrastructure Doesn't Need a Federal Spending 'Binge'

Despite alarming claims about the nation's roads and bridges, a column in the Chicago Tribune argues that the administration's proposed infrastructure spending doesn't match actual needs.

March 25, 2021 - Chicago 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.