Urban Development
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago Eliminates Parking Minimums Near Transit
Changes to a city ordinance make it easier to build ‘by-right’ car-free developments near train stations and pave the way for more affordable housing.
A Historic Investment in LA County’s Parks and Open Spaces
Los Angeles County has launched its largest-ever competitive grant program, investing $58 million to expand park access, enhance climate resilience, and support community-driven projects in the areas that need them most.
Why Jeff Speck is a “Zoning Abolitionist”
Decades into his career, the walkability guru has learned a thing or two.
Planting for Change: How Trees Are Powering Climate Action
"Combating Climate Change with Trees" highlights how Southern California communities are strategically planting and nurturing urban forests to cool neighborhoods, improve air quality, and advance environmental justice.
Art in the Shade: Confronting Climate and Equity Through Creativity
Through powerful, multisensory installations, Roots of Cool uses art to illuminate Los Angeles’ climate and shade inequities, inviting visitors to imagine a more just, tree-filled future.
The Great Lakes Cities are Touted as a Climate Refuge. The Reality is Much More Complex.
Sewage overflows, invasive species and polar vortexes — America’s climate haven might be more illusive than we think.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Congress Kills Office Conversion Tax Credit
A federal tax incentive for energy efficiency upgrades is going away next year.
‘Architectural Epidemiology:’ Centering Public Health in Urban Design
A new book asks, what if cities were designed around health equity?
Dorm-Style Housing: A Solution for DC’s Vacant Office Buildings
Adapting office buildings to dorm-style housing with shared spaces is a much more affordable option than repurposing offices into apartments.
The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way
One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.
Will the Reconnecting Communities Program Survive Trump?
A freeway cap in Portland, Oregon is in jeopardy. But the visionary “restorative redevelopment” next door goes on.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Frederick Wiseman: Cinema’s Greatest Chronicler of the City
For over 60 years the legendary documentarian has quietly chronicled the urban American experience. The result is a subtle, stubborn celebration of the unsung hero of civic life: process.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code
A judge ordered the Virginia city to throw out its newly revised zoning code, leaving permitting for new development in legal limbo.
In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.
Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.
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.
Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie
