Urban Development

New Skyscraper Added to Chicago's Skyline in Uncertain Times for Downtown Commercial Uses
A riverfront revival was well underway in Chicago. Then the pandemic hit. How can a splashy new downtown commercial development expect to fare in Covid's world?

Do We Know Any More About the Future of Cities Than We Did in April 2020?
The conversation about how the pandemic might alter the direction of planning and urbanism, unlike the spread of the coronavirus, has remained steady since March.

Envisioning the Post-Pandemic City
The coronavirus has upended urban life, but it also provides an opportunity to look to new and innovative redesign of cities in the future.

Planning Age-Friendly Cities
Manchester researchers are part of a network of European cities collaborating on strategies to support the aging population in cities worldwide.

Flood Risk Upends the North Carolina Housing Market
Inequalities in the housing market of coastal North Carolina communities have already been exacerbated by the effects of extreme weather and climate change.

3 Freeway Cap Projects Designed to Undo the Racism of the Past
A trio of freeway cap proposals around the country—in St. Paul, Atlanta, and Austin—embody the potential of infrastructure change to undo the mistakes of the past.

Most Mayors Share Similar Priorities in Coronavirus Recovery
Infrastructure investment tops the list of common priorities for COVID recovery among mayors surveyed.

General Plan, Development Code Update Planned in San Bernardino, California
Big planning and code changes are on tap for the city of San Bernardino in the Inland Empire.

Tax Break Offered for Transit Oriented Development in Maryland's Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council approved a property tax break as an incentive for high-rise rental developments located on Metro station properties.

A Struggling Commercial District Searches for Opportunity in Crisis
A commercial district in a wealthy part of Washington, D.C. is shedding high-profile businesses. A reboot is in order, according to local business owners and political leaders.

Trump Decision to Bail on Federal Stimulus Pushes Music Venues Over the Brink
Public transit, employment, homelessness, foreclosures—all hang in the balance as the federal government falters with a proposed economic recovery package. So does the prospect of going to a show after the pandemic.

Willis Tower, Largest LEED Platinum Building, to Switch to 100 Percent Renewable Energy
The Willis Tower in Chicago, once the tallest building in the world, is still making history in superlative terms.

Doing Urban Mobility Pilot Programs the Right Way
Pilot programs can offer useful insight to decisionmakers, but they need to be done for the right reasons and with clear goals and plans.

California's 'Split Roll' Property Tax Reform, Explained
California voters will consider a landmark reform of its infamous property tax system this November. Prop. 15 would remove property tax caps on commercial properties established by Prop. 13 in 1978.

As U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Holds Back Economic Recovery, It's Time for Change
Opinion: Six months into the pandemic, the state of the U.S. economy reveals that the planning profession can support struggling Americans by focusing on transportation and the land use patterns that enable mass transit.

On the Ballot in Alameda: The End of Single-Family Zoning
Voters in Alameda, a city of nearly 80,000 people on an island in the East San Francisco Bay Area, will vote to end a prohibition on multi-family housing that has been in place since 1973.

The Social Dynamics of Houston's Urban Expansion
A new study published in the Land Use Policy journal explains how Houston's rapid expansion occurred, and why it matters.

Strange Days: Outrage Absent as Businesses Reclaim Parking Spots
It took a pandemic, but the worldwide effort to move restaurant and retail businesses outside, at the expense of parking, is proving far less controversial than it would have before the coronavirus swept the globe.

A Pro-Development Approach to Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
Decades of building housing on the fringes of metropolitan areas have mired the United States in a housing affordability crisis defined by a widening gap between the haves and the have nots.

Can L.A. Accomplish Affordability with 'Housing Plus, Plus, Plus'?
Alfred Fraijo Jr., partner at Sheppard Mullin, shares frustration with what he sees as a state inaction on housing and L.A.'s legacy of piecemeal planning and outdated zoning.
Pagination
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
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)