Urban Development

New Growth Plan Could End Development Moratorium in Montgomery County
A planning change would make it easier to develop housing near transit in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2018, the county adopted a development moratorium intended to prevent overcrowding in schools.

Cities: Skylines as an Urban Planning Tool
Computer simulations continue to play a novel and important role in urban planning, especially in finding new ways to engage the public and add some fun to the process of planning for the future of cities.

Connecting Sprawl to Inequality and Climate Change
The consequences of more than a century of planning and zoning are gaining more attention in the media as the country struggles through a pandemic. Will these lessons win new political support for more density in residential neighborhoods?

Transitioning from Climate Justice Planning to Climate Justice Action
The Providence Climate Justice Plan offers an exemplary approach to prioritizing the communities and neighborhoods most impacted by the environmental effects of development and industrial pollution.

Lincoln Yards, Chicago's Controversial $6 Billion Mega-Project, Set to Break Ground
Groundbreaking for the first component of Chicago's massive Lincoln Yards redevelopment project has been scheduled for early 2021.

Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms
A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.

Seeking '20-Minute Neighborhood' Status in Texas
The neighborhood of Montrose in Houston has undertaken a self-funded study to assess the facts on the ground about walkability in the neighborhood.

A 10-Minute Walk to a Park for Your Health and Well-Being
The “10-Minute Walk Campaign” is a nationwide movement to ensure that everyone has safe access to a quality park or green space within a 10-minute walk. In the midst of a pandemic, it is especially important now to have a park close to home.

Walkability Plan, Including Parking Reform, Adopted in Houston
The city of Houston is embarking on an ambitious plan to reshape how new development in the city prioritizes walkability, and deprioritizes the automobile.

The Policy That Will Replace the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule
The Trump administration didn't just dismantle an Obama-era fair housing rule—it replaced it with a new policy of its own called Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice.

Defunct Hospital to Transform Into a Home for Neighborhood Investment in St. Louis
A truly ambitious, and thoroughly innovative development, project in St. Louis will adapt a former hospital facility to house numerous nonprofit and neighborhood investment organizations.

Neighborhood Group Kills Affordable Housing Proposal on Parking Concerns in Denver
An affordable housing project requested a waiver of parking requirements to build 36 deeply affordable housing units in Denver. A local neighborhood organization's opposition to the waiver won the day.

How the Pandemic Is Reshaping Ideas of the 'Smart City'
Accelerated investment in smart city technologies presents increased opportunity for connection and data-driven decision making, so long as cities can avoid the common pitfalls of implementation.

Legal Challenge Brings Down the Plano Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan
Plano Tomorrow, a comprehensive approved in 2015, has been rescinded and replaced with the city's previous master plan, approved in 1986.

Bus Lanes, Desired by Advocates for Chicago's Lake Shore Drive Project, Back on the Table
After releasing a list of project alternatives that didn't include new bus lanes in the existing roadway, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has changed its mind.

Affordable Housing Production Grinds to a Halt During Pandemic
Just when the nation needs a functional market for affordable housing, the industry that builds affordable housing supply has stopped functioning, like to many other parts of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staying Healthy During the Pandemic
Local parks and green spaces that enable safe social distancing have never been more important to people living in cities. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report showing their importance and the challenges they are facing.

Property Tax Could Fund $7 Billion Transit Plan in Austin, Displacement Mitigation Included
A $7 billion transit investment plan for Austin would include $300 million toward preventing displacement of communities in neighborhoods located near planned transit investments.

Questioning the Fairness of Rezoning During a Pandemic
Virtual reality meetings are a poor substitute for the normal public engagement process included in the city of New York's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, according ton opinion piece recently published by City Limits.

Detroit Highways: Tear Them Down
Urban planning decisions about highway placement in Detroit damaged Black communities. Nithin Vejendla shares an opinion about how to address this legacy and move toward justice.
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)