Urban Development

Akon City

Akon's City Dream Takes a Tentative First Step

Akoin, the cryptocurrency backbone of a new master planned smart city in Senegal, is available for purchase. Akon City could be the next dream to become a reality.

November 13, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Housing protest

Lessons From Rent Control's Latest Election Rejection

California voters, with a reputation for liberal politics, have repeatedly refused to approve statewide rent control laws at the ballot box.

November 12, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Florida

From Vacant to Catalytic: Tampa to Upgrade City-Owned Property

West Tampa, among the Hillsborough River, is already gaining development momentum, and new plans to develop a city-owned property on the river could add fuel to the fire.

November 12, 2020 - Tampa Bay Times

Glenwood Green Acres, Philadelphia

One Key, Underappreciated Affordable Housing Strategy: Repairing Existing Homes

The city of Philadelphia offers a case study for the challenges and potential benefits of home repair programs.

November 12, 2020 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

New Bus Station

Roanoke Finds a Planning Work Around to Approve New Transit Station

With Planning Commission approval in hand, the Roanoke City Council will soon consider a controversial proposal for a new transit station in the city's downtown.

November 11, 2020 - The Roanoke Times

New York City Open Streets

New Car Owners, Fewer Parking Spaces—Chickens Come to Roost in New York City

Many cities like New York have reallocated space formerly reserved for moving and storing cars to help restaurants and stores weather the pandemic, but as more residents rely on cars for the same reason, the dynamic threatens to boil over.

November 11, 2020 - New York Post

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Why Have ADUs Proliferated in Portland, Lagged in D.C.?

A new report by the Urban Institute examines the consequences of small differences in land use regulations.

November 11, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Gila National Forest

A New Tool for More Flexible and Resilient Water Policies

A new book created by the Sonoran Institute explains how exploratory scenario planning can be useful to prepare for the uncertainty of water in the near- and long-term future.

November 10, 2020 - Sonoran Institute

Seattle, Washington

How Seattle Plans to Leverage Public Resources to Protect Arts and Culture

The Cultural Space Agency, proposed in Seattle, would be a new type of public development authority, a city agency with a mission to preserve and create arts and culture in the face of gentrification.

November 10, 2020 - Crosscut

Al Fresco Streets

Parametric Modeling for Planning in Uncertain Times

A new technology- and data-drive approach to planning could provide direction as society faces challenges of unprecedented scale.

November 10, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Election 2020

What Biden's Win Could Mean for Land Use, Transportation, and Climate

Campaign in poetry and govern in prose, the saying goes. Now that the reality of a Biden presidency is settling in, what does it mean for how the United States plans its future?

November 10, 2020 - James Brasuell

Freeway Construction

Cities Have Doubled in Size Globally in the Last 20 Years, Study Says

New research from China finds an incredible rate of urban expansion in North America and China.

November 9, 2020 - South China Morning Post

Winter Markets

Winter Is Coming—Capitalize on It

Outdoor dining programs have provided relief for local restaurants and retailers, while offering an oasis of social life for residents. The winter months will challenge that momentum, but creative, flexible approaches can save the day again.

November 9, 2020 - Andrew M. Manshel

CTA

New Approach to Capital Investment Expected in Chicago

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is readying a new capital investment plan that will spur the local economy and change the way the city apportions its infrastructure funding.

November 8, 2020 - Chicago Sun-Times

Outdoor Dining

Imagining the Curb Zones of the Not So Distant Future

Five panelists discussed the future of curbside parking and agree that there are technological and financial incentives to change priorities for these spaces.

November 6, 2020 - StreetsBlog NYC

Stars and Stripes

2020 Election Results for Transportation and Land Use

Thinking beyond the presidency: Here's an Election Day 2020 roundup of election issues related to planning, urban design, and the built and natural environments.

November 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

Resilient Home

New Collaborations for Land Banks and Community Land Trusts

Land banks and community land trusts are finding new ways to work together in light of the ongoing housing affordability crisis and the new economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 4, 2020 - Land Lines

Montgomery County Public Transit

Big Tax Cut for Transit Oriented Housing Clears Executive Veto in Maryland

The Montgomery County Council wants a tax break for transit oriented development whether County Executive Marc Elrich likes it or not.

November 4, 2020 - Source of the Spring

Mega-Developments

Status Check: U.S. Mega Projects

Despite the economic uncertainty and reports of a massive upheaval in patterns of living and working in the United States, developers are continuing to spend billions of dollars on massive development projects all over the country.

November 3, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Lafayette Square

Two Presidential Candidates, Two Approaches to Housing Policy

The Biden and Trump campaigns are from different worlds on housing policy, according to this analysis.

November 3, 2020 - CityLimits

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.