Urban Development

This Part of Spain Won Rent Regulations US Tenant Activists Can Only Dream of
In Spain, a new law makes rent control possible — and one region has implemented it. In Catalunya, a rent freeze and rental price index promise to help struggling tenants.

Chicago: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City
Famous for its skyscrapers, city parks, and influential planners like Daniel Burnham, the Windy City has a long urban planning legacy. But it’s got plenty of modern-day planning wins and challenges too.

Vancouver City Council Eliminates Parking Mandates, Supports TOD
In a significant step for more diverse housing and transit-friendly development, the Vancouver City Council eliminated parking minimums and adopted a Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA) policy.

Repurposing Oil Fields Into Parks: Advancing Just Transition and Community Well-being
The concept of a "just transition" extends beyond workers to encompass broader social and environmental dimensions, including the restoration and regeneration of land and communities affected by oil extraction activities.

‘Grand Boulevards’ Could Ease Housing Crisis
A prominent urbanist argues that redeveloping commercial corridors with denser housing could bridge the gap between the housing supply and demand.

Reining in Rising Property Insurance Rates
There are many proposed ways to mitigate the property insurance cost crisis. They all require action from federal or state governments.

Managing Unsheltered Homelessness in San Jose
As California and other Western states await a SCOTUS ruling that will greatly affect how cities deal with tent encampments, a new stakeholder is causing big changes in how Northern California's largest city deals with its unsheltered population.

Preserving Fort Worth’s Historic Black Settlements
Communities dating back to the 1830s are under threat from development, pollution, and zoning regulations.

‘Emergent City’ Documentary Highlights Rare Anti-Gentrification Victory
The film charts the saga of a Brooklyn site called Industry City.

The Permanent Affordability That Wasn't: Lessons from the Pythian Building
A high-stakes, high-profile community land trust project once hailed as a triumph in New Orleans ended in disaster for its residents, but it’s important to draw the right lessons about why.

California Bill Would Make Wildlife Connectivity Part of General Plans
The ‘Room to Roam Act’ would require cities and counties to consider local habitats and the impact of development on wildlife corridors and connectivity.

Top 5 US Cities for Office-to-Residential Conversions
As more and more cities look to adapt vacant office buildings into homes, a new analysis from Urban Institute says some cities will benefit more than others.

Tallest Building in US Proposed for OKC
The building would stand 1,907 feet high, twice as tall as any other building in the Oklahoma City skyline.

Plans for Nashville’s First Chinatown Underway
Developers are working on a new cultural commercial development that will offer unique Asian architecture, culture, shopping, restaurant, and retail services to Nashvillians and visitors from surrounding cities and states.

Analyzing Accessibility Disparities
With better planning we can reduce disparities between drivers and non-drivers in their ability to access services and jobs, improving fairness and economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups.

LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”
Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.

Minneapolis 2040 Plan Could Proceed Under New Law
A state law awaiting the governor’s signature could exempt comprehensive plans from environmental review, freeing the plan from recent lawsuits.

Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks
Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

Is 'Hacking' a Planning Commission a Good Idea?
Does giving short shrift to grassroots tradition cut against the dynamics of community-based decision-making?

Two and a Half Cheers for the Tech Billionaires
For all of California Forever's flaws, it is a litmus test: are California’s public officials and housing advocates really serious about trying to meet the Bay Area’s housing needs, or is housing for them just another series of performative gestures?
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada