Urban Development
The Cost of Sea-Level Rise Measured in Tens of Billions in California
A new report summarizes the impact rising sea levels would have on California residents, businesses, and infrastructure. The effects would be catastrophic for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.
The Trouble With Equity
Equity is a fine value—but on contentious land use issues, equity can be used to support either side of the argument.
Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis
Dan Parolek, inventor of the term Missing Middle Housing, has written a new book on the subject, available now from Island Press. The following excerpts offer insight into overcoming planning and regulatory barriers to deliver the desired housing.
The Disconnect Between Virus Prevalence and Local Business Climate
Public health experts assert that to safely reopen the economy, the coronavirus needs to be contained. In Manhattan, where the virus is largely controlled, chain restaurants are closing while their sister stores in Florida are expanding.
Proposed Single-Family Zoning Reform Would Have a Big Footprint in California
SB 1120 is the latest law proposed in the California Legislature to preempt restrictive local zoning.
California Cities Going the Extra Mile to Support ADU Construction
A few jurisdictions have gone beyond conformity with state law to encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units in the state of California, like in San Diego.
The Planning Tools to Overcome Racial Segregation
A new report presents five strategies for overcoming the long-term effects of systemic racism as perpetuated by housing and planning policies of the past and present.
Dormant Michigan State Fairground Site to Make Way for Amazon Distribution Center
Detroit officials have been trying to find a new life for the former site of the Michigan State Fair for a long time. Amazon will fill the void, according to a redevelopment proposal announced last week.
A Development Proposal 34 Years in the Making
Or a historic preservation fight, 34 years in the making, depending on your perspective.
Criticism of San Jose's Plan to Add New Billboards to the City
San Jose banned new billboards in 1985, but a proposal making its way through the planning department would allow for a wave of new billboards in the city. One local columnist isn't buying it.
The Day after Plano Tomorrow
Planners in Plano, Texas are ready to pick up the pieces and move on from the demise of the Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan.
Transitioning from Tourism to Tech: San Diego's Path to Recovery
TPR caught up with San Diego City Councilmember and candidate for mayor Barbara Bry to discuss her Roadmap to Recovery plan, as well as her priorities for housing, density, and economic development post-COVID.
After Decades of Failure, 1,000-Plus Homes Coming to the Balboa Reservoir in San Francisco
Four developers tried, and four developers failed, until the San Francisco Board of Supervisors changed the story in August 2020.
Los Angeles City Planning Hires First Chief Equity Officer
Faisal Roble, the newly appointed chief equity officer of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, will be tasked with crafting a Racial Equity Action Plan for the department.
'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts
After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.
The 'Most Pro-Housing Reform in U.S. History' Expected for Approval Today in Portland
The Portland Residential Infill Project is expected for approval by the Portland City Council today, culminating a six year process that became more and more ambitious with every iteration.
Developers Want to Skip Ground-Floor Retail Requirements
Minneapolis developers are agitating against the requirements of mixed-use zoning, saying that it's impossible to find a good tenant for ground floor retail these days.
Developers Rush to Build in Final Days of Philly's Tax Abatement
Neighborhoods that have been stubbornly resistant to investment for decades are suddenly the scene of waves of permitting activity as the city of Philadelphia prepares to tighten its tax abatement program.
Not Just New York: Reports of an Urban Exodus From Houston
A recent article about Houston residents fleeing the city for College Station reads a lot like articles about New Yorkers decamping for less urban climes.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
