Urban Development

Ohio

More City Councilmembers Arrested on Corruption Charges—This Time in Toledo

Four members of the Toledo City Council were arrested this week, accused of accepting bribes and extortion. The arrests follow similar events in Los Angeles earlier this month.

July 1, 2020 - The Blade

Volunteers

Advocates: Equity Lacking in the New Houston Climate Action Plan

Advocates and local residents are expressing concern about a lack of direct support in the Houston Climate Action Plan for underserved neighborhoods that have already experienced some of the worst effects of climate change.

July 1, 2020 - One Breath Partnership

Swahili Coast

Anti-Racist Planning: A View from Elsewhere

Developing anti-racist approaches to urban planning requires looking elsewhere—to other geographies and histories—for alternative urban imaginaries and practices.

July 1, 2020 - Dean Saitta

Suburban Alley

How to Define the Suburban: HUD Survey Sheds New Light

A new HUD survey could help change the way the federal government defines the "suburban"—a notoriously tricky proposition.

July 1, 2020 - Office and Policy Development and Research

LaGuardia Airport

Construction Costs Holding Steady During Pandemic

It might have been wishful thinking to assume the pandemic would cause big declines in costs for materials and labor in the construction industry.

June 30, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Downtown San Jose

Proposed High-Rise in San Jose Claims Coronavirus Friendliness

The public relations and marketing messaging of the new normal.

June 30, 2020 - The Mercury News

Accesible Mobility

Gaps Remain as Americans With Disabilities Act Approaches its 30th Anniversary

Public transit agencies around the country have made a lot of progress in providing access for people with disabilities, but there is a lot of work left to ensure to the full freedoms of mobility.

June 30, 2020 - The Washington Post

Chicago Extreme Weather

New Study Reveals Massive, Unaccounted Flood Risk

The Federal Emergency Management Agency undercounts the humber of homes at substantial risk of flooding by some 70 percent, according to a report released this week.

June 30, 2020 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus

Chicago's Planning Director on Leadership During Crises

Maurice Cox, planning commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, is the subject of this in-depth coverage by the Chicago Tribune.

June 29, 2020 - Chicago Tribune

Silicon Valley

From 60 Affordable Senior Apartments to 16 $5 Million Homes

A long development saga has finally concluded in the South Bay Area city of Palo Alto, following a common narrative in the development resistant city.

June 28, 2020 - The Mercury News

Seattle Victorian

Limited Housing Supply Correlated with Higher Rates of Gentrification

For insights into the gentrification of U.S. urban areas, researchers studied high-income buyers of housing in lower-income neighborhoods. To slow gentrification, the housing supply must be boosted, say the researchers.

June 28, 2020 - Urban Institute

Missing Middle Housing

What Is Missing Middle Housing?

One of the newest terms in the world of urban planning, Missing Middle Housing has generated a lot of attention in recent years as cities around the United States look for ways to create more housing options in a vast sea of single-family homes.

June 26, 2020 - James Brasuell

Soviet Planning

Watch: How Soviet Planners Created a Different Kind of City

The latest video from City Beautiful looks at the legacy of planning from the Soviet Union.

June 26, 2020 - City Beautiful

Ça c'est Paris

Who Stands to Benefit from Speed Limit Reductions on the Boulevard Périphérique in Paris?

Proposed plans to reduce the speed limit and narrow the Boulevard Périphérique have sparked debate in Paris. If reelected, Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants to implement these changes in addition to other urban-mobility effective policies.

June 25, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Protesting racism

Anti-Racism at the Neighborhood Level

Communities across the country need to dismantle exclusionary barriers and rebalance spending to invest more equitably across neighborhoods, according to this article by the Urban Institute.

June 24, 2020 - Urban Institute

Density

A Different Kind of Density: Lessons From Asian Megacities

As the pandemic has made clear, a healthy, prosperous future will depend on the development of the kinds of density that encourage strong social infrastructure.

June 24, 2020 - Jordan Sand

Social Justice

Anti-Racist Reforms for the Urban Planning Status Quo

An urban planner in Vancouver defines the roots of racism in city building, and calls on urban planners to be more effective anti-racist allies.

June 24, 2020 - The Tyee

Los Angeles Grand Park

L.A. City Councilmember Arrested, to Face Charges in Development Corruption Scheme

Longtime City Councilmember Jose Huizar was arrested at his home in Boyle Heights this morning, in the latest signal of a culture of corruption at Los Angeles City Hall.

June 23, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Dallas Development Proposal Would Include Tiny Homes, Workforce Training, and More

A case study of Dallas development and planning politics.

June 23, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

New York City

Advocates Push for Gowanus Rezoning, Stuck in COVID-19 Limbo, to Move Forward

According to advocates, the relative affluence of Gowanus is the reason a plan to rezone the neighborhood must move forward.

June 23, 2020 - The Real Deal

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.