Urban Development
Modest Densification, a Strategy to Alleviate the Housing Crisis?
Incremental changes to density on single-family parcels could boost the nation’s housing stock without dramatic impacts at the neighborhood level.
Smart Phones and Urban Change in the 2010s
According to the architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, smart phone technology enabled the most profound changes in Philadelphia during the 2010s.
Satellite Imagery of a Decade's Transformation
Trends in land use and development are made obvious with satellite imagery tracking changes during the 2010s.
Watch: Urban Planning in the 2010s
A first draft of the urban planning history of the 2010s.
Mapping Housing Discrimination in Charlottesville
Like many American cities, the site of white supremacist unrest in 2017 has a long history of residential discrimination by race. This mapping project seeks to uncover the roots of today's disparities.
The Urban Landscape New York City Lost in the 2010s
Over the last decade, many historic buildings and cultural institutions throughout New York City have disappeared. The result has been the transformation of neighborhoods and the city’s character.
Phoenix, No Longer an Affordable Housing Haven
Fast-rising rents in Phoenix mean housing costs are out of reach for more residents, and the city is no longer considered a place where affordable housing is easy to find.
Chicago Planning Commissioner Focuses on Disinvested Neighborhoods
A new initiative seeks to bring investment dollars to Chicago communities that for decades have suffered from the loss of wealth and population.
The Ongoing Debate Over California's Eucalyptus Trees
The eucalyptus is an exotic species in California, and studies suggest it has contributed to an increase in wildfire hazards. But defenders of the trees say the eucalyptus is just an ecological scapegoat.
'Extremely Blighted' Designation Spurs Investment in Nebraska Cities
Neighborhoods in Nebraska, located in areas already deemed blighted, will receive priority funding and homebuyer tax credits from the state.
San Diego Smart City Sensors Causing Controversy
Thousands of streetlight sensors are collecting a trove of data—from traffic counts to humidity levels—and advocacy groups say the city needs to be more transparent about how the data is being used and who has access to it.
Cost to Repair Philadelphia Homes Is $2.7 Billion, Study Finds
Many homes in Philadelphia are in need of repairs, and low-income renters are most affected by substandard housing.
The Most Popular Urban Planning Articles of 2019
The most-read news, features, and blogs on Planetizen in 2019.
Amid Opposition, S.F. Homeless Navigation Center Completed
A new facility providing shelter and services to San Francisco’s homeless will open this month, even after a year of community pushback.
The End of the Mall? Navigating the Shifting Retail Landscape
More online shopping means fewer consumers are spending money at brick-and-mortar stores, with suburban malls hit especially hard. But municipalities are looking for creative strategies to navigate a post-mall world.
The Atlanta Beltline—20 Years Later
The scope of the Atlanta Beltline's effect on the city has astounded most observers, including the person who came up with the idea first.
Leadership Change Could Lead to Changes in Suburban Oakland County, Michigan
The suburban status quo is due for an update in Michigan's wealthiest county, and a new county executive is ready to lead the county in a new direction.
On Progressive Impotence and an Obsolete Penn Station
In a deep dive into the sad state of the nation's busiest transit hub, Marc J. Dunkelman raises a dispiriting question. In their zeal to ward off future Robert Moseses, have progressives crippled government's power to carry out its job?
Judge Tosses Manhattan Rezoning; Developer Tosses Affordable Housing Project
A court decision to toss a signature rezoning plan of the de Blasio administration in New York City had immediate repercussions for a development proposal that would have added hundreds of new affordable housing units.
A Transit and Land Use Planning Shift in Federal Way, Washington
Federal funding for Sound Transit's Federal Way Link extension and a new transit-oriented land use plan are changing the future of Federal Way.
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
