Urban Development

Center City Construction

Forget Parking: Billions in Development Investments for Philly's Central City

Billions of development dollars have found their way to Philadelphia's Center City since the beginning of 2018, but parking is no longer a profitable proposition.

September 26, 2019 - WHYY

Homelessness

Homeless Shelters and Property Values

In Manhattan, homeless shelters are shown to have a negative effect on property values.

September 26, 2019 - The New York Times

Seattle, Washington

Debating the Future of One of Seattle's Pedestrian-Friendly Gems

The corridor along University Way is currently exempt from the wave of upzoning implemented by the city's Mandatory Housing Affordability program, but that exemption is only temporary.

September 25, 2019 - The Urbanist

Google Mobility

Google's Plan for the Future of its Campus Would Shift the Expectations for Corporate Campuses

Fast Company details the ambitions of a plan that would add thousands of homes, open space, and commercial development to the home of Google in the Silicon Valley.

September 25, 2019 - Fast Company

High Line with Denari

Ten Years of the High Line—Time to Reflect

As the High Line turns ten, a debate about the costs and benefits of urban revitalization continues.

September 25, 2019 - Architect

Back Bay

Study Identifies Inclusionary Zoning's Fatal Flaw

Inclusionary zoning can't work because of the exclusionary zoning policies that the system relies on, according to new research.

September 24, 2019 - Mercatus Center

Exurban Development

Exurban Sprawl Picking Up Where the Great Recession Left Off

Despite the environmental effects of exurban sprawl, Northern California's housing shortage is being alleviated on the extreme edges of the San Francisco Bay Area.

September 24, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona.

Clean Water Rule's Repeal Could Have Consequences for Sprawling Development in Arizona

A recent decision by the Trump administration regarding the Waters of the United States Rule is changing the legal calculus of a plan to add 28,000 homes in the city of Benson, located southwest of Tucson.

September 24, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Texas

Plano Tomorrow Survives Legal Challenge; Debates About Planning Remain

Planners might have won a battle in city of Plano, but the war isn't over.

September 24, 2019 - Community Impact Newspaper

Hilton Hotel Harbor Island San Diego

'Grand Central Station' and Airport Connector Take First Steps Forward in San Diego

Of the trips to the San Diego International Airport, 99 percent are made by car. That could change if an expensive and ambitious project moves from concept to reality.

September 24, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Post Card Images

The Psychic Forces of NIMBY Rage

With several years of contentious political debates, many surrounding homelessness, ravaging Seattle, a writer attempts to explain how the politics of city building got so heated.

September 23, 2019 - Crosscut

Concord, California

'Heartening Promise' Found in a Massive East Bay Area Redevelopment Project

The city of Concord, home to 130,000 but often neglected in the public consciousness of the San Francisco Bay Area, could set new standards for master planning practices.

September 23, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Car-Free Public Space

New Car-Free Public Space Remains a Challenge to Create

A new study from Drexel University's Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation surveys the obstacles and challenges making it more difficult to build car-free public spaces, like plazas and parklets, in Philadelphia.

September 23, 2019 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Forth Worth, Texas

Budget Worries Threaten Vision for Fort Worth Riverfront District and Flood Control Project

An ambitious stormwater infrastructure project in Fort Worth would also include a mega-project development of a new riverfront district. Funding has become a problem, well into work on the project.

September 23, 2019 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

South Los Angeles Market-Rate Housing Development

'Anti-Displacement Zones' Proposed in L.A. Following Development Controversy

As more development investment focus on historically black neighborhoods in Los Angeles, local politicians are searching for policies that can protect current residents from displacement.

September 23, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Freeway

Infrastructure vs. Housing

Do shortages of infrastructure justify restrictive zoning?

September 22, 2019 - Michael Lewyn

Cincinnati Area

Riverfront Revitalization Takes Shape in Covington

A new private development project will add outdoor space and public programming to a revitalizing riverfront area in Covington, Kentucky, near Cincinnati.

September 22, 2019 - WCPO

NFL Stadiums

Amazon Moving in at Former Pontiac Silverdome Site

Amazon's move to the Detroit area will bring 1,500 jobs to the region at the location of a demolished NFL stadium.

September 21, 2019 - Crain's Detroit Business

Produce Aisle

Food Deserts Need the Right Kinds of Supermarkets

Research indicates that opening a supermarket in an area that needs it is not enough. The ownership model and relationship to the community are essential to long-term success.

September 21, 2019 - The Conversation

Trailer Parks

Fewer Places for Mobile Home Parks to Stay

Mobile home parks in Colorado provide another example of how a soaring real estate market displaces low-income communities.

September 20, 2019 - Associated Press

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.