Urban Development

Farmers' Market

Your County May Not be Very Good at Accessing Community Development Funding

New research shows that some U.S. communities are much better than others at attracting grants and financing for community development—even after adjusting for relative need. The numbers are clear, but the reasons for the disparity may not be.

September 15, 2019 - Shelterforce

Ontario

Toronto's New Affordable Housing Program Yields 651 New Units

The first round of projects to move forward under Toronto's Open Door affordable housing program will deliver 651 units spread across eight developments.

September 14, 2019 - Toronto Star

Air Conditioner

The High Cost of Cool Air

Air conditioning has drastically changed modern life and the ways cities have developed. But, the environmental consequences are immense, and it’s time to cut back.

September 14, 2019 - The Guardian

Mississippi River

All New Commercial Developments Require Porous Pavement in New Orleans

After the challenges of a rainy season with persistent flooding last year, New Orleans is ensuring that the future of its development is more stormwater friendly than its past.

September 13, 2019 - NOLA.com

Accesible Mobility

An App to Map the City's Most Accessible Routes

Google Maps is built for able-bodied people, but the AccessMap Seattle app is for everyone.

September 12, 2019 - Yes!

Galveston, Texas

Improving Beach Access and Environmental Protection in Galveston

The city of Galveston has more to do to live up to its own standards in accessing and protecting the gulf coast.

September 12, 2019 - Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Life and Death of Neighborhood Rebrandings

Surveying the history of neighborhood rebranding in Minneapolis is like taking a tour of post-recession redevelopment.

September 12, 2019 - MinnPost

New Jersey Meadowlands

Concerns Expressed About the Draft Master Plan for the New Jersey Meadowlands

As the state authority responsible for the regional planning and zoning of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority recently proposed the "Draft Hackensack Meadowlands District Master Plan Update 2020."

September 12, 2019 - Jersey Journal

Oakland California Road

California Cities That Plan Housing Might Now Have to Build it

If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 as expected, downzonings, density reductions, housing construction moratoriums, and housing caps will become illegal.

September 11, 2019 - The Orange County Register

Helmick Family Farm, LLC v. Commissioner of Highways

Court Ruling: Eminent Domain Valuation Must Consider Potential Rezoning

Details provided regarding the Virginia Supreme Court ruling in Helmick Family Farm, LLC v. Commissioner of Highways.

September 11, 2019 - Inversecondemnation.com

Google Transit Village

Google's San Jose Transit Village Plans Revealed

Google's plans for the Diridon Transit Village are much more clear.

September 11, 2019 - The Architect's Newspaper

Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles Could Broaden Homeless Sleeping Prohibition to a Quarter of the City

There won't be many places left to sleep for the massive population of homeless living in the city of Los Angeles.

September 11, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

The Uplands

150 Acres of Undeveloped Land to Become 2,350 Homes Outside Denver

The church that owns a unique parcel of agricultural land in the middle of the Denver metropolitan area is prepared to sell to a developer that plans to build a mixed-use, master planned community.

September 11, 2019 - The Denver Post

Three Parcels Donated for Affordable Housing Development by the City of Seattle

The city of Seattle took advantage of a new state law to donate three underused parcels to affordable housing developers.

September 10, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Northeast Minneapolis

Planning New 'Cultural Districts' in Minneapolis

Planners are giving shape to one of the potentially controversial aspects of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

September 10, 2019 - MinnPost

Jersey City

Jersey City Building More Apartment Than Manhattan

And other perhaps surprising data from the multi-family housing development industry.

September 10, 2019 - Jersey Digs

Eastside Gold Line and Los Angeles skyline

Anti-Development Forces Strike at L.A.'s Transit Oriented Communities Program

There's a new front in the city of L.A.'s ongoing conflict between anti-development forces and efforts to add density at and around transit.

September 10, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

St. Louis, Missouri

University Redevelopment Plan Includes For-Sale Housing

St. Louis University is helping stabilize the neighborhood located near its medical campus—instead of expanding the campus into property it owns around the campus, it is building houses to sell.

September 9, 2019 - St. Louis Public Radio

Washington D.C. Sports

D.C. Will Say Goodbye to RFK Stadium

It's last sporting tenant departed in 2017, and the District has large redevelopment plans for the site, but the decision to finally raze RFK Stadium has only recently been made official.

September 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

BART Station

Research: Distance Matters More Than Multi-Modal Trips for Reducing Carbon Emissions

European researchers have published a new study in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment that might be a hard pill to swallow for some transit advocates.

September 9, 2019 - Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

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.