Urban Development

4 abandoned homes in St. Louis's Greater Ville neighborhood

The Dark Side of the Rust Belt Revival

Cities in flyover country are facing new redevelopment challenges as companies relocate from costly coastal cities. In St. Louis, downtown revitalization has also brought plans to tackle blight, and the consequences for residents could be immense.

August 21, 2019 - CityLab

Lakeland, Florida

Co-Working Spaces Fill Opportunity Zone Developments

Developers are working to attract tenants to co-working spaces, in a relationship that they say benefits companies as well as surrounding communities.

August 21, 2019 - The New York Times

Dallas, Texas

Uber Facility for 3,000 Employees Headed to Dallas

The new Uber office in Dallas will be the company's largest employment hub outside of its San Francisco headquarters.

August 21, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

Massachusetts Thoroughbred Racing

Casino, Racetrack Development Proposed for Southeastern Massachusetts

A casino or a racetrack would be notable in this part of Massachusetts, but this development is proposing both.

August 21, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Pedestrian Bridge—Not a Good Example of Public Dollars Well Spent

The bridge was touted as a connection between downtown and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but it is more a reflection of the city’s misplaced fiscal and planning priorities.

August 21, 2019 - Curbed Atlanta

Oakland California

As Housing Units Multiply, Local Businesses Struggle to Hang On in Downtown Oakland

The city of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, is the rare California city quickly adding housing units to the urban core. Local businesses are struggling to hang on as construction changes the fabric of the neighborhood.

August 20, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

New York Development

New Paper: Exclusionary Zoning Is a National Problem in Need of Federal Action

A new paper published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University raises the stakes of the discussion about exclusionary zoning and its role in the ongoing housing affordability crisis in the United States.

August 20, 2019 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Parking Garage

Editorial: Pittsburgh Fails to Provide Adequate Parking Around Downtown

New development coming to Downtown Pittsburgh lacks sufficient parking, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

August 19, 2019 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Dallas, Texas

School Playgrounds to Parks

More than 40 percent of Dallas residents live within a half-mile of a park, but the school district and the city are working together with nonprofits to improve that figure.

August 19, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

New Space for Multi-Generational Living in High-Rises

Some of the buildings in a new condo building in Toronto will have two master bedrooms.

August 19, 2019 - Toronto Star

Green

As Cities Densify, New Building Design Strategies Keep Them Livable

Cities need to increase density, but the design of buildings can drastically affect people’s quality of life. Architects are using new tactics and tools to create innovative structures where light, air, and space are not compromised.

August 19, 2019 - Fast Company

Casino

Large Doses of Skepticism for Chicago Casinos

The idea of a casino in Chicago didn't sound like a good idea to a state-hire consultant, nor does it seem like the city's Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic likes the idea either.

August 18, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Queens, New York City

Rezoning for Larger Homes in a New York City Single-Family Neighborhood

A rezoning process for a neighborhood in Queens will allow homes to be built wider and deeper. Supporters say the space is needed for large families.

August 18, 2019 - The City

Urban Living

New D.C. Development Guidelines Require More Consideration of Walkability

Washington, D.C. recently released its first new guidelines for transportation review of new developments since 2012.

August 17, 2019 - D.C. Policy Center

Immigrant Shelter

Shelter for Detained Immigrant Children Proposed for D.C. Neighborhood

The approval of a 200-bed shelter for detained immigrant shelter will require zoning approvals from the D.C. Board of Zoning Appeals.

August 17, 2019 - WAMU

New High-Rises in Boston Pick Up Where Development Left Off 40 Years Ago

A new development promises to transform a gritty part of the Back Bay, according to this article from the Boston Globe.

August 17, 2019 - The Boston Globe

American Planning Association 2015

A Retiring Dean Considers the Changing Responsibilities of Planners

Former L.A. City Councilmember and retiring Cal Poly College of Environmental Design Dean Michael Woo reminds readers of the visionary responsibilities of elected officials to ensure the plans of today indeed consider the needs of tomorrow.

August 16, 2019 - The Planning Report

Syracuse, New York

Number of Vacant Properties Declining in Syracuse

Like many cities around the country, the city of Syracuse struggles with vacant and blighted residential properties. Lately, Syracuse can report positive progress on the challenge.

August 16, 2019 - Channel 9 News

Uber Jump bike

Shared Mobility Subsidies Dry Up, Revealing the Industry’s Economic Realities

Companies are looking to generate profits, but customers have come to expect low-cost, subsidized travel and raising prices will prove challenging.

August 16, 2019 - Time

New York Vacant Storefront

Planning Department Study Documents Storefront Vacancy in NYC Neighborhoods

A new report from the New York Department of City Planning has found that storefront vacancy may not be a one-answer citywide problem. Vacancies were found to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods, and the reasons appear to be varied.

August 15, 2019 - 6sqft

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.