Urban Development

Manhattan

Designs Revealed for Manhattan's First Public Beach

A designer was chosen in January, and conceptual rendering were released in July. Project boosters are also pushing an ambitious timeline that would start construction in late 2020.

July 30, 2019 - Curbed New York

Sound Transit Light Rail Extension

Light Rail Coming to Everett in 2036—Grassroots Planning Already Underway

A new light rail station scheduled for 2036 has one group in Everett, Washington thinking big.

July 29, 2019 - HeraldNet

WeGo Public Transit

A New Transit Hub Pitched in Nashville

The city of Nashville is trying to get back on track with some of the projects proposed in the 2016 nMotion plan—even without the massive pot of transit tax money it could have won at the ballot box.

July 28, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Congresswoman

How the Green New Deal Could Transform the Built Environment

If it emulated and adapted the scope of its predecessor, the Green New Deal could transform the country in fundamental ways, with builders, planners, and architects playing central roles.

July 27, 2019 - Fast Company

Texas Capitol Building

Housing Policy Preemption for Red States

While statewide efforts to loosen zoning restrictions have made news in (mostly) blue states like California and Oregon, (mostly) red states like Florida have been preventing local governments from passing their own housing policies.

July 26, 2019 - Pacific Standard

Another 'Poor Door' in San Diego

The developers of a large residential development in the Seat Village neighborhood of San Diego is including a large number of apartments affordable to low-income residents, but in a separate building.

July 26, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Scooter Share

Scooter Companies Convene Advisory Groups to Promote Safety

Both Bird and Lime have organized boards of experts to conduct research and advise the companies as their micromobility ventures grow.

July 25, 2019 - CityLab

Downtown Los Angeles

L.A. Program Brings Earthquake Preparedness to Neighborhoods

A new Los Angeles initiative looks to neighborhood councils to lead disaster planning efforts that involve more residents.

July 25, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Smart Infrastructure

U.S. Falling Behind in Smart City Deployments and Key 21st Century Infrastructure

Recent reporting shows the U.S. falling behind its neighbors in both smart city deployments and 5G network rollouts—the latter of which is slated to be the connective tissue of these future cities. The news has some experts on edge.

July 24, 2019 - Robert Fischer

Ottawa Missing Middle Video

Zoning for the Missing Middle in Cartoon Form, With Wizards

The city of Ottawa, Canada has produced another goofy animated video. This one explains its efforts to encourage more Missing Middle multi-unit urban housing.

July 24, 2019 - City of Ottawa via Youtube

Willamette River

Oregon Residents Wondering What Will Come as Statewide Zoning Reform Takes Effect

House Bill 2001 didn't ban single-family houses altogether, just single-family zoning, so change will take time, and money. There are a lot of unknowns for residents to grapple with when it comes to statewide upzoning.

July 24, 2019 - The Oregonian

Supertall Residential Towers

New Chicago Residential Tower Sets a New Standard in a City Famous for Height

The newly opened Nema Chicago tower, at 76 stories, is the city of Chicago's tallest residential building.

July 24, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Mumbai Graffiti

The Urban Life of Spider-Man

Peter Parker used to struggle to pay the rent, and many people can relate to the superhero's precarious housing situation over the years.

July 24, 2019 - Market Urbanism

Montgomery County

Controversial ADU Allowances Approved in Maryland

Spirited protests weren't enough to stop the Montgomery County Council from allowing accessory dwelling units (ADU) in parts of the county.

July 23, 2019 - Bethesda Magazine

Los Gatos, California

Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet

Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.

July 23, 2019 - The Mercury News

Portland Statue

Et Tu, Portland?

Opinion: The Rose City joins the nationwide attack on neighborhood-scale public involvement—and throws its pioneering model of grassroots democracy under the bus.

July 23, 2019 - Michael Mehaffy

East Bay Area

Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings

On Tuesday night, the City Council of Berkeley, Calif., unanimously voted to ban natural gas infrastructure from new buildings starting next year, the first city in the U.S. to pass such an ordinance. Fifty cities in the state could be next.

July 22, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

City of South Gate Urban Orchard Demonstration Project

An 'Urban Orchard' Next to the Los Angeles River

The city of South Gate, located on the southern stretch of the Los Angeles River, downriver of Downtown Los Angeles, recently published an initial study of the "Urban Orchard Project."

July 22, 2019 - Urbanize LA

Tennessee

As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows

Some cities, like Nashville, have been keeping pace with the economic growth of more internationally renowned cities like San Francisco and Seattle.

July 22, 2019 - Reuters

Public Transit Ridership

Transit Oriented Development Shifts Into High Gear Near BART Stations in the Bay Area

Transportation and land use are being considered together at a new scale in the Bay Area, as transit oriented development pops up next to BART stations all over the region.

July 21, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.