Urban Development

Aerial Cable Cars as Urban Transport
While often thought of as only for tourists in mountain areas, aerial cable cars have proven to be effective in providing transportation in urban areas, such as across rivers in New York City and freeways in Portland.

California Cities Cite Historic Preservation to Block Development
Are some cities using historic designations disingenuously?

The Disparate Impacts of Urban Noise
Research shows higher levels of noise in formerly redlined neighborhoods, disrupting the health of both human and animal residents.

Healing Neighborhoods Through Park Equity
Learn more about ways to improve park equity with Norma García-González, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and Catherine Nagel, the executive director of the City Parks Alliance.

Masking Traffic With White Noise
A Belgian city is designing public fountains and other design elements to reduce noise pollution in a local park.

How Design Can Help Mitigate Extreme Heat
To prepare for hotter summers, designers and architects can build resilience into the urban environment.

Green Spaces Benefit Neighborhoods—When Residents can Reach Them
A study comparing green space and walkability scores found that, without effective access to local parks, residents of greener neighborhoods don’t reap the health benefits.

Alexandria Passes Zoning Reform
The city is one of a growing list to eliminate single-family zoning.

How Cities Can Avoid Perpetuating Segregation
Residents of big cities, known as the ‘melting pots’ of America, have fewer interactions with people outside their socioeconomic group than those in smaller communities, according to new research.

US Building Emissions are Growing
Green building standards and efficiency retrofits are not keeping up with energy demand, resulting in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

Op-Ed: Why NYC Needs a Comprehensive Plan
The city’s congestion pricing program could change transportation and land use in radical ways. A comprehensive plan would make the most of those changes.

Magical Thinking and NIMBYism
Comparing different types of NIMBYism and where they go wrong.

West Texas Growth Prompts Water Supply Concerns
Small desert communities are looking for ways to conserve water as their tourist and resident populations grow.

Newark Announces Supplemental Zoning Board
The temporary board will help speed up the application review process during a development boom.

New TOD Breaks Ground in Atlanta Area
The project will include over 500 housing units, commercial and retail space, and park spaces.

Durham Eliminates Parking Requirements
Another domino has fallen in the parking reform movement.

Commentary: Avoiding Ableism in 15-Minute Cities
One author calls on planners to challenge assumptions that exclude people with mobility challenges and other disabilities.

El Paso Zoning Changes Could Bring Opportunity—or Displacement
Some residents feared proposed zoning reforms aimed at redressing historic injustices could harm residents in the short term.

More Affordable Housing for People, Less for Cars
Most jurisdictions have off-street parking requirements that increase motorists’ convenience but reduce housing affordability. It’s time to reform these policies for the sake of efficiency and fairness.

Designing Safer Cities
For women and other vulnerable groups, navigating the urban space can be fraught with real and perceived dangers.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada