Urban Development

More Fallout From Downsizing California High-Speed Rail
A San Francisco Chronicle editorial warns that San Francisco must find funds, intended to come from the state's ambitious rail project, to extend the Caltrain commuter rail line to the SalesForce Transit Center.

New Report on San Francisco Transportation Trends: Driving on the Rise
The city is seeing more transit use and biking, but driving and congestion are also on the rise.

Plans for an 'Urban Town' in the Silicon Valley
The Nuevo development will bring close to 900 homes and apartments along with commercial and outdoor space to a location near a Caltrain station.

Post-Recession Migration Patterns of Younger and Older Americans
New census data shows that millennials and seniors are migrating less, a result of the Great Recession and its economic impacts. For those who are moving, cities in the Sun Belt have been primary destinations.

Allowing, and Permitting, Rooming Houses Could Solve Multiple Problems at Once
Abuses by landlords and poor living conditions are common in illegal rooming houses around Toronto. Activists want to make them easier to build, and regulate, to add affordable housing options for low-income residents.

Vancouver's Ride-Hail-Free Mobility Landscape
While ride-hailing is on the horizon for the Canadian city, the experience so far without the mode provides useful insight into its effects on regional mobility.

Pilot Program Will Legalize Basement Apartments in East New York
One approach to easing New York City's housing crisis: legalize and incentivize the construction of basement apartments.

Amazon Calls the Whole New York Thing Off
The AmazonHQ2 circus is packing up and moving to another city.

Local Governments Weigh-in on Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Proposal
Local planners and elected officials are expressing their opinions about Oregon's House Bill 2001, which would allow fourplexes on single-family residential units around the state.

Citywide Housing Strategy Launched in Cincinnati
Stakeholders in Cincinnati have begun the process of drafting a citywide blueprint to tackle its shortage of affordable housing. The process is just getting started, but the need is already immense.

Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Proposed in Oak Park, Illinois
The suburb made famous by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway is considering an inclusionary zoning ordinance in the hopes of enabling more affordable housing development.

Cheaper, Easier Affordable Housing Development Proposed in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is proposing major reforms of the permitting process for affordable housing and accessory dwelling unit projects in the city. The idea is that cheaper projects are much easier to build.

Warming to Transit Oriented Development in San Francisco
A new survey finds growing support for transit oriented development among San Francisco residents.

Property Tax Relief for Longtime, Low-Income Residents of Gentrifying Neighborhoods
The city of New Orleans is pushing the state to allow property tax relief in neighborhoods where housing values are soaring—the proposal is designed to stabilize neighborhoods undergoing rapid investment and transformation.

Legislation Would Require Bird-Safe Designs for New Buildings
Chicago is the home of a political movement to protect birds from the hazards presented by glass-sheathed modern buildings.

Miami’s Underline and the Threat of Gentrification
The new linear park will use land under the city’s elevated rail tracks. Worries, however, are emerging about the effects the project will have on surrounding communities, particularly related to affordable housing.

A Case for Giving Midsized Metro Areas More Attention
As major cities draw in wealth and population, midsized metros may be getting less attention than they deserve. After all, many of their economic, demographic, and political challenges resemble those of the nation as a whole.

Report: Amazon Thinking Twice About Second Headquarters in New York
The opposition to the idea of Amazon locating one of its second headquarters locations in New York City has given the company pause, according to a recent scoop.

Needed: Better Data on Local Zoning Regulations
It's hard to connect zoning to planning and development outcomes at a national level because very little data exists at that scale.

Updated: What the Green New Deal Means for Planning
The Green New Deal is far from the law of the land, but if this nation were to adopt the legislative agenda proposed by congressional Democrats, it would (and should) have major implications for planning practice.
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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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
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)