Urban Development

High-Speed Rail

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.

February 16, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Golden Gate Bridge Traffic

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.

February 15, 2019 - Curbed San Francisco

Nuevo Development Santa Clara

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.

February 15, 2019 - The Mercury News

Seattle Downtown

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.

February 15, 2019 - Brookings

Ontario, Canada

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.

February 15, 2019 - The Star

Vancouver Street

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.

February 14, 2019 - Slate

New York Basement Apartment

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.

February 14, 2019 - Curbed New York

Amazon HQ2

Amazon Calls the Whole New York Thing Off

The AmazonHQ2 circus is packing up and moving to another city.

February 14, 2019 - The New York Times

Astoria Oregon

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.

February 14, 2019 - The Oregonian

Ohio River

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.

February 14, 2019 - WCPO

Illinois

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.

February 14, 2019 - Oak Leaves (Chicago Tribune)

California

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.

February 12, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco STreetcar

Warming to Transit Oriented Development in San Francisco

A new survey finds growing support for transit oriented development among San Francisco residents.

February 12, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

New Orleans

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.

February 12, 2019 - The New Orleans Advocate

Chicago Lakefront Trail

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.

February 12, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

The Underline Miami

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.

February 11, 2019 - Next City

Des Moines, Iowa

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.

February 11, 2019 - Brookings

Queens, New York City

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.

February 11, 2019 - The Washington Post

New York Development

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.

February 11, 2019 - Urban Institute

Lincoln Heights Los Angeles

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.

February 11, 2019 - Slate

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.

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.