Urban Development

New York City

Congestion Pricing to Balance Out Mobility Systems

The goal of transportation networks should be to provide integrated and efficient services, which requires looking beyond particular modes.

April 29, 2019 - Governing

Chicago skyline

Opportunity Zone Investors Look to Fuel Tech in Chicago

One venture plans to fund a 100-acre campus for tech, bioscience, and medical research in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.

April 28, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Housing Development

From McMansion to McMain Street

In attempt to design buildings that convey the complexity and scale of the traditional Main Street, we frequently end up with buildings that are a cartoon version of the real thing. Perhaps we are trying too hard?

April 28, 2019 - CNU Public Square

Chicago Skyline

The New Skyscraper on the Block in Chicago

The Second City has a new third-tallest skyscraper.

April 27, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

San Francisco Bay Bridge

Tech Money Dominates S.F. Housing Market

The tech industry has created massive wealth, and the impacts on the real estate market are most dramatic in San Francisco.

April 27, 2019 - The Atlantic

Suburban Office Building

Watch: What it Takes to Retrofit Suburbia

June Williamson explains the necessary components of the next generation of the suburban retrofitting project, and why these actions are so necessary.

April 27, 2019 - Redesigning Cities via YouTube

Cleveland, Ohio

Idea for Saving an Aging Shopping Center: Remove Cut-Through Car Traffic

Planners like the idea of blocking car traffic on Shaker Boulevard through Shaker Square in Cleveland, The public is less sure.

April 26, 2019 - The Plain Dealer

Marijuana

Denver Won't Ease Restrictions for Social Marijuana Uses

The ongoing evolution of land use regulation related to legal marijuana hit a roadblock in Denver this month, although the city has already allowed nearly unprecedented freedom (in the U.S., at least) to buy, sell, and consume marijuana in the city.

April 26, 2019 - The Denver Post

Vancouver Waterfront

For Vancouver’s Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan, 2030 is the New 2040

Four months after formally recognizing climate change as an emergency, the Vancouver City Council considers six large-scale changes to dramatically reduce city-wide carbon emissions.

April 26, 2019 - Vancouver Sun

Detroit, Michigan

Protecting Detroit's Historic Food District

Detroit's historic food district is under very contemporary development pressure, so the nonprofit tasked with managing the market has decided to define principles that prioritize affordability and inclusivity in the area.

April 25, 2019 - Crain's Detroit Business

San Diego Beach Housing

California Bill Takes Aim at Vacation Rentals

Proposed legislation in California would limit short-term beach rentals in San Diego.

April 25, 2019 - Voice of San Diego

D.C. Metro Bus

An Energy Efficient Makeover for D.C.-Area Public Transit

D.C. Metro has a plan to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption by building to LEED green building standards and buying electric buses.

April 25, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Pittsburgh Public Space EVent

We Need More Words for Play

Could cities harness the power of play to build more healthy, resilient, and equitable communities, if only we had the words for it?

April 25, 2019 - Sarah Siplak

Accessory Dwelling Unit

ADUs Offer Affordable Housing in California, but Challenges Persist

While accessory dwelling units have the potential to ease California’s housing crisis, homeowners still find the construction process difficult to navigate.

April 24, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Salesforce Tower and 181 Fremont

Another Big City Announces Sweeping Energy Plans for Buildings

San Francisco and New York City made a theme of this year's Earth Day: mandating emissions reductions from buildings.

April 24, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Stanford

California's Upzoning Bill, SB 50, Would Allow Apartment Construction in Wealthy Communities

The proposed legislation would open up cities like Palo Alto to higher-density housing.

April 24, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

The Villages, Florida

What Central Florida's Population Growth Reveals About U.S. Real Estate Trends

Big trends—a geographic shift back to the suburban and exurban areas and a "silver tsunami"—are apparent in population figures for two Florida locations.

April 24, 2019 - Curbed

Rhode Island Capitol Building

2019 'Parking Madness' Shows How Much Has Changed

Streetsblog USA's annual showcase of the worst examples of car-oriented land use this year focused on places that had overcome the worst excesses of 20th century planning.

April 24, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Denver Skyline

New 20-Year Comprehensive Plan, and More, Approved for Denver

Two big pieces of the Denveright planning process, the Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, won approval from the Denver City Council earlier this week.

April 23, 2019 - The Denver Post

Los Angeles BRT

Transit Projects Would Provide Local and Regional Connectivity for L.A. Suburb

Two projects on the table in Glendale, California, a BRT line and a streetcar, would increase mobility options in the city.

April 23, 2019 - Glendale News-Press

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.