Urban Development

Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

Interactive Mapping Tool Illustrates the Impact of California's Big Housing Bill

University of California, Berkeley researchers have mapped the impact of SB 50, a bill that would allow new density around train stations and bus stops in cities all over the state of California.

April 10, 2019 - Curbed Los Angeles

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Inclusionary Zoning Under Consideration for Pittsburgh Neighborhood

Legislation before the Pittsburgh Planning Commission this week would implement inclusionary zoning requirements for the neighborhood of Lawrenceville.

April 10, 2019 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Suburban Community

Slow-Growth Measure Headed to the Ballot in Colorado's Fifth-Largest City

Voters in Lakewood, Colorado, have a chance to enact anti-development policies that would place new limits on the number of new housing units that could be built in the city, while also placing new controls on the approvals process.

April 9, 2019 - The Denver Post

Expo Line

Report: Modest Congestion Charge Would Produce Dramatic Results in Los Angeles

Applying a cordon toll as low as $4 in Los Angeles would result in a 20% reduction in traffic congestion and modest increases in transit ridership, walking, and biking, according to a new study from the Southern California Association of Governments.

April 9, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Arizona

A Car-Centric Past and a More Vertical Future in Phoenix

Phoenix has the zoning for more height in its downtown, and future development might finally yield a more recognizable skyline.

April 9, 2019 - Arizona Republic

State Capital of Utah

Finding Ways for States and Cities to Work Together to Solve the Housing Crisis

The National League of Cities has a new report surveying local tools for addressing the housing affordability crisis. State partnerships are included.

April 9, 2019 - Governing

St. Petersburg, Florida

No Breakthroughs in the Search for a New Place to House the Tampa Bay Rays

Finding a new home for a major league baseball team isn't as easy as it used to be in Florida.

April 9, 2019 - Tampa Bay Times

Ciutat Vella

Barcelona's Ambitious Plan to Become a Post-Car City

Barcelona is planning to expand on its initial superblock experiment in an attempt to ease the stranglehold of car congestion and air pollution gripping the dense city.

April 9, 2019 - Vox

2020 Presidential Campaign

Elizabeth Warren Makes Housing a Cornerstone of Presidential Bid

Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has promised to make housing affordability the top priority of a potential administration.

April 8, 2019 - Reno Gazette Journal

Laneway House Toronto

Breathing New Life Into Toronto's Laneways

Laneway development throughout the city is ramping up with new construction and public space projects.

April 8, 2019 - The Star

Traffic

Will Manhattan's "Central Business District Tolling" Clear the Way for More Congestion Pricing?

Cordon pricing applied to Manhattan's Central Business District, approved by the state legislature on March 31 and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 1, has the ability to be a game changer for other cities considering similar programs.

April 8, 2019 - The New York Times

San Diego metropolitan Transit System

Lawsuit Aims to Block San Diego Parking Requirement Reform

A lawsuit against San Diego alleges that the City Council approved an ordinance ending parking requirements on transit corridors without performing necessary environmental review.

April 7, 2019 - NBC San Diego

New York Apartments

Rent Protection Laws Due for Renewal in New York

A law that sets rental protections in New York will expire in June. Negotiations for a replacement law are just beginning.

April 7, 2019 - Spectrum News

Rural Community

Small Towns in the Western U.S. Achieving Population and Economic Growth

A small town success story in Montana is indicative of a larger trend in the Western United States. Meanwhile, small towns in the rest of the country struggle.

April 6, 2019 - The Washington Post

Japan Shared Space

Zoning in Japan Versus Zoning in the U.S.

Japan's system of zoning appears highly capable of fostering mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods. How does Japanese zoning differ from our own, and what factors caused those differences?

April 6, 2019 - Market Urbanism

Skinny Skyscraper

Changes to Proposed NYC Pied-à-Terre Tax Will Yield Less Revenue for Transit

The real estate intervened, and a proposed pied-à-terre tax became a mansion tax.

April 6, 2019 - City & State

Bowery

Protecting and Growing Cultural Facilities in Expensive Cities

Independent cultural institutions provide so much of what make cities world class, and they are a big part of the appeal for people who choose to live in highly urbanized areas. These days, cultural institutions are having a hard time affording rent.

April 6, 2019 - Art News

Frederick Maryland

Where Americans Are Most Likely to Live With Housing Cost Burdens

New analysis reveals the geographic patterns of housing cost burdens in the United States.

April 5, 2019 - CityLab

Chicago Mayor

Mayoral Election Likely to Have Consequences for Chicago Mega-Development

The most recent citywide election in Chicago was considered a referendum on the old way of operating the city. The $6 billion Lincoln Yards project, on the brink of approval, could be included in that referendum.

April 5, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Boulder Colorado

One City Was Skeptical Enough About Opportunity Zones to Declare a Development Moratorium

Boulder declared a moratorium on development in a federally designated Opportunity Zone back in December. Here's how the decision has played out so far.

April 5, 2019 - Next City

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.