Urban Development

Minneapolis Minnesota

Mayoral Op-Ed Touts New Equitable Development Model in Minneapolis

A plan for 48 acres of riverfront land could make Minneapolis a leader in doing redevelopment right, argue city leaders.

March 6, 2019 - Star Tribune

San Francisco Coit Tower Construction

Voters Are Skeptical About Developers and the Free Market as Housing Saviors

Few in Los Angeles have the opinion that the lack of housing supply is driving the homeless crisis in the city and around the state.

March 5, 2019 - Shelterforce

Manteo, North Carolina

The 'Decolonial Planning' Project

A potentially radical point of view that must be considered by planners: moving the field forward will require soul searching that confronts an overcomes the disposition and exploitation that defined the past and continues to influence the future.

March 5, 2019 - Progressive City

Washington

The Rise of Inclusionary Zoning as the Preferred Housing Policy Compromise

Everything you've ever wanted to know about inclusionary zoning: its history, its position in the debate about the future of cities, and its promise as a solution to the nation's housing crisis.

March 5, 2019 - Land Lines

Brooklyn Waterfront

1.5 Million SF of Development Proposed for Brooklyn Waterfront

Current zoning doesn't support the range of uses proposed for a new "Innovation Economy District" at the Industry City location on the Brooklyn Waterfront.

March 5, 2019 - The Real Deal

Columbus, Ohio skyline reflected in the Scioto River

Columbus Considers Its First Community Land Trust

Citing a dire housing situation for low-income renters, Columbus, Ohio is considering its first community land trust. The aim is to create housing alternatives for low-income residents of revitalizing neighborhoods.

March 4, 2019 - Next City

Shotgun Homes, New Orleans

The Past and Future Role of the Shotgun House

Dallas provides the setting for a deep exploration of shotgun houses. The city keeps knocking them down, but according to this architecture critic, they could play a key role in solving the city's affordable housing crisis.

March 3, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

Salesforce Park

High-Speed Rail Galvanized Development in San Francisco's Transbay District

Even as prospects for high-speed trains dim in California, San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center has already spurred a development spree in the surrounding area.

March 2, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

California

California's Push to Electrify Its Building Stock

Developers, environmentalists, and other experts discussed the challenge of achieving all-electric homes and businesses at VerdeXchange 2019.

March 1, 2019 - The Planning Report

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Anti-Displacement Policies Proposed by Seattle Politicians

The mayor and a councilmember both made potentially sweeping proposals to address displacement as the city moves forward with plans to upzone neighborhoods, in keeping with the Mandatory Housing Affordability policy.

March 1, 2019 - The Urbanist

New York City Traffic

N.Y.C. Takes Steps to Stop Parking Placard Abuse

Transit and cycling advocates say fake and misused placards result in crowded streets and limit mobility.

March 1, 2019 - Politico

Shibuya, Tokyo

Dog Parks and Gentrification

When is a dog park more than just a park for dogs?

February 28, 2019 - CityLab

Abandoned Buildings

Revitalization Should Not Overshadow the Continued Decline in Cities

When gentrification takes center stage, neglected places facing poverty, segregation, and disinvestment are overlooked.

February 28, 2019 - City Observatory

UC Berkeley and North Berkeley

Berkeley to Study Missing Middle Housing Options for Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods

The city of Berkeley, famed for its radical left politics in the 1960s, is now considered a bastion of anti-development obstructionism. Those politics could be changing, however.

February 28, 2019 - The Bay City Beacon

Minneapolis Waterfront Development

48-Acre Mega-Development Taking Shape on Minneapolis Waterfront

The Minneapolis City Council will consider initial mixed-use development plans for critical riverfront industrial site surrounded by a struggling residential neighborhood.

February 28, 2019 - MinnPost

Oregon Capitol

Oregon First State to Implement Statewide Rent Control

Democratic legislators made short work of a huge shift in housing policy.

February 27, 2019 - KUOW

HUD

HUD Program to Connect Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Opportunity Zones

A new program announced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is designed to encourage Opportunity Zone investments that address poverty and underinvestment.

February 27, 2019 - The Real Deal

Los Angeles Grand Park

A New Player in Planning Los Angeles: Marqueece Harris-Dawson

The new chair of the Planning and Land Use Management committee of the Los Angeles City Council will influence how the city grapples with homelessness, an expanding rail system, and the 2028 Olympics.

February 27, 2019 - The Planning Report

Car-Centric Planning

Tax Breaks Offered in Exchange for Affordable Housing in Downtown Phoenix

The state of Arizona doesn't allow local jurisdictions to charge affordable housing fees for new developments, so the city of Phoenix is offering tax breaks as an incentive instead.

February 27, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Toronto from the CN Tower

Growth Plan Debate Heats Up in Toronto

The question of how and where to grow is causing controversy in Toronto. A recent op-ed picks a side.

February 27, 2019 - Toronto Sun

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.