Urban Development

According to the Federal Government, the Suburbs Don't Exist
The federal government has no official definition of suburban, even though a majority of Americans say they live in suburban communities.

New Hollywood Community Plan Draft Released
One of the most controversial community planning documents in Los Angeles history was approved by the city in 2012 and thrown out by a judge in 2013. The new draft environmental impact report for the plan is now publicly available.

St. Louis Lawsuits Focus on Delinquent Properties
Special suits give property owners an opportunity to fix up rundown properties before the city sells them.

Amazon's New Home in New York a 'Distressed' Opportunity Zone
Concerns about the Opportunity Zone program created by the GOP tax bill passed in the waning hours of 2017—that it would enable gentrification and displacement for the profit of wealthy investors—won't be assuaged by this news.

Opinion: To Overcome Segregation in Dallas, Look to the Past
A frank assessment of past policy wrongdoings is necessary to overcome inequality in the city.

Upzoning, Inclusionary Zoning Designed to Increase Affordable Housing Supply in Miami
The city of Miami will for the first time require that affordable housing be included in private residential development projects. The mandatory inclusionary zoning was made more palatable to developers by upzoning the affected area.

High Housing Prices Concern the Nation's Homebuilders
High prices and rising mortgage rates are called a "toxic cocktail" for the homebuilding industry.

Immigrant Homeownership in U.S. Cities
A new study looks at homeownership among native-born and foreign-born residents in U.S. cities.

Zoning Overhaul Revealed for Northern Brooklyn
The New York Department of City Planning has proposed more permissive zoning regulations for the neighborhood just to the south of Amazon's future home in Long Island City.

Atlanta Housing Authority Changing Course as Affordable Housing Problems Grow
Housing costs are rising in Atlanta, while available affordable housing has decreased. The Atlanta Housing Authority needs to ramp up construction after a lull in development.

Vancouver Launching its First Citywide Plan Since 1928
The Vancouver City Council decided to launch a new housing vision for the British Columbia city. Planners will have their work cut out for them balancing all the stakeholders in the expensive city.

How San Francisco Ran Out of Affordable Housing Funds, and What to Do About It
Analysis and policy recommendations from Bay Area-based think tank SPUR focuses on how poorly designed inclusionary zoning the exact opposite of the desired effect.

Singapore Wins Smart City of 2018 Award
The city of Singapore has been chosen as the Smart City of 2018 at the Smart City Expo World Congress to recognize the most outstanding initiatives and projects in the urban innovation and transformation industry.

The Problems With Suburbs Are Numerous. Is a Change of Course Possible?
American suburbs are growing, and understanding the evolution of suburban sprawl is a useful guide for the future.

Map Divvying Up Cleveland Resembles Redlining Maps of the Past
Cleveland neighborhoods were coded to help real estate investors, but the result is a map that harks back to old discriminatory housing practices, say critics.

Affordable Housing or Trees: A Tough Choice in a Wave of New Development
Environmentalists are up in arms after the loss of thousands of trees to make room for new developments in Nashville. Now a new affordable housing project could be the demise of the city's largest tree.

Arizona Event Venues Don't Seem to Make Fiscal Sense, But City Leaders Say They’re Worth the Losses
Convention and arts centers are costly and lose lots of money, but cities still build and advocate for them.

Friday Funny: The Onion Says the Subway Is Reserved for Amazon Employees Now
A totally fake news story, intended to satirize, not provide any factual information, makes fun of how much New York City's political leadership gave to Amazon to make sure HQ2 would call the Big Apple home.

San Francisco Approved an Expanded Central SoMa Plan
The Central SoMa Plan, which sets development goals for a key swath of Downtown San Francisco, got bigger as it moved through a lengthy approval process.

Details of Philadelphia's $181 Million, Voter Approved Bond
Voters approved a $181 million municipal bond to fund public works investments around the city.
Pagination
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.
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)