Urban Development

Rent Control Rejected in California, But the Debate Is Far From Over
An opinion piece in CityLab reiterates the body of research showing evidence that rent control is not an effective tool in reducing housing costs.

Seeking Mixed-Income Housing Developers in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina is concerned about the lack of affordable housing in its city, potentially making it difficult for fire fighters, teachers, and more to afford to live in the community.

Inclusionary Zoning Under Consideration in New Orleans
The New Orleans City Planning Commission recently released a report recommending three "potentially mandatory" inclusionary zoning initiatives. The city is working against a deadline from the governor.

Transit Oriented Development Spreads to the Suburbs
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is working on mixed-use development plans for a location near Kensington Station, in DeKalb County.

When Amazon Happens to Good Cities
After the news broke that Amazon was reportedly going to split its HQ2 plans between New York City and Washington, D.C., some cities are left console themselves. A Planetizen opinion piece picks up the pieces.

CDBG Funds Not Useful Focus for Zoning Reform
Linking zoning reform mandates to CDBG funding is not an effective way to change exclusionary zoning.

Skyline Redefining Mega-Project Approved in Atlanta
The city of Atlanta has approved its largest development project since the 1960s.

Google Planning Massive Expansion in New York City
Google's plan to add 12,000 new workers in the city of New York is the second tech company bonanza for the city this week.

Election 2018 Results: Local and State Land Use, Transportation, Housing, and Infrastructure
Election results from every corner of the country.

San Antonio Branching Out its Tree Planting Efforts
The city of San Antonio has a lot of money to spend on trees but not a lot of places to plant them.

New Vancouver Council Plotting to Rescind Recently Approved Zoning Changes
Local elections have consequences.

Preservation of Gas Station Won't Stand in the Way of New Housing
Preservationists had mobilized behind the cause of protecting a dilapidated gas station in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Columbus Shares its Smart City Playbook
The city of Columbus, Ohio is sharing some of what it has learned about becoming a smart city.

Post-Amazon Chicago: Mayor Seeks $1.7 Billion in Subsidies for Downtown Developments
Making the case that proposed developments won't come to fruition with support from tax increment financing, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is moving quickly to shore up development plans now that Amazon has moved on.

Are Chicago's Transit Oriented Developments Generating Enough Affordable Housing?
Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood is the scene for a very contemporary land use policy debate: how much affordable housing can cultivated from the development opportunities in proximity to transit lines?

Updated: Two Cities Emerge as Front Runners for Amazon's HQ2
According to leaked information, Northern Virginia, Dallas, and New York City were in the lead in the competition to land the location of the second Amazon headquarters. Now sources report the company will split the HQ2 footprint between two cities.

Peter Calthorpe's Self-Driving Car Dissent
The founder of New Urbanism takes his autonomous vehicle skepticism, and ideas for other solutions to congestion, to the pages of the New York Times.
A History of State-Mandated Upzonings in the Pacific Northwest
Past examples of state and provincial governments preempting the land use authority of local governments present several lessons on how to do state-mandated upzoning effectively.

A Phoenix Suburb Wrestles With How Urban to Become
The city of Avondale approved a walkable, urban vision for its City Center Plan in 2008, but those grand ambitions haven't yet recovered from the Great Recession.

Anti-Displacement Policies Recommended for Austin
Faced growing housing costs and limited funding and resources for struggling homeowners and renters, the city of Austin has ramped up efforts to identify and lobby for housing policy changes.
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)