Urban Development

Free Street

Inclusionary Zoning to Fund Workforce Housing, But for Hotel Developments

A new law in Portland, Maine could be the first to charge an affordable housing fee from new hotel developments.

February 5, 2019 - Portland Press Herald

Miami Worldcenter

$4 Billion Mixed-Use Development Opens in Miami

The Miami Worldcenter mega-development is entering the delivery phase.

February 5, 2019 - Globe St.

Seattle Bus

Seattle Transit Investments Show Promising Results

The Seattle Transportation Benefit District has led to a growth in ridership and improved access to frequent service, according to a third-year performance report.

February 5, 2019 - The Urbanist

Massachusetts

Mapping Change – A New Interactive Tool for Boston

The latest example of the Internet's power to make deliver data and maps to the masses, produced by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

February 5, 2019 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Minneapolis Aerial

Funding Focus in Push to Diversify Minneapolis Neighborhood Groups

The leadership of neighborhood associations does not reflect the city’s demographics. In the future, funding of the groups could be dependent on reaching diversity benchmarks.

February 4, 2019 - Star Tribune

San Diego Harbor

Major Parking Reform Effort Moving Forward in San Diego

Civic San Diego and San Diego planning commissioners approved new parking standards that would eliminate minimums and set maximums of one space per multifamily unit. Those reforms and more must still be approved by the City Council.

February 4, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Los Angeles Harbor Freeway

If Road Pricing Is Inherently Unfair and Regressive...

Road pricing has its faults as a revenue measure, but it needs to be compared to ten elements of the current system of paying for transportation, including hidden subsidies, says Joe Cortright, an urban economist with Portland-based City Observatory.

February 4, 2019 - City Observatory

Sandpoint, Idaho

One Line of Your Zoning Code Can Make a World of Difference

Sandpoint, Idaho removed minimum parking requirements a decade ago. The city's director of planning describes what happened since.

February 4, 2019 - Strong Towns

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Sunday Fun: The Super Bowl in Atlanta on Social Media

Traffic and cars play a central role in the social media chatter surrounding the Super Bowl in Atlanta.

February 3, 2019 - Planetizen

Atlanta NFL Stadium

Inside the $2 Billion Stadium Hosting the Super Bowl

The hot dogs cost $1,999,999,998 less than the stadium, and either $199,999,998 or $699,999,998 less than taxpayers invested in the stadium.

February 3, 2019 - CBS News

Atlanta NFL Stadium

Pedestrian Bridge Won't Be Open in Time for the Super Bowl as Promised

The pedestrian bridge connecting Mercedes-Benz Stadium to a nearby transit stop won't be open in time for the Super Bowl, despite the city allocating an additional $12 million in funding for exactly that goal.

February 3, 2019 - Curbed Atlanta

Salesforce Park

S.F.'s Transbay Transit Center Won't Reopen Until June at the Earliest

The Transbay Transit Center, opened for a brief stint in the latter half of 2018 before structural flaws were discovered, won't be open to the public again anytime soon.

February 2, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Boise Idaho

Boise Faces Growing Pains From West Coast Migration

As more people head to Idaho to escape cities they cannot afford, Boise is encouraging growth and also grappling with the consequences.

February 1, 2019 - Curbed

Southeaster Wisconsin

Foxconn Changes its Mind (Again)

Foxconn has reversed course, reinstating plans to build a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin after casting doubt on the idea earlier this week.

February 1, 2019 - Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

Single-Family Neighborhood

Accessory Dwelling Unit Legislation Proposed in Washington Sets a New Standard

If it approves HB 1797, Washington will pace the rest of the nation (even California and Oregon) on reforming zoning to allow more accessory dwelling units.

January 31, 2019 - Sightline Institute

Metrorail Station Area

Comparing Transit Oriented Development in the D.C. Regional Rail System

Not all Metrorail station areas are zoned for transit oriented development.

January 31, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Wisconsin Economic Development

Foxconn Changes Plans for its Wisconsin Facilities

Once promising a major manufacturing facility and 13,000 new jobs, Foxconn is now promising a research and development facility and the number of jobs is much less clear.

January 31, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Boston City Scene

'Carbon Free Boston' Puts Priority on Land Use and Transportation Planning

"It's all about cars and houses," according to the Boston Globe.

January 31, 2019 - Th Boston Globe

Brooklyn, New York City

Rezoning Revealed: NYC Planning Proposes Changes in Brooklyn

The New York City Department of City Planning has released its preliminary rezoning proposal for the neighborhood of Gowanus in Brooklyn.

January 31, 2019 - amNew York

San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Massive 'Central SoMa Plan' Faces Litigation

The Central SoMa Plan took more than seven years of planning and debate to approve. A new lawsuit, expected to be just the first of many, threatens to erase all that work.

January 30, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.