Urban Development

New York City

New York's 'Zoning Handbook' Teaches the Intricacies of Planning

Zoning Handbooks are designed to help New Yorkers understand the city's zoning code.

July 11, 2018 - Curbed NY

CEQA and the California Dream: No Marriage, Except for Attorneys

A Habitat for Humanity Project in Silicon Valley is stymied by an effective, CEQA-wielding attorney who doesn't want his home office views obstructed and more traffic in his neighborhood.

July 10, 2018 - CALmatters

Jefferson park Blue Line Stop

Study: 'Aldermanic Privilege' Leads to Segregation

Chicago's own city government, in the form of aldermanic prerogatives and privileges, contributes to racial and economic segregation, according to a new study.

July 10, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Wealth and poverty

'Climate Gentrification' Is Exacerbating Economic Inequality in Miami

A new study shows that over the last several decades the price of real estate has been heavily influenced by the actual and anticipated effects of climate change.

July 10, 2018 - CityLab

New York MTA

Study Quantifies Job Access in U.S. Cities

An annual survey by the Accessibility Observatory at the University of Minnesota measures job availability, job location, population density, and the availability of transit.

July 9, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Washington, D.C. Apartment

What Do Affordable Housing Developers Think of California's Potential Rent Control Initiative?

A California November 2018 ballot initiative seeking to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act could have unintended consequences, according to Related California's Bill Witte.

July 9, 2018 - The Planning Report

Washington, D.C.

Has Washington, D.C. Finally Figured Out the Waterfront?

Looking back to evaluate the potential of the present.

July 8, 2018 - The Washington Post

San Francisco Homeless

SF Chronicle Editorial Board: Build More Homes to Help the Homeless

And stop changing the subject, adds the Editorial Board of the San Francisco Chronicle.

July 8, 2018 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Community Meeting

Seattle Rolls Out New Community Engagement Framework

Under the new guidelines, developers will need to implement specific community engagement strategies, at times based on a neighborhood's demographics.

July 7, 2018 - The Urbanist

Seattle, Washington

Tech Companies Pulled $9.3 Billion in State and Local Subsidies in Five Years

Good Jobs First put a price tag on the lucrative deals local and state officials throw at flashy tech companies. It's a trend that is only growing with deals like Foxconn in Wisconsin and the expected Amazon HQ2 announcement.

July 6, 2018 - The Guardian

Manhattan

Live Long and Prosper: Compact Development Increases Life Expectancy, Economic Development

The U.S. has lower average life expectancy than most peer countries. New research indicates that this results in part from sprawl. Life expectancy, economic mobility, mobility options, personal health and safety all improve in less sprawling areas.

July 5, 2018 - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

No Parking Minimums and Also No Housing Development

Los Angeles is hoping that changes to the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan will finally yield new residential developments.

July 5, 2018 - Urbanize LA

E-Scooters

Making the Case for Small, Shared, Electric Transport Modes

Tony Dutzik, senior policy analyst with the Frontier Group, presents three environmental reasons to support shared bikes and scooters, and why cities that have adopted climate plans should accommodate these small, clean, shared vehicles.

July 4, 2018 - Frontier Group

Chicago Airport

Chicago Launches Design Competition to Redesign O'Hare International Airport

This isn’t a speculative, unfunded design competition. The city has already promised to borrow $4 billion toward the $8.5 billion O'Hare 21 expansion plan.

July 3, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Japan Shared Space

Resource-Efficient Urban Planning Helps Achieve Economic, Social, and Environmental Goals

A new report shows that low-carbon development policies can help to achieve numerous planning goals including job creation, improved safety and public health, social inclusion, and improved accessibility.

July 3, 2018 - The Economic and Social Benefits of Low-Carbon Cities: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Salt Lake City, Utah

Editorial Board: The Suburbs Need to Make Room for New Residents

Utah has generally made room for single-family homes in the past, but the Salt Lake Tribune thinks its time for new plans as the state faces demographic changes and worsening affordability.

July 3, 2018 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Germany

Learning From Europe: Part 2 (Or, You Can't Have It All)

It is indeed possible to have a city full of low-rise buildings that is still compact enough for excellent transit service—but only if most side streets are used for mid-rise buildings instead of houses.

July 3, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

Connecticut

3 Keys to Ending Parking Minimums

What does it take to make the bold step toward ending parking minimums in an entire city?

July 2, 2018 - Strong Towns

Eyes on the Street

Eyes from the Street – A Finer Filter

Evidence described here suggests that urban design for "eyes on the street" is not enough to lower crime.

July 2, 2018 - Fanis Grammenos

A New Online Tool for Charting a Path to Sustainability

A new interactive research tool will make it easier for communities to build sustainability into their urban development plans.

July 1, 2018 - vizzuality

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.

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.