Urban Development

New York City

A New York City Planner’s Long and Influential History

A look back at Purnima Kapur’s career highlights the long-term impacts of her planning work.

September 10, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Cedar Rapids Floods

The New Politics of Local Funding for Flood Control Infrastructure

The city of Cedar Rapids has traditionally struggled to generate funding for flood control projects from local sources. As flooding increases and federal support decreases, the political calculus for flood control infrastructure has changed.

September 10, 2018 - The Gazette

Construction

Year One of L.A.'s 'Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program'

After one year in action, the Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program has enabled a rare feat in Los Angeles: new development.

September 10, 2018 - Urbanize LA

Pearl District

Parsing a Portland Rent Check to See Where the Money Goes

A deep dive into what a Portland rent check pays for sheds light on strategies to help lower rising rents.

September 9, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Jamaica Bay

New York to Update the OneNYC Resilience and Sustainability Plan

Introduced with fanfare in 2015, the OneNYC plan is ready for an update.

September 9, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Hudson Yards, New York City

At $125 Million Per Acre—New York's Most Expensive Park Ever

A financing plan for a park near Hudson Yards would blow away precedent.

September 8, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Transit Oriented Development

Transit-Area Tax Increment Financing Bill on Gov. Jerry Brown's Desk

Transit, affordable housing, TODs, active transportation and local governments should all come out ahead should Brown sign SB 961. The bill follows in the path of earlier legislation that created enhanced infrastructure finance districts.

September 7, 2018 - Move LA

Public Art

'Vida' Examines Gentrification in East L.A. But Now Faces Backlash from Real-Life Protesters

A show about the impacts of gentrification in a working-class immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles is generating controversy among those it represents.

September 7, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

City Apartments

The 'Philadelphia Housing Action Plan' Targets 100,000 Units in 10 Years

Philadelphia officials are calling a new housing plan the city's first comprehensive citywide housing strategy.

September 7, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Atlanta Park

New Park, Now Under Construction, Would Be Atlanta's Largest

The Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry could eventually become the city of Atlanta's largest park.

September 7, 2018 - Curbed Atlanta

Scaffolding

In the Midst of a Housing Crisis, Soaring Costs Leave San Francisco Projects at a Standstill

San Francisco desperately needs more housing, but many projects sit unfinished as developers face cost challenges.

September 6, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Video Games

Donut County: A Villainous Raccoon, a Hole in the Ground, and the Effects of Gentrification

In a new video game, the player is a no-good raccoon wreaking havoc on the world around him.

September 6, 2018 - Los Angeles Magazine

Oakwood Modernist House

Raleigh Could Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units—With Lots of Strings Attached

Residents in parts of Raleigh would be allowed to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property, if a majority of their neighbors approve the idea.

September 6, 2018 - The News & Observer

Pedestrians and Walkable Street

Walkable Suburbia

It's not impossible to reshape the suburbs to be more walkable, but it does require careful planning and design.

September 6, 2018 - Jason Beske

The Bloomingdale Trail

Evaluating Departing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Planning Record

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a surprise announcement this week that he would not seek a third term in office.

September 6, 2018 - Streetsblog Chicago

Downtown Phoenix

How Cities in the 'Heat Belt' Are Addressing Extreme Heat, the New Normal

As the number of excessive heat days steadily increases, cities face a range of new challenges. But they are also trying to get ahead of the problem while they still can.

September 5, 2018 - The Washington Post

Georgia

Inclusionary Zoning Could Spread to Atlanta's Suburbs

Brookhaven, Georgia is rewriting its citywide zoning code, including density bonuses and mandatory inclusionary zoning in one of the new code's overlays.

September 5, 2018 - Reporter Newspapers

Riverfront Trail Takes Shape in Atlanta

Open space and mixed-use developments could make the Chattahoochee River, where it runs along the border of Atlanta, more accessible. A proposed trail along the river took a tangible step forward recently.

September 4, 2018 - SaportaReport

Los Angeles, California

Editorial: Why Elon Musk’s Tunnel to Dodger Stadium Is a Very Bad Idea

A closer look at a plan for Los Angeles linking Dodger Stadium to the subway points to the proposal’s many flaws.

September 4, 2018 - Urbanize LA

City Planners

Advice on How to Get More Involved With Planning

A roundtable discussion tackles the question about how to make those first steps toward more involvement with planning in the local community.

September 3, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

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.