Urban Development

Detroit, Michigan

Ford Planning Residential Units in its Detroit Train Station Adaptive Reuse

Ford will treat the Michigan Central Depot to a mixed-use adaptation.

June 21, 2018 - Detroit Free Press

California

40 Years of Prop 13

The Public Policy Institute of California recently checked on the public opinion of Proposition 13, California's controversial and game-changing property tax cap.

June 20, 2018 - Public Policy Institute of California

Washington Monuments

D.C. Updating its Sustainability Plan

The District of Columbia is updating its Sustainable DC plan, originally crafted in 2012, and seeking feedback on draft goals set for 2032.

June 20, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

17th Street, Denver, Colorado

Op-Ed: Downtown Denver's Homogenous Renaissance

There's a lot to like about the resurgence of downtown cores. But as is the case elsewhere, Denver's core has only attracted a small subset of the wider city's population. Most people still call the suburbs home.

June 19, 2018 - The Denver Post

Mayan City

The Ancient Roots of New Urbanism

The planning values and principles of New Urbanism are deeply rooted in human history. What does this look like, and what can we learn from it? The archaeology of an ancient Mayan city sheds some light.

June 19, 2018 - Dean Saitta

High Rise Construction

Industry Report: Regulations Add 30 Percent to Multi-Family Development Costs

Two organizations representing the development industry have released a report to highlight the costs of doing business.

June 19, 2018 - National Association of Home Builders Eye on Housing

Metrobus

Sued for Gentrification

A lawsuit against the District of Columbia claims deliberate actions to attract "creative" workers discriminates against low-income and African American residents.

June 18, 2018 - DCist

Ontario, Canada

Sidewalk Labs Opens House for its Toronto 'Smart City' Project

Sidewalk Labs has officially set up shop as Sidewalk Toronto, with a home base in Quayside, the waterfront district that the company is tasked with transforming in the image of a "smart city."

June 18, 2018 - The Toronto Star

San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco's Next Mayor a Self-Described 'Pro-Housing' Politician With Support From YIMBYs

London Breed is the first African American female elected mayor of San Francisco, and she brings high hopes that a pro-development approach can help mitigate the city's housing affordability crisis.

June 18, 2018 - Medium

Michigan Central Deport

The Massive Significance of Ford's Move into Detroit's Abandoned Michigan Central Depot

Ford has confirmed its plan to move into the Michigan Central Depot in Detroit.

June 17, 2018 - Detroit Free Press

4 abandoned homes in St. Louis's Greater Ville neighborhood

Book Review: The Divided City, by Alan Mallach

Jason Segedy's review of a must-read for all planners interested in the subject of "Legacy Cities."

June 17, 2018 - Notes from the Underground

Ambitious Greenway Project Takes Shape in St. Louis

The winner of a competition to design the Chouteau Greenway in St. Louis hopes landscape architecture can inspire a larger conversation about race and class.

June 17, 2018 - Landscape Architecture Magazine

A California City Approves its First-Ever Apartment Building

A small city in the South Bay Area, south of San Jose, has approved its first multi-family housing project—because state law mandated it.

June 16, 2018 - The Mercury News

Construction

Home Builders Experiencing High Costs and Slow Starts

The Trump Administration's tariffs on Canadian lumber are passing costs down to homebuyers, according to industry experts.

June 16, 2018 - The Dallas Morning News

Vermin Graffiti

New Yorkers Have More Complaints About Rats

New Yorkers are ratting out rats.

June 16, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal [paywall]

Downtown Philadelphia

Philadelphia Considers Construction Tax to Pay for Affordable Housing Needs

Another example of a city looking for revenue to support affordable housing projects in response to the growing cost of housing.

June 14, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal

Single Family Residential Construction

What If Zoning Codes Were Dynamic?

Parking prices, toll lanes, and tickets to a ballgame can be dynamic, with prices fluctuating depending on market conditions. What if zoning could change when triggered by demographic and market conditions?

June 13, 2018 - Strong Towns

San Diego Gaslamp District

Looking Back to Find the Future of San Diego

An advocacy group is republishing the 1974 regional plan for sustainability, and finding that it's just as relevant now as it was then.

June 13, 2018 - Bisnow

Fringe Development

Aggressive Anti-Growth Measure Falls Short of the Ballot in Colorado

Initiative 66, which would have imposed strict development limits around the Front Range, ran out of steam.

June 12, 2018 - The Denver Post

Multi-Modal

Learning from Europe

European cities tend to be more walkable and transit-accessible—perhaps because they get the three Ds right (density, diversity, and design).

June 11, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

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.