Urban Development

Single-Family Homes

Dormant Inner Suburbs and the Affordability Crisis

Richard Florida takes a look at a new report that traces the affordability crisis to cities' inability to densify their older, inner suburbs.

February 12, 2018 - CityLab

Construction Cranes

More Construction Cranes Flying Over North American Cities

Two new reports from Rider Levett Bucknall offer a positive outlook for the construction industry.

February 11, 2018 - Commercial Property Executive

Minneapolis Downtown East

Changes to Parking Requirements Made Big Impact on Minneapolis

Five years ago, Minneapolis rolled back parking requirements near transit. Since then, construction is up, rents are down, and the look of projects in these places has changed.

February 9, 2018 - Nick Magrino

Fringe Development

Housing Limits Potentially on the Ballot in Colorado

A ballot initiative is moving forward in Colorado that would severely limit housing production in the already housing-constrained Front Range region. We're not talking about urban growth boundaries here.

February 9, 2018 - The Denver Post

Flame Towers

Mapping the Collision Course of Sprawl and Biodiversity

The expansion of the built environment proceeds with little regard for the loss of biodiversity, and the planning field isn't doing enough to help.

February 9, 2018 - ASLA The Dirt

Editorial Opposes Use of Eminent Domain to Give Property to For-Profit Developer

The borough of Emerson, New Jersey is testing the limits of eminent domain.

February 9, 2018 - NorthJersey

Walkable Street

New Tools for Making Walkable Places

Eleven ways to make a city more walkable.

February 8, 2018 - Institute for Transportation and Development Policy

Detroit Sports Arena

Saying No to Surface Parking in Downtown Detroit

Multiple proposals to demolish downtown buildings and put up surface parking lots are meeting resistance.

February 8, 2018 - Detroit Free Press

Sixth Street, Austin

Catch Up With Austin's CodeNEXT

CodeNEXT is one of the most ambitious, and controversial, zoning reform projects ongoing in the country, with lessons to offer planners all over the country in code writing, public outreach, and planning outcomes.

February 8, 2018 - CodeNEXT

Messena, New York

Bitcoin Mining as Economic Development

The New York Power Authority is considering a new kind of economic development scheme.

February 8, 2018 - Watertown Daily News

Northwest Mall

Reclaiming Malls: How About a High-Speed Rail Station?

A Texas mall that opened in 1968 and largely closed ten months ago has been picked by Texas Central Partners as the Houston terminal of the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail. The site is far from downtown and distant from public transit.

February 8, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Los Angeles Planning

L.A. Tenants Link Planned 'Design District' to Displacement

Community leaders say a design district in Westlake could pave the way for the erasure of L.A's Historic Filipinotown.

February 7, 2018 - Curbed LA

Queen-Spadina

Study: Mixed-Use Neighborhoods Fail Affordability

A study published recently in the Journal of the American Planning Association finds that mixed-use neighborhoods in Toronto are only delivering benefits to those who can afford to pay a premium.

February 7, 2018 - CBC News

South Central Los Angeles

What Community-Based Zoning Enforcement Looks Like in South Central Los Angeles

Passion for urban planning, love of South Central LA communities, and historical background of the neighborhoods combine in this personal account by Jonathan P. Bell of community-based zoning enforcement.

February 6, 2018 - UrbDeZine

Alaskan Way Seawall Construction

When the U.S. Economy Is 'Too Strong' to Spend on Infrastructure

A low unemployment rate means major investments by the federal government could ultimately harm the economy.

February 6, 2018 - FiveThirtyEight

Maryland

Sprawl and Stagnation—Housing Growth and its Discontents

Mapping housing production over the decades since the 1960s reveals a pattern that must be shifted to achieve the housing growth needed to face the economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

February 5, 2018 - Buildzoom

Pedestrian Bridge

State Legislation Would Clear CEQA Obstructions for Road and Transit Projects

One legislator believes CEQA "is a key barrier to California meeting its ambitious climate change goals.”

February 5, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Industrial Uses

Upping the Ante on the Brooklyn Navy Yard

A new $2.5 billion building plan could reshape the Brooklyn Navy Yard, again.

February 5, 2018 - Bloomberg

Bikeshare and murals

Columbus' Planning Agenda Combines Land Use and Transportation

A discussion of the ongoing Regional Corridor Analysis, expected for completion later this year.

February 4, 2018 - Columbus Underground

Minneapolis, Minnesota

U.S. Bank Stadium: Home to Super Bowl LII and a Death Trap for Migratory Birds

This isn't a joke about the Philadelphia Eagles. This story is about the deadly consequences of planning and architecture decisions.

February 4, 2018 - USA Today

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.