Urban Development

Main Street

Is There a Perfect Density?

This post offers a critique of claims that there is an ideal, "Goldilocks density."

August 14, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

Jerry Brown

California's Housing Bills Fall Short

Three bills at the top of the Democratic leadership's housing agenda will have little impact on the state's chronic housing shortage according to multiple analyses, and wouldn't affect the outcome of a Bay Area mega-development controversy.

August 14, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Aurora, Colorado

Aurora Rising

This rapidly diversifying community is one to watch as planning for cultural inclusion, social equity, and environmental sustainability become priorities for the American city.

August 14, 2017 - Dean Saitta

Summer Camp for City Building

A free camp for young people in Brooklyn is teaching kids to appreciate the science and art of planning.

August 13, 2017 - Smart Cities Dive

Edmonds, Washington Planning for a More Urban Future

The city of Edmonds, located to the north of Seattle, is putting the finishing touches on a plan that would increase heights in an urban district along State Route 99.

August 13, 2017 - The Urbanist

Georgia Agrihood

Agrihoods Still Proving Popular

Agrihoods emerged in the 1990s as a master-planned alternative to the golf-centered communities of the past. Many of these developments are going strong, and gaining in popularity.

August 13, 2017 - Realtor

Late Buses Threaten Seattle Micro-Unit Development—Guess Why

An approved, 55 micro-unit, mixed-use development with no parking sited on a transit corridor with 15-minute headways has been halted by a legal ruling after neighborhood opponents proved the bus was not meeting its schedule.

August 12, 2017 - Seattle Weekly

Newark

Ensuring Newark's Revival Doesn't Make it the Next Brooklyn

New Jersey's largest city is celebrating a downtown revival, but city leaders want to ensure that Newark avoids the displacement that often accompanies revitalization.

August 12, 2017 - The New York Times

Anacostia Bridge

Iconic New Bridge Project Revealed in D.C.

The new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will span the Anacostia River between Washington, D.C. and Anacostia.

August 11, 2017 - The Washington Post

Penn's Landing

Identifying the Populations Most Vulnerable to 'Extreme Heat Events'

New research published in Applied Geography is a first step toward planning for the resilience of vulnerable populations as the heat rises in urban areas.

August 11, 2017 - Scientific American

Santa Monica

Santa Monica Mayor: High Inclusionary Housing is Worth the Risk

Mayor Ted Winterer and Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis elaborate on the city’s new Downtown Community Plan, which includes what may be the state's highest inclusionary housing requirement.

August 10, 2017 - The Planning Report

California

New Community Plan Poises Downtown L.A. for Transformation

In addition to a contemporary vision for Downtown, the plan debuts a new approach to zoning that could help transform the entire city.

August 10, 2017 - The Planning Report

The Left Critiques YIMBYism

There are two fundamental flaws with the emergent "YIMBY" approach to planning and development politics, according to this article in an influential magazine of the American left.

August 10, 2017 - Jacobin

Boston Construction

Boston's Inclusionary Zoning Track Record Revealed

A new city report provides data on the number of affordable housing units built in the city of Boston as a result of the Inclusionary Development Policy.

August 9, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Construction Worker

Construction Worker Shortage Blamed for Housing Supply Woes

Zoning and red tape gets a bad wrap in arguments that blame the housing crisis on a lack of housing supply. Another narrative credits a shortage of construction workers on the lack of housing supply in the country.

August 9, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Bike Shed Netherlands

The World's Largest Bike Parking Facility Opening in The Netherlands

The story of Utrecht's new bike parking garage—with enough space initially for 6,000 bikes—has a surprising twist: local bike advocates don't think it's big enough.

August 9, 2017 - The Guardian

Houston Texas

Houston Commercial Vacancies Outpace All Large U.S. Cities

Commercial vacancies have "ballooned" in Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle, as the energy slump takes hold of the real estate market. The last time vacancies were this high: the oil bust of the 1980s.

August 8, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Integration

What Does 'Gentrification' Really Mean?

No two people seem to quite agree on what the word "gentrification" means. If you're at all interested in what shapes our cities, you're bound to find yourself in a conversation about gentrification eventually—and you might find yourself in a fight.

August 7, 2017 - Modern Cities

Chicago Commute

Multimodal Transportation for Economic Freedom, Opportunity, and Security

Motor vehicles are expensive to own and operate. Many lower-income households spend more on transportation than they can afford due to a lack of affordable mobility options. The solution is more multimodal planning.

August 7, 2017 - Todd Litman

City Hall

Impacts of AVs and E-Commerce on Municipal Budgets

A new report from Urbanism Next/SCI takes you through a city’s budget—both revenues and expenditures—and describes the areas that will be affected as AVs become commonplace and e-commerce takes on an even larger role in retail

August 4, 2017 - Urbanism Next

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.