Urban Development

Seattle Releases Draft Rezonings for its 'Urban Villages'
Seattle is planning to add height and density in "urban villages" around the city—part of the growth and affordability goals targeted by previous planning efforts by the city.
The Silent Expansion of Fiscal Control Boards in the U.S.
The power and process of boards that take control of a city or territory's finances is becoming more generalized, although they affect local democracy, impose austerity measures without controls, and lack mechanisms to evaluate their efficiency.

A New Government Planned Mega-City Shapes Up Next to Beijing
Planners for the Xiong’an New Area hope to cure the ills of "megacity disease"

Pennsylvania House Goes All-In on Big Gambling Expansion
A bill that would greatly expand legalized gambling to new locations around the state flew through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week.

Denver Suburb Rejects TOD at Light Rail Station in Special Election
Tuesday's mail-in vote by residents of Greenwood Village to overwhelmingly reject a city-council approved plan to allow mixed-use development at a light rail station is a major setback for smart growth proponents.

What's the Matter With the Upper East Side?
In a free market, the richest neighborhoods would ordinarily be the most popular. But some well-off urban neighborhoods are actually losing population. Why?

Green Building Advocates Want Pennsylvania to 'Unfreeze' the State's Energy Codes
Two icehouses have arrived in Harrisburg on a mission from the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Report Ranks the World's Leading Cities: Now and in the Future
New York is the most important city in the world, but San Francisco is best positioned for the future, according to AT Kearney's "Global Cities" report.

Urban Planning Agencies and the UN's Sustainable Development Guidelines
A new report from France shows how to deploy urban planning agencies in the pursuit of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by 193 countries in 193 nations in 2015.

How Not to Solve a Housing Crisis
More trouble in River City, as Portland and Oregon struggle with rising housing costs and come up with a puzzling solution.

Nation's Tallest Wood Building Coming Soon to Portland
Portland, Oregon lives up to its reputation as a testing ground for urbanism innovation by approving what will become the nation's tallest wood framed building.

Google Planning Massive Expansion in San Jose
The city of San Jose is working with tech giant Google to plan a massive expansion into the Diridon Station district. Millions of feet of development and thousands of new jobs are at stake.

Denver Airport Could Get a $1 Billion Upgrade
Officials from the Denver International Airport are finishing up the details of a public-private partnership to undertake a massive redevelopment of the airport's Great Hall.

A Quick Look at State-By-State Building Permit Data
Building permit data provides a barometer of the development market, which is a reflection of development processes and planning regimes. The arc of the country's housing construction trends bends toward Texas.

Concern Grows Over the Fate of the Country's 'Largest Land Conservation Feat'
Western governors are concerned with signals from the Trump Administration about its intentions to kill a compromise deal to protect 165 million acres of habitat for the sage grouse.

Artists and Property Owners Sue Atlanta Over Mural Regulations
A federal lawsuit alleges that the city of Atlanta is overstepping its bounds by threatening the removal of murals and other art located on private property.

Report: Demand, Not Market-Rate Supply, Drives Housing Prices in San Francisco
The Urban Institute takes a detailed look at San Francisco's real estate market, where most home sales top $1 million, revealing that old units are far more likely to attract top dollar.

Op-Ed: Slow Growth Fails the Paris Accords Too
Many local leaders spoke strongly against President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, but local land use and transportation policies still sorely lack any consideration of climate impact.

'The New Urban Crisis' and the High Line
A PBS NewsHour two-fer: an interview of urbanologist Richard Florida conducted in a walking tour of New York's famed High Line in the gentrifying West Chelsea neighborhood, a fitting backdrop for his new book, "The New Urban Crisis."

Climate Change Will Be Worse for Big Cities
Blame it on the urban heat island effect.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie