Urban Development

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

Brooklyn

MIA or DOA? The Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Fading Fast

The lack of news on the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) is hardly a death knell, but that doesn't mean no news is good news, either.

August 4, 2017 - Village Voice

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Glut of New Rentals Expected to Reset the New York City Market

When vacancy rates rise, rents should fall. In New York, reports disagree about how much vacancy rates are about to increase, and whether rents will drop at all.

August 4, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Los Angeles in 1939, as determined by the  Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC).

New Mapping Tool Illuminates the Consequences of Redlining

According to Next City, a new mapping tool from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition reveals the roots of gentrification in addition to making stark a history of discrimination.

August 4, 2017 - Next City

Kapan

Finding Solace in the Uniqueness of Landscape

Decades ago, Walter Benjamin theorized that pretty much everything could be reproduced—and, therefore, nothing was unique. This dismal conclusion, however true it may be, ignores the uniqueness of landscape.

August 3, 2017 - Common Edge Collaborative

1984 Olympics

Worldwide Response to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics: Skepticism

More than one media outlet praised Los Angeles' optimism for cutting a deal with the International Olympics Committee to host the 2028 Olympics.

August 3, 2017 - The Guardian

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.