Urban Development
A Planner's View of the Los Angeles Riots
Parts of Los Angeles erupted in flames 25 years ago this week. The causes were varied, but the results were geographic. Planners and community development efforts tried to help, but their effects have been lost in the wind.
Taking Back Highway Airspace: It's Happening
Building over highways is not a particularly new idea, but it has been a rare novelty. Former SPUR director and development consultant Jim Chappell sees a brighter future for highway caps parks and projects.
With Florida Sprawl Comes Infrastructure and Public Safety Concerns
Some local officials in unincorporated Hillsborough County, outside of Tampa, Florida, are trying to take local residents up to the consequences of unmitigated sprawl.
Friday Eye Candy: The Antidote to Detroit 'Ruin Porn'
The new book "Detroit: The Dream Is Now" tells a story of revitalization and ambition, in the same city where far too many "ruin porn" photographers have tread.
City of Los Angeles Tops 4 Million in Latest State Population Report
As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.
Where It's Cheapest to Build Out a New Office
With so much attention paid to the nation's housing crisis, it's still important to keep an eye on other kinds of uses. The office market is full of surprises, like cheap office build out costs in a city infamous for residential gentrification.
Study: Greenery Improves Quality and Length of Life
Living near vegetation appears to be linked to a longer life and better mental health—for women, at least.
Friday Funny: The Onion Likens Gentrification to a Butterfly's Metamorphosis
The satirical website takes on the darling of community and economic development: the local craft brew industry.
'Citizen Jane' Sets the Battle Lines for the Future of Cities
Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.
After Measure S: Los Angeles Leaders Ponder Growth and Equity
The controversy over the recent ballot initiative known as Measure S has Los Angeles thinking: How can the city accommodate new housing supply without disenfranchising communities?
$1.5 Billion Development Planned for Cincinnati Exurb
Developers have announced plans for a $1.5 billion, multi-phase development to be located in Turtlecreek Township, in Warren County, Ohio.
First Look at the Future Obama Presidential Center
The former president and first lady released a first look at the designs for the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.
Study: House Sizes Increase at the Expense of Tree Canopies
A research study has found that increasing house sizes in the Los Angeles area have drastically reduced the number of trees shading the region's landscapes—regardless of geographic location of socioeconomic status.
Downtown Anchorage Targeted for Revitalizing Infill and Redevelopment
Downtown Anchorage has languished for decades from the lack of redevelopment. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz seeks to reinvigorate the downtown core with new housing and other development opportunities. Most of the new growth has gone to Midtown area.
Irishtown Bend Full of Potential
A planned 17-acre park on the Cuyahoga River has planners and designers excited about the possibilities for an area that some worry may wash away.
Proposed Regulations to Create Affordable Housing for Seattle's Uptown
Draft ordinance regulating urban design in Seattle's Uptown would mean big changes for the neighborhood’s affordable housing requirements.
The Costs of California Building Codes
Reconciling accessibility and safety with costs and innovation in the Golden State.
Op-Ed: Affordability Depends on Market-Rate Housing
California State Senator Scott Wiener argues that advocating for subsidized affordable housing isn't enough. Anyone concerned with ending the state's housing crisis needs to get behind market-rate development.
What Makes For a 'Day 1 City'?
Can we use Jeff Bezos's distinction between "Day 1" and "Day 2" companies to compare cities? If so, Pittsburgh may be a prime example of the former.
Using Big Data to Identify Problem Properties
In New York state, municipalities can apply to use a new tool that gathers property data and sifts for red flags. The intent is to identify potential blight before it sets in.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
