Urban Development

Planning Communities for Thriving Children
When it comes to children's health and economic success, current trends are dismal. New research identifies how to plan communities where children can thrive. The secret? Compact, mixed-income, multimodal neighborhoods.

Sustainability Expert Becomes Dean of USC’s School of Public Policy
Chris Boone, a sustainability leader, becomes dean of the USC Price School of Public Policy, where he aims to advance interdisciplinary solutions and sustainability initiatives while building on the school’s legacy of public policy leadership.

Rethinking Suburban Development: New Trends in Creating Livable Communities
Discover new trends in suburban development focused on creating more livable, sustainable communities for future growth.

Commentary: We Need a Return to the Adaptability of Traditional Urban Form
How the rigidity of modern suburban development fails to prepare cities for the future.

Neurodivergence and the City
Researchers are starting to understand how people with conditions like autism experience cities differently — and how to design for the neurodiverse brain.

Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit
The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.

What’s in a Name? Investors vs. Speculators
We don’t often make a clear distinction between investors and speculators, which makes it harder to identify harmful behavior — and to find solutions for it.

Public and Private Collaboration Advances Park Development in Houston
Houston may be known to some as a concrete jungle, but its greenspaces continue to expand thanks to combined support from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

Building Secure Yet Welcoming Public Spaces
Strategies for securing public spaces from vehicle attacks and other acts of terrorism without sacrificing accessible, vibrant urban places.

River Seine ‘Teeming’ With Life
Decades of restoration efforts are yielding positive results as dozens of species of fish return to the once-polluted waterway.

Donald Shoup Wasn't Just About Parking. He Was About The Economics Of Public Goods.
William Fulton provides a personal perspective on Prof. Shoup's life and work: “His mission was to help people understand the underlying economics of public goods and services. Parking was simply the vehicle, one might say, that he chose to do so.”

Which Cities Have the Most Remote Workers?
Across the country, a median of 12.5 percent of workers continue to perform their jobs remotely.

Culdesac Tempe Defies Expectations
Despite initial skepticism about its true potential for sustainable urbanism, the built-from-scratch “car-free neighborhood” is widely popular with its residents.

Hitting Its Stride Or Hitting A Wall? South Texas At a Watershed Moment
Can South Texas rise up without drying up?

Single-Stair Reform Gains Strength
The movement to legalize single-stair multi-story buildings is gathering momentum, with the typology offering a more efficient, flexible, and healthy way to build housing.

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.

A New Cultural Landmark: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Set to Open in 2026
Transforming a former parking lot into a dynamic cultural hub, this new museum will feature expansive gallery spaces, theaters, educational areas, and lush green landscapes while prioritizing community engagement, local hiring, and inclusive design.

Lawmakers Call for Improved Air Quality Monitoring in LA Following Fires
Wildfires like those in Los Angeles that destroy urban structures release toxic chemicals, including lead, into the air.

Commentary: Why We Need a Federal Definition of ‘Rural’
A patchwork of definitions of rural versus urban areas has real consequences for communities seeking federal funding.

From Brownfields to Community Assets: A Conference on Land Revitalization
The 2025 California Land Recycling Conference (CALRC) will convene experts in Carson, CA, from September 16-18 to discuss brownfield redevelopment, sustainability, and equitable land reuse, with session proposals open until March 31, 2025.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service