Urban Development

Portland

Report: Portland's Proposed Residential Infill Policies Could Slow Infill Development

Portland is expecting 123,000 new households in the city by 2035, so it's proposed a new residential infill policy to accommodate all those people. A new report argues, however, that the policy could have a chilling effect on infill development.

November 3, 2016 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Beverly Hills

When City Planning Fails: Taking a Single Hotel Development to the Ballot

What Happens When A Beverly Hills Developer Decides A Ballot Initiative Is Easier than the Planning Process?

November 3, 2016 - The Planning Report

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh's Lessons for Los Angeles and Beyond: Reinvest in Planning

The rules are changing, Tom Murphy says, and cities need to change, too.

November 2, 2016 - The Planning Report

New York Skyline Fisheye

12 Big Ideas for the New York City of the Future

Faced with a surging population and a need for big new ideas, Crain's recently tasked 12 design and planning firms to conjure up creative ideas for the city.

November 2, 2016 - Crain's New York Business

Los Angeles STreet

How Los Angeles Redefined Mobility as a Service

Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynolds discusses her vision for urban mobility and the growing role of city leadership.

November 2, 2016 - The Planning Report

Flood

Small Number of Repeatedly Flooded Properties Account for Much of Flooding’s Cost

New policies may be needed to encourage more responsible development and keep builders from constructing structures that will inevitably be flooded.

November 1, 2016 - Pew Charitable Trusts

Philadelphia

Billboards Having a Moment in Philadelphia

A proposal to add billboard advertisements to a pair of city-owned buildings come at a time when residents, and the federal government, are already concerned about the proliferation of billboards in the city.

November 1, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

[Y]our Future, According to Chris Leubkeman

As leader of Arup’s global Foresight + Research + Innovation team, Chris Luebkeman spends much of his time thinking about how to build tomorrow’s cities today. Writer Peter Moskowitz spoke with him about aging and climate change.

November 1, 2016 - Doggerel

Climate Change

The White House Announces a Big New Resilience Collaboration

The White House yesterday announced several initiatives aimed at improving awareness of resilience practices around the country. One of the initiatives has enlisted 97 universities and other organizations to train design professionals.

November 1, 2016 - WhiteHouse.gov

Library

Professor: Good Planning Starts with Good Judgment

A Calgary researcher pushes for outcome-oriented planning.

October 31, 2016 - Calgary Herald

Plano's 'Legacy West' Mega Development Way Ahead of Schedule

The largest real estate project under construction in Texas, located in Plano, is wrapping up in about half the expected amount of time.

October 30, 2016 - Dallas News

Charlotte

Charlotte Wonders About its Future as a Fast-Growing City

Behind all the debates surrounding the consequences of quick growth, a big question looms for Charlotte and other similarly growing cities: Will it last?

October 30, 2016 - The Charlotte Observer

University of Washington

A New Master Plan for the University of Washington

The University of Washington's growth pattern mirrors that of its home city of Seattle. Now the university must make room for 20 percent more of everything—students, faculty, and staff.

October 30, 2016 - The Urbanist

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Planners Have Had It Up to Here With Parking Podiums

Above-grade parking garages, also called parking podiums, have become a standard typology across Los Angeles. From Koreatown to Downtown, new residential buildings are separated from the street by several floors of space devoted to parking.

October 29, 2016 - Urbanize LA

Parkchester

Affordable Living in The Bronx

A look at Parkchester, one of four planned communities built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York City, circa 1940s. The complex includes over 12,000 rental and ownership apartments, located near the #6 subway.

October 29, 2016 - The New York Times

Bradenton Florida

The Genesis of a Medium-Sized City's Affordable Housing Strategy

Bradenton, a medium-sized city on the Gulf Coast of Florida, offers a case study in affordable housing policy.

October 29, 2016 - Bradenton Herald

Camden

How *Not* To Do Economic Development

It's clear that New Jersey’s economic development planners didn't spend much time thinking about opportunity costs when they approved $1.1 billion in tax incentives under the Grow NJ program.

October 28, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Toronto Skyline B&W

Help Wanted: Canadian Cities Turn to the Federal Government for Affordable Housing

An organization representing Canadian cities is asking for $12.7 billion to respond to rising housing costs.

October 28, 2016 - Next City

Urban Sky

Y Combinator's New Cities Project Gets Curiouser and Curiouser

The Silicon Valley start-up devoted to reinventing the city made a splashy hire this week.

October 28, 2016 - TechCrunch

Busy Downtown

Density Doesn't Measure the Success of Cities

Using density as a metric of urban quality is misleading and inadequate, according to an article on CityLab.

October 28, 2016 - CityLab

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.