Urban Development

Houston's Appetite for Luxury High Rises Slowing Amidst Oil Slump
The ups and downs of the oil market are having an effect on the future skyline of the city of Houston.

Reexamining the Origins of Zoning
According to Seymour Toll's 1969 book, New York City's 1916 zoning code was less a civic-minded project than an attempt to protect elite retail districts from the riff-raff. The ramifications for American zoning at large are significant.
Toward Inclusive Redevelopment: When in Doubt, Bring People Together
It's hard to get urban redevelopment right. Headlines are dominated by rising costs, gentrification concerns, and not-in-my-backyard blockading. Let's talk about a way to work toward more inclusive redevelopment.

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street
In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

The Real Reasons Affordable Housing Isn't Being Built in California
The policy tools used to address our nation's housing shortfall often seem to worsen the problem. But this is because they ignore the underlying infrastructure and financing to support growth.
Criticism Over Special Parking Arrangements for New Atlanta Braves Stadium
Cobb County, Georgia recently approved the "Accessory Special Event Parking" ordinance to limit parking operations around the Atlanta Braves' new stadium.

Zoning as a Tool of Social and Economic Inequality
The New York Times devotes significant ink to an argument against the use of zoning laws as tools of anti-growth politics.

The Disconnect Over Displacement in Los Angeles
A mixed-use development proposal in South L.A. highlights a blind spot of progressive urbanism—the gap between what checks all the boxes and what low-income communities really need.

New Data on the Shift to Cities
It's no secret that urban centers are doing better today than they were 30 years ago. New FHFA data on housing prices confirms the trend and suggests that a changing environment (as opposed to changing preferences) account for it.

The Vision for a $120 Billion Public Transportation Revolution in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Metro's new Chief of Planning Therese McMillan joins the agency at a pivotal moment, as county voters will decide in November whether to approve a new, evergreen sales tax to fund future Metro public transportation expansion.

The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective
How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.

The 3 Most Common Community Engagement Mistakes
Planners, like any other professionals, live in a kind of bubble. Those charged with dealing with the public run the risk of expecting too much from residents as they design community engagement activities. Here are some of the most common mistakes.

More Residents and Workers Using Fewer Parking Spaces in Philly's Center City
The findings of a report on changes occurring in Philadelphia Center City finds more residents and workers walking, biking, and taking transit. (Thankfully, they aren't all looking for parking every day.)

Fort Lauderdale's South Beach Still Trying to Exit the 1970s
Most people agree that Fort Lauderdale's "South Beach" is in need of contemporary development investment, but so far it's been hard to deliver on any of the big ideas proposed for the area.

20-Minute Neighborhoods In Detroit
If Detroit needs to be "rebuilt" or "reimagined," why not do so around a walkable, convenient ideal? A compact Motor City where essential goods and services are available within a 20-minute walk?

San Jose Sharks Invoke CEQA to Protect Arena Parking
Another "only-in-California" story.

Planetizen Week in Review: July 1, 2016
It will only take us two-and-a-half minutes to catch you up on the big planning news from the last week of June.

Chattanooga Approves New Form-Based Code for Downtown
Chattanooga is the latest city to apply the form-based code methodology to a specific area of the city, including downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.

Florida Getting a New, Privately Funded Space Exploration Facility
Blue Origin, founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, is constructing a massive facility for building rockets in another sign of the future of space exploration.
Design Team Selected for the Obama Presidential Library in Chicago
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners (TWBTA) will design the Obama Presidential Center—selected from a group of seven finalists.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions