Urban Development

New York City's Zoning Code, First in the Nation, Approaches its Centennial

New York's 1916 zoning code would not have allowed 40 percent of buildings in Manhattan to be built today, according to a recent analysis. It also turns 100 on August 27 of this year.

May 23, 2016 - New York Times

Chicago Blight

Black Flight From Gun Violence: Chicago's Loss Is Suburbia's Gain

Middle class African-Americans are fleeing Chicago due to crime, not due to being priced out, as is common elsewhere. "On average more than 10,000 African-Americans leave the city every," reports Brandis Friedman of WTTW for the PBS NewsHour.

May 23, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

Why Chicago Park Advocates Want to Preserve a Parking Lot

A Chicago nonprofit drew criticism for opposing the planned Lucas Museum in favor of a large parking lot. But the organization says it fits into their mission of promoting open space.

May 23, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Washington D.C. Row Houses

Photos: Why So Many Former Stores Are Now Homes in Washington, D.C.

If some residences look a little out of place in Washington, D.C., it may be because they were originally retail shops. A Tumblr is devoted to these homes, and the zoning laws that created them.

May 23, 2016 - CityLab

Toronto Construction

Ontario, Canada Working on Sprawl-Killing Legislation

It's hard to imagine a policy that so comprehensively acts to create disincentives for sprawl gaining political traction anywhere in the United States.

May 22, 2016 - Toronto Star

Downtown Houston

Opportunities for Urban Innovation in Houston

Kinder Institute director William Fulton discusses Houston's changing demographics and economic prospects. He sees the city as a place to pioneer and implement solutions to Sun Belt problems.

May 22, 2016 - Next City

Pershing Square

L.A.'s New Pershing Square Will Be 'Radically Flat'

After stakeholder engagement and an international design competition, Agence Ter's plan for "radical flatness" has been selected to replace downtown L.A.'s current Pershing Square. The preferred alternative is, above all, simple.

May 21, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

John Fry

The College President With the Sterling Redevelopment Résumé

John A. Fry lacks a terminal degree, but what he doesn't lack is land use and redevelopment know-how. Drexel University in Philadelphia is the latest to employ his talents.

May 21, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Seattle Waterfront

The Why and How of Locating a School in Downtown Seattle

A Seattle writer makes the case for a new school to be located in Downtown Seattle.

May 21, 2016 - The Urbanist

Chinese Developer Building $300 Million Project South of Houston

The Ivy District is notable for its scale as well as for the funding mechanisms that made the project happen.

May 21, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

Trump Tower

How Donald Trump Earned His Reputation as a Developer

Perhaps no development is more associated with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee than Trump Towers, which established his reputation as a developer with little regard for historic preservation and revealed his character in business.

May 20, 2016 - Planetizen

Seattle Sailboats

Friday Funny: A Scathing Comeback to Seattle's NBA Arena Trolls

Samantha Bee has seen the misogynistic conduct of NBA fans in Seattle after the City Council decided not approve a plan to build a new NBA arena in the city's SoDo neighborhood.

May 20, 2016 - Crosscut

Vancouver Skyline

World Cities Report 2016 Released by UN-Habitat

The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has published a flagship report intended to inform preparation of the New Urban Agenda at the Habitat III meetings in Quito in October.

May 19, 2016 - Bruce Stiftel

Housing Construction

Comparing Housing Permits Around the Sun Belt

It might not come as a surprise, but the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new single-family homes are the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new homes.

May 19, 2016 - The Urban Edge

San Francisco STreetcar

Uber Partners With San Francisco Landlord to Subsidize Car-Free Tenants

A large development in San Francisco would limit parking spaces by paying for its tenants to go car free. Uber is paying part of the bill.

May 18, 2016 - The Verge

What Can Fort McMurray Learn from Greensburg, Kansas?

Rebuilding after a major disaster offers a unique opportunity for a community to step back and ask how it wants to build.

May 18, 2016 - Treehugger

Edge condition houses transect

California Governor Proposes Streamlined Affordable Housing Process

Rather than devoting more funds for affordable housing, California Governor Jerry Brown is supporting streamlined regulations, mandated by the state and enacted at the local level .

May 18, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Creative Placemaking: Lead, Follow, AND Get Out of the Way

For governments and institutions, creative placemaking means knowing when to let go. Scott Doyon explains.

May 18, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Suburban Rowhouses

The Suburban Future

It's not a popular viewpoint, but what if suburbs end up being more critical to a sustainable and efficient future than dense urban areas?

May 17, 2016 - Smithsonian Magazine

Detroit

Can Detroit's Urban Revitalization Undo the Mistakes of Urban Renewal?

Some experts think the language used to describe a redevelopment project in Detroit might be overly ambitious.

May 17, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

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.

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.