Urban Development
Empty Nesters Stuck in the Suburbs
Just when boomers are ready to return to the city to enjoy all its cultural offerings, they find themselves priced out. Many do downsize, however, from large single family homes to more urban areas close to home.
Wood Frame Construction Has Yet to Catch Up to Regulations in Toronto
When it comes to housing construction, the best intentions of regulators aren't always enough to sway the market.
City Hall 'Outsider' on Opening Up L.A.'s Development Process
Los Angeles is experiencing an elevated anti-growth conversation and suspicion of insider dealings at City Hall. In the midst of this, a councilmember known as an "outsider" aims to reconcile his constituents with the city's development processes.
Columbus Bucks Trends, Grows Steadily
The latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series visits Columbus, Ohio, for a conversation with Planning Administrator Kevin Wheeler.
Revisiting the Archetypal Post-War Suburb
A CityLab article takes a trip to Levittown, Pennsylvania for a lesson in how places change, even when some places stay the same.
Local Preservation Board Wins Appeal in Seattle Development Battle
A development controversy in Seattle raises larger questions about land use regulation authority.
Making Sense of Community
Most of us Planetizen readers were inadvertently complicit in killing the term "sense of community." Scott Doyon points out where we go from here.
For Cities, Industrial Land Matters
When the "highest and best use" of city land...isn't.
Millennials Leaving Their Mark on Suburbia
How will millennial homebuyers change suburbia, or will they? Realtors observe that millennials relocating from the city look for parts of their urban lifestyle, e.g., walkable neighborhoods, yet they also have traditional suburban tastes.
Umberto Eco, Planning Education, and Urban Space
The great Italian scholar and novelist's death likely has little meaning for practicing planners, but his literary method might have lasting relevance for planning education and the design of urban space.
The Changing Nature of Retail: The Impact of Online Shopping on Cities
As consumers increasingly buy online, technology is changing the shape of our cities, reducing demand for retail space, increasing freight congestion, and leaving parking lots empty.
Tech Sector Makes Inroads in Portland
Low prices and a less frenetic working environment are drawing tech employees to Portland, Oregon. Gentrification may loom, but along with it may come expanded economic opportunities for the city and state.
A New Design Guide for Affordable Housing Developments
New affordable housing is only one step toward creating livable communities—a quality mix of uses on the ground floor, designed to integrate with the street and public spaces is also vital.
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
Details of Chicago's Vista Tower—Soon to Be the Tallest Building Designed by a Woman
The Vista Tower is expected for completion in 2020, when it will become the world's tallest tower designed by a woman.
The Colliding Legacies of Olmsted and Obama
Architects will soon be hired to design Obama's presidential library in Chicago. It may turn out to be a beautiful building, but will it be worth all that is lost in the process?
Louisville Conservation Subdivision Proposal Hits a Snag
A development controversy in Louisville centers on the definition of a conservation subdivision and an environmental threat in the form of an insect known as the emerald ash borer.
Competing Land Use Initiatives on the November Ballot in Los Angeles
Move over "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative." The "Build Better LA" initiative will compete for the soul of the city in the November election.
Making the Case for Mixed-Use, Walkable Development: #BuildHereNow
A new social media-fueled engagement effort is shedding light on the policies that make it hard to build walkable, mixed-use infill in communities around the country.
DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning
Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.
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
