Urban Development

A Failing Anchor Sinks All Mall Businesses

The big anchor businesses of malls are bleeding business and closing stores, dragging the rest of the mall business down with them.

February 24, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Miami

Miami's Looming Climate Change Disaster

Many experts believe that a property crash, as a result of Hurricanes or sea level rise, on the coast of South Florida is inevitable. But that hasn't deterred the suppliers or the consumers in the Miami real estate market.

February 24, 2016 - The American Prospect

Millennial Crowd

'Peak Millennial' Has Passed: What Comes Next for Cities and Suburbs?

The largest cohort of Millennials (those born in 1990) recently turned 25, leaving only smaller waves of their generational peers to follow. Are economic and generational trends primed for another, suburban shift?

February 23, 2016 - The Urban Edge

Loan Program Provides Gentrification Defense Near Chicago's 606 Bike Trail

That beautiful new bike lane, known as the 606, in Chicago has brought along with it local concerns about gentrification. The city and a local non-profit have teamed up to create a loan program to help current residents stay ahead of the curve.

February 23, 2016 - DNAinfo Chicago

Brooklyn's Tallest Proposed Building Has Date With Landmarks Preservation Commission

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the 1,066-foot building is what distinguishes it from other high rises of its size across the East River—it will be residential.

February 22, 2016 - The New York Times

Copenhagen

Compromise and an Engaged Public: Lessons From Copenhagen

Copenhagen is often cited as the world’s most livable city—a city characterized by bicycles and shared open spaces. But the road to get there has required compromise among politicians and an active and engaged community.

February 22, 2016 - Next City

Detroit - Renaissance Center

The Portrayal of Detroit Through 'Ruin Porn' Fails To Tell The Full Story

Do the stylized pictures of crumbling edifices and the recent incorporation of a vacant home in an art show do a disservice to the residents—mostly poor and black—who still call Detroit home?

February 22, 2016 - The Guardian

Sunday Service: New York Considers Church Parking Lots for Affordable Housing

The de Blasio Administration is getting creative in looking for sites to develop affordable housing. One potential idea: church parking lots.

February 21, 2016 - DNAInfo

Pricetag for LaGuardia Overhaul Gaining Altitude: Now $4.2 Billion

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering a proposal to replace LaGuardia Airport's Central Terminal Building.

February 21, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Tinkering With Seattle's Microhousing Rules Continues

A local writer evaluates the results of a 2014 ordinance that updated regulations regarding the development of microhousing. The Seattle City Council could once again revisit the regulations as part of the city's HALA process.

February 20, 2016 - The Urbanist

CN Tower rises above Gardiner Expressway on Toronto Waterfront

From 'Traffic' Planning to 'Transportation' Planning: Toronto's Pivot to the Future

Ken Greenberg, the former director of architecture and urban design for the city of Toronto, sits down to discuss how Toronto needs to transform to ensure a less auto-reliant future that serves a changing demographic of younger urban dwellers.

February 20, 2016 - Metro

Industrial Chic—Shipping Container Homes

Innovative Idaho developer wants to create a subdivision using shipping containers that will be targeted at eco-conscious home buyers looking for new options, first-time home-buyers and empty-nesters with a sale price: $152,000.

February 20, 2016 - Idaho Statesman

Mayor Emanuel Pitches Expanded Density Bonuses in Downtown Chicago

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed an expansion of the city's Downtown Zoning District this week. The changes would allow taller buildings in a larger swath of the city.

February 19, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

Cheers

RIP: Boston Dive Bars (1630-2016)

A recent unofficial tally on Yelp found that 20 of the 70 Boston dive bars listed on the site had recently closed. The Boston Globe examines the trend.

February 19, 2016 - The Boston Globe

Vancouver and Toronto Lead Big Increases in Canadian Housing Prices

The bloated cost of housing in Vancouver and Toronto has raised concerns among market analysts about a potential correction. Presumably, people in Canada are also worried about the price of housing.

February 19, 2016 - The Vancouver Sun

Champion of L.A.'s 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Speaks

A longtime Los Angeles journalist has joined the cause of a sweeping anti-growth initiative that has city leaders on high alert.

February 19, 2016 - The Planning Report

Gurgaon, India

Friday Eye Candy: India's Rapid Urbanization

Photographer and architect Lars Mortensen captured the new face of urbanization in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi. The scales involved are unprecedented, and rich and poor live in close proximity.

February 19, 2016 - Wired

Alamo Square

Op-Ed: Let's Build Homes, Not Ideology

Knee-jerk, ideological reactions to the California housing crisis rest on faulty arguments and threaten to cheat the state out of workable solutions.

February 18, 2016 - Eric Panzer

Parking Minimums Could Torpedo an Adaptive Reuse Project in Cincinnati

A vote by the city of Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board, of all things, would prioritize parking over historic integrity.

February 18, 2016 - Urban Cincy

Public Meeting Speaker

Socially-Blind Urban Planning

In this era of increased inequality, socially-blind urban planning is morally questionable. Specifically, on the issue of homelessness in America, there are three problems to which planners need to pay particular attention.

February 18, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

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.