Urban Development
CEQA Abuse 'Choking' Good Development, Study Finds
A study of CEQA litigation revealed widespread abuse that experts say undermines California's environmental sustainability goals.
Portland Updating Regulations for Infill in Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods
Portland is tackling a critical but often controversial issue: how to regulate infill development in residential neighborhoods when growth is pushing landowners and developers to build bigger and denser.
Endangered Places in 2015: Texas Dancehalls
Dancehalls—places for small-town Texans to gather for community—are struggling to survive in a changing Texas.
Best Practices for Downtown Revitalization
Downtown revitalization comes in all shapes and sizes. A new, free guidebook from Smart Growth America offers advice for making revitalization work.
Visualizing Global Urban Growth Through 2030
Geographer Duncan Smith mapped the predicted trajectory of worldwide urban growth from 1950 through 2030. Concentric circles of different shades show where and when growth was (or will be) the most dramatic.
St. Louis' Multi-Family Market Ready for Takeoff
Permits to rehab existing multi-family buildings have skyrocketed in St. Louis.
Anchorage Considers Densification
In a city of sprawling surface parking, increased density may help close a serious affordable housing gap as Anchorage, Alaska, seeks ways to make development more affordable.
Which Fears Are Blocking Solutions in Your City?
A former planning commissioner recalls often being surprised at the passion and anger displayed toward small changes around the city of San Francisco, and attempted to get to the nature of the fear driving the opposition.
16 Case Studies of Workforce Housing Protection
A new report from the Urban Land Institute responds to what it argues is a housing crisis among lower- and middle-income workers.
Los Angeles to Redesign Its 'Worst Public Space'
Josh Stephens reports on the Pershing Square Renew Design Challenge, an effort to redo one of the "world's worst squares and plazas." The new Pershing Square may hearken back to the years before its misguided 1992 redesign.
Jakarta's Titantic 25-Mile Seawall
Indonesia's capital, population 10 million, is slowly sinking below sea level. To protect itself and drive the economy, the city is building a 25-mile bird-shaped seawall, to be topped with luxury development.
Philadelphia Attempts Urban Intervention to Fix Its 'Most Boring Street'
Surrounded on all sides by glassy, modern towers, Philly's West Market Street has lacked the sort of attractions that have brought downtown workers to neighboring streets.
Help Has Arrived for Dallas' Aging Arts District
With sidewalks in disrepair and shabby looking trees, Dallas has turned to planning and design firm NBBJ to create a new master plan for its Arts District.
Toward a Better Understanding of Supply and Demand
A housing market analyst finds that traditional models do a poor job of measuring supply and demand, which makes it very difficult to know how much supply is needed to meet demand.
Paris Launches EcoDistrict on Train Station Site
After a decade of development, Paris' first EcoDistrict launched this year. Built in place of a disused train station, the district features offices, housing, and amenities built around clean and green principles.
Rail Access in High Demand Among the Young, White, and Well Educated
Washington, D.C. provides a model for trends found in other cities: people living near transit are trending younger, whiter, and more educated.
How a Historic Business Will Anchor a New Cultural District in Louisville
A historic corner of Louisville is getting a makeover as a cultural district for the 21st century. The $28 million already has preliminary approval for $7.2 million state tourism tax credits.
Rio De Janeiro's New 'Museum of Tomorrow' Studies Urban Ambitions
The world lacks any significant number of museums focused primarily on the issues of planning. Rio de Janeiro, however, will soon add one to the inventory.
The Citizens Budget Commission Reports on NYC's Housing Affordability
As Mayor de Blasio pulls out all the stops to make the case for zoning proposals critical to his affordable housing plans, the Citizens Budget Commission assessed the economics of housing construction in the city.
Shut It and Gut It: Anchorage Takes Hard Look at Transit Center
After 500 hours of analyzing its downtown transit center, Anchorage officials have come to one conclusion: The only way to fix this building is to shut it and gut it. The transit center, over three decades, has become a blight on Downtown.
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
