Urban Development

Poor Urban Planning at Heart of Devastation in India's Torrential Rains

The death toll from the torrential rains in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, and the surrounding region has climbed to 345 as of Dec. 4. While the scope of the rains are unprecedented, poor urban planning has been linked to the devastation.

December 8, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

Gentrification Is More Widespread Than We Think

Gentrification is happening faster than our ability to track it via census data. What is rental data telling us now?

December 8, 2015 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Grand Central

Mr. Kimmelman's Metropolis

The New York Times architecture critic is making good on his promise to focus on the social context and redemptive qualities of urban architecture and design. A recent lecture in Denver identified several imperatives for the planning profession.

December 7, 2015 - Dean Saitta

walkable street

Demand for Walkable Neighborhoods Outstripping Supply

Millennials and an aging Baby Boomer population have put a premium on "the hottest trend in real estate": walkability.

December 7, 2015 - The Huffington Post

Vacant Home, Cleveland

Cleveland Counts Its Vacant Homes, Finds Hope in Shrinking Numbers

Surveyors hitting the streets in Cleveland have found that the problem of vacant homes in the city isn't as bad as first feared.

December 7, 2015 - Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Opa-Locka, Florida

Germane Barnes' Vision for Opa-Locka

Known for its unique Moorish Revival architecture, and beset by a host of urban problems, the Miami suburb may have found its savior in Germane Barnes. The young architect and planner aims to revitalize the area without gentrifying it.

December 6, 2015 - Curbed

Using Instagram to Create a Blight Inventory

The Innovation Team in Mobile shows that sometimes innovation can be delivered through commonplace technology.

December 6, 2015 - Governing

Staten Island Ferry "Spirit of America"

Study to Address Staten Island Transportation Deserts

Residents of Staten Island suffer from very long commutes, and many rely on cars. The New York City Council has proposed a study to determine how additional transit could be implemented in the borough.

December 5, 2015 - SI Live

Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals

One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.

December 5, 2015 - Politico New York

To Solve Sao Paulo's Water Crisis, Collaboration Is Key

Brazil is rethinking it's approach to water infrastructure. Brazilian think-tank Arq Futuro and Arup's Pablo Lazo give their take on the state of South America's most populous country.

December 4, 2015 - Doggerel

Empty Parking Garage

The Citizen Kane of Parking Cartoons

The City of Ottawa (Canada) has produced an animated video to engage the public as it goes about reviewing its minimum parking standards, some of which date back to the 1960s.

December 4, 2015 - City of Ottawa

Demolition

Seattle Is Teardown Town

Mansionization, that conspicuous manifestation of the demand for larger homes, is alive and well in Seattle.

December 3, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Refugees

Urban Planners Have a Role to Play in Humanitarian Crises

"Humanitarians are conditioned to think about people, urban planners are conditioned to think about how the place affects people."

December 3, 2015 - International Rescue Committee

Community Land Trusts Laying Down Roots in Baltimore

There are 200 community land trusts in the country, so the idea clearly has traction. With three organizations pursuing new community land trusts, the model might soon have a new test bed in Baltimore as well.

December 2, 2015 - The Baltimore Sun

Details on Cincinnati's Ambitious Wasson Way Bike Trail Proposal

There's still a long way to go to get to the finish line on the conversion of a rail corridor into a bike trail that could connect important parts of the city, but Cincinnati is currently pulling lots of purse strings to make it happen.

December 2, 2015 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Living Alone Now the Most Common Type of Household

A revealing examination of demographic data shows a country that bears little resemblance to the 1950s era that bequeathed its housing and transportation models to current generations.

December 2, 2015 - Stat Chat

Planners Feeling Tension Between Disruption And Convention

Cultural changes and 'disruptions' created by the 'sharing' economy are challenging planners just as they're challenging their own competitors. Bill Fulton assesses the brave new world that might liberate planners—or befuddle them.

December 2, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Neighborhood Planning for Investment, Protections from Gentrification

The neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh, PA is poised is poised for new investment but is still far from a gentrification tipping point. A proposed "cluster plan" walks a fine line for the neighborhood's future.

December 1, 2015 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity Building Revitalized Neighborhoods

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has already been hard at work renovating homes and improving communities, with an ambitious goal to renovate 100 more homes in the next three years.

December 1, 2015 - Cleveland.com

Stahl House Los Angeles

Krugman Argues the Supply Side to Combat Urban Inequality

Paul Krugman, one of the most influential voices of liberal policy in the United States, has identified a culprit in the U.S. affordability crisis: over-regulation.

November 30, 2015 - The New York Times

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.