Urban Development

Re-Evaluating Houston's Downtown Living Initiative
Like many other cities, Houston was looking for ways to bring more residents to Downtown. The Downtown Living Initiative has worked well—but will it leave some populations behind?
Planning Roundtable: What Makes a Good Urban Park?
Are there too many urban parks and plazas? If not, why do some fail? In this collaborative article, several urban planning gurus from different cities respond to these questions. They provide both shared and unique perspectives.

The Death and Life of Evanston, Illinois
A comprehensive review of the inner-ring suburb of Evanston, Illinois, outside Chicago, and a transformation Jane Jacobs would surely love. The proof is in the pudding: Evanston car ownership are far below regional averages.

New Urbanism Earning New Fans in One Chicago Neighborhood
With statistics showing that fewer than half of Americans know their neighbors, bringing neighborliness to neighborhoods remains a challenge for urban planners.

Supply, Demand, and Housing Prices, Part 2
Rebutting arguments against the law of supply and demand.
A Tale of Two Chelseas
The neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan, location of the High Line and one of the hottest real estate markets in the city, provides a case study of the wealth gap, with each side living in close proximity.
Friday Funny: What if Bisquick Played the Silicon Valley Real Estate Game?
Take everything you know about the design and planning of Silicon Valley's corporate offices—but replace tech with pancakes.

Why Some BIDs Succeed Where Others Fail
An in-depth study of business improvement districts (BIDs) in two Los Angeles neighborhoods examines the factors behind their success or failure.

The Walking City
What implications does pedestrian activity have on urban design? Creating walkable environments for pedestrians can improve urban conditions according to Arup architect Demetrio Scopelliti. We spoke to him about upcoming research on the topic.
Debunking the Data Behind Seattle's 'Explosion of Demolitions'
According to an article by The Urbanist, some Seattle publications might have been caught telling people what they want to hear, rather than offering clear perspective on the building trends of the city.

The Motown Sound Came From Single-Family Homes
Would the Motor City have produced Motown without pianos in every living room?

Coming Soon to Dallas-Fort Worth: 8 Million Square Feet of Office Buildings
Large corporations are making huge investments in new office parks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, reflecting a desire to attract young talent with Google- and Facebook-like workplaces.
New Releases: A Field Guide for Transforming Vacant Lots
Detroit Future City has released a guidebook for the process of redeveloping, renovating, and remediating neighborhoods full of vacant and blighted properties.
Scaling Up Local, Sustainable Food Production
The local food production industry so far has mostly been constrained to a niche market—expensive and available only to a small percentage of consumers. A project in Portland is working to change that.
Survey: Residents of Public Housing Don't See the Benefits of Gentrification
Conventional planning think says that mixed-income development benefits low-income neighborhoods. But a survey finds that residents of public housing in New York don't agree—rather, they feel left behind by newcomers to the neighborhood.

One Year Later: What has Cards Against Urbanity Taught Planners?
Reflection on the education provided by the irreverent game called Cards Against Urbanity has led the game's creators to create a new, less snarky version of the game.
Change Is Coming to Wrigleyville (Other Than Playoff Baseball)
The Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago will have a national audience this week for the first time since 2003. The neighborhood has changed, and is poised for even more change.
When a Summer Resort Town Finds Year-Round Success
Northern Michigan's "premier summer resort town" finds itself embroiled in a heated development controversy, reflecting that town's changing population.
Looking to the Skyscraper: Two High-Rises Proposed for Camden Waterfront
Camden, New Jersey, is not known for its skyscrapers, but that could change if the development of a site just south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is approved.
The Urban Character of Nashville's Building Boom
Nashville has 100 new projects, worth more than $2 billion, underway or in the pipeline for the next year. What does the building boom mean for city's future.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie