Urban Development

Seattle NIMBYs Protest Dense Development, Cite Eastern Bloc
A zoning bill has stirred up the fear that dense development projects will transform Seattle into a "Soviet cityscape." Residents accuse developers of using loopholes to squeeze in pricey, out-of-character townhomes.

Houston Rethinks Mass Transit
For decades, Houston has experienced car-oriented development, giving little attention to other forms of transportation. In recent years, however, rapid population growth and increase in traffic congestion has the city revisiting alternate options
A Case Study in Planning for Inclusion and Affordability
New federal programs are enabling planning processes that deliver positive outcomes for a broader scope of the population. Seattle provides an example of how federal money is supporting the success of inclusive planning processes.
Boston Hopes to Make it Easier for Developers to Prepare for Rising Seas
Several agencies with the city of Boston will begin studying how to retrofit the city's building codes to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Streetcar Moving Along in Downtown Los Angeles
The Los Angeles City Council voted to allow the Los Angeles Streetcar project to begin preliminary engineering.
How to Make the Helena, Montana Urban Standards Boundary Work
Recent work by the American Planning Association’s professional institute’s Community Planning Assistance Teams program examined the case study provided by growth management challenges in and around the city of Helena, Montana.
New Designs for Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion Revealed
New renderings for Populous & HMC Architects winning proposal give a close-up look at the new-and-improved Los Angeles Convention Center.
Looking Back at the APA's HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is celebrating its 50th year. To help commemorate the occasion, the American Planning Association looks back on its partnership with HUD.

The Man Who Made Chicago Easy to Navigate
Edward Brennan waged an extended turn-of-the-century campaign to clean up Chicago's then-confusing address numbering system. Though few recognize his name, Brennan's legacy lives on in modern Chicago.

Breaking Down the Seattle City Council's 'War on Density'
Recent legislation considered (with some approved) by the Seattle City Council Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee takes anti-development politics to a new level in a city reacting to years of growth.
With Planning Approval Comes New Value: How Can Communities Gain Too?
A post by CityMetric uses examples from the United Kingdom to make the case for new approaches to value capture.

What Cities Can Learn From Companies Migrating to Downtown
The Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown report, released on June 18, 2015, provides in-depth analysis of a powerful trend of companies investing in urban downtowns.
Paterson: A Postindustrial Portrait
Once a major industrial hub, Paterson, NJ has experienced urban decline since the end of World War II. But the city is rich with history and opportunities for revival. The article chronicles how the city can avail these opportunities through design.
How NIMBYism Contributes to San Francisco's Housing Shortage
A pattern of opposition to housing projects that leads to the underdevelopment of land has contributed to a housing shortage in San Francisco, writes planning consultant Jim Chappell.
Should Egypt Build a New Capital to Replace Cairo?
Reviewing the plausibility of replacing the thousand-year-old capital of Cairo with a new, master planner, $45 billion capital city.
Want Smart Kids? Provide Access to Green Space
A new study finds evidence of the benefits of green space for the cognitive development of children.
San Antonio Outpaces Austin in Millennial Growth
The question remains whether San Antonio can back up the population of young people moving to the city with desirable multi-family housing.
Designing The Urban Technology Landscape
Urban planners need to go beyond environment and stakeholder input, taking a stronger role in the development of new technologies to design new urban futures rather than relying on software engineers.
Cornell's $2 Billion Campus in New York Will 'Bridge' Academia and Corporations
The eagerly anticipated addition of a $2 billion campus for Cornell on Roosevelt Island will include a gesture toward the new model of innovation economy that directly connects universities with their cities.
Kentucky Planners Against the Proliferation of LED Billboards
An op-ed from the Kentucky state chapter of the American Planning Association takes a strong stance against regulations that could allow the permitting of LED billboards along highways.
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.
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