Urban Development
How Cities Grow Big; Not How Big Cities Grow!
Can cities stop growth? is there an ideal size for a city-region? What really matters is HOW a city grows big, not how big a city grows. Design matters. When people suggest a city is getting too big, shift the conversation from quantity to quality.
State Supreme Court: Development Can Block Views of the Brooklyn Bridge
In a tale as old as New York City, residents are upset that a development project, already underway in Brooklyn, will block view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
California State Supreme Court Upholds Inclusionary Zoning Laws
The California Building Industry Association (BIA) had taken its case to the State Supreme Court, but in the end the court decided that municipalities could require developers to set aide a portion of units for affordable housing.
Residents Want a Say as Los Angeles Neighborhood Changes
The big market forces of Los Angeles long ignored Elysian Valley, colloquially called Frogtown. But now the neighborhood has hip cachet and residents are organizing to have a say as the area changes.
San Francisco's Intractable Housing Dilemma
Blogger Shane Phillips writes that San Francisco has two possible responses to its housing crisis: increase supply to accommodate newcomers, or hunker down and promote only subsidized housing. Both, he says, are lousy. Other coastal cities, beware.
Toward a Definition of Mixed-Use
A panel at the recent Urban Land Institute conference in Houston considers the imperative of understanding mixed-use development and its various forms.
Largest Ever Philadelphia Housing Authority Redevelopment to Seize 1,300 Vacant Properties
Philadelphia Housing Authority will use eminent domain to redevelop a huge swath of vacant properties in the Sharswood neighborhood.
Minneapolis Ordinance Would Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit
Imagine the kind of infill housing developments that could follow if Minneapolis approves a proposed ordinance to reduce and eliminate parking requirements for transit-adjacent developments all over the city.
New Office Tower Tallest in 30 Years for the Denver Skyline
A potentially iconic skyscraper is under construction in Denver.
Youngstown: Another Downtown Revitalizes
Earning negative press as a put-America-back-to-work campaign stop, the Ohio city also suffered from reported connections to crime. Now private developers are working alongside Youngstown State to bring people back.
Detroit's Vacant Properties Strategy Explained
The Detroit Free Press offers clear analysis of the multiple ongoing efforts in Detroit to improve vacant and blighted properties and return them to the benefit of the city's neighborhoods and residents.
U.S. Opposition to New Development
New data from the 2015 Saint Index shows what projects provoke the most opposition in the United States when proposed "In your community."
A Progress Report for the New Markets Tax Credit Program
During the ups and downs of recovery, acquiring and making the most of funding has been critical for distressed communities. A new report details the recent results from one such source, the New Markets Tax Credit program.
Washington D.C. Downzones to Curb Pop-Ups in Rowhouse Neighborhoods
Owners of rowhouse properties in Washington D.C. will no longer be able to add height and density by building pop-ups. The construction provoked the ire of aesthetically minded critics and, now, the regulatory controls of the District's zoning code.
New Faces on the Denver City Council Brings New Skepticism Toward Development
Denver has a reputation for building new residential units to accommodate its rapid growth. But the incoming class of new city councilmembers brings strong anti-development politics.
Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts Explained
With the dissolution of California Redevelopment Agencies in 2011, those looking to spur economic development have struggled to find alternative tools that create investment in communities where such investments don't flow naturally.
U.S. EPA Provides Guidance for Infill Development in Distressed Communities
Not every city is benefitting from downtown revitalization in the same way, so the U.S. EPA has released a new report offering strategies for in fill development in "distressed" communities.
What is Urban Decay? (And Why the Answer Matters)
The ambiguous definition of 'urban decay' dilutes the argument for requiring this less-well-known environmental study.
Is Gentrification on Tap at Philadelphia's Pop-Up Beer Gardens?
Danya Henninger reports on the local controversy over a pop-up beer garden in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Point Breeze.
Op-Ed Decries Santa Monica's Airbnb Ban
By exiling short-term renters, the coastal city of Santa Monica shifts its housing burden onto neighboring areas. That burden, according to this op-ed, contradicts the city's sustainability commitment and further limits scarce residential options.
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
