Urban Development
Friday Funny: John Oliver's Takedown of Public Money for Professional Sports Stadiums
HBO's John Oliver wants cities to do one thing when professional sports teams come asking for public money to build new stadiums: "Make them pay!"
Mayor Emanuel Would Freeze TIF Districts in Downtown Chicago
Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a plan that would save $250 million for schools and city operations at the cost of one of the city's most powerful funding mechanisms.
Op-Ed: Infrastructure First, Redevelopment Second for Staten Island
With big plans come big responsibilities. Will a massive wave of development investment headed for Staten Island be met with a commensurate investment in infrastructure?
A Case Study of Displacement in Suburban Marietta, Georgia
An article in City Observatory's City Commentary sheds light on an underreported fact of life in some parts of the country: suburban displacement.
Tetris and the Challenge of Curbing Chinese Sprawl
In theory, sprawl can be limited by good planning. In practice, sprawl is an exceedingly challenging phenomenon to stop. This post looks at the systemic challenges of stopping sprawl in mainland China.
Op-Ed Critiques the Pro-Density Arguments of Denver Planners
A Denver Post op-ed critiques the arguments employed to make the case for density in Denver.
Public Art and the Urban Experience
A retrospective of a billboard art exhibition at the 2013 Biennial of the Americas on the occasion of the 2015 Biennial's kick-off implicates an excellent model of citizen engagement and possibly some lessons for civic leaders and urban planners.
Detaching the Family Car from Single-Family Housing
As parking reform takes to multi-family housing, the detached single family home has largely escaped discussion. Should it? Seattle (of course) is taking the lead. Also, is all of Minneapolis ready to eliminate parking minimums along transit lines?
Dallas Retail: Low Vacancies, Lots of Construction
Fast rates of growth in North Texas have produced the demand necessary to drive fast rates of construction for retail.
Minneapolis Ends Parking Requirements for Transit-Adjacent Developments
Minneapolis took a large leap forward last week by approving a plan that would reduce parking requirements for transit-adjacent developments in a huge swath of the city—not just downtown.
Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts
Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.
Auto-Repair Facility Permit Filed a Day Before Pedestrian-Friendly Zoning: What Next?
A case study in the development miscues that can move forward while plans are developed and approved.
How Much Does it Cost the Public to Build Housing in Loudoun County, Virginia?
A wealthy county in Virginia has a reputation for prohibiting the construction of new housing. Development interests, however, are fed up with anti-development arguments.
Battle Cry of the Suburban Majority
According to Joel Kotkin, the next culture war will be fought over how and where Americans choose to live. It's suburbs vs. cities, again.
Memphis Residents Weigh in on Fairgrounds Redevelopment
Consultant teams collaborate to provide both in-person and online engagement opportunities, and the city sees an impressive response.
Details of the Mayo Clinic's $6.5 Billion Master Plan for Rochester, Minnesota
One of the world's most renowned medical facilities and foundations is planning to make a substantial investment in its hometown.
How Futuristic Renderings Fail Future Cities
Pushing back on a version of futurism that imagines cities as a collection of iconic structures devoid of people and interactions.
A Call for Better Urban Design on Tampa's Grand Central Avenue
A local columnist voices a harsh critique of a development proposed for one of Tampa's most beloved streets. So far the developer seems responsive to the community's concerns.
The End of Single-Family Housing? Seattle Housing Committee Creates a Stir
A draft report, by the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) Advisory Committee created by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, includes language about single-family zoning that has provoked debate.
The Passaic River: A Postindustrial River Reimagined
Writer Jeff Byles chronicles the Passaic River's relationship to Paterson, New Jersey and how its revival can prove beneficial for the city in this second installment of the Paterson series.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
