Urban Development

A History of Non-Planning (and its Contemporary Effects)
An article by Woodbury University Professor Anthony Fontenot examines the effects of a history of opposition to planning as a centralized arm of the state, and proposes a way forward.
New Guide Provides Advice for Successful Regional Planning
Transportation for America has released "The Innovative MPO"—a guidebook of sorts that provides lessons in successful regional planning.

Study: For Transit Proximity, Think Beyond a Half-Mile
A recent study suggests that people consider transit proximity to be more flexible than planners often allow.

Never Built: The 1912 Plan to Expand Manhattan, Fill the East River
The blogosphere caught wind of a plan from 1912 that would have completely altered the geography of New York City as we know it. Make no little plans, indeed.
Report: 2014 the 'Tallest Year Ever' for New Skyscrapers
The heights of the building envelope saw unprecedented expansion in 2014.
In Support of the Trinity Toll Road in Dallas
The Trinity Toll Road project in Dallas is one of the most controversial ongoing infrastructure and highway projects in the country. A Dallas Morning News columnist suggests the project's opponents should act like adults.

The Rise of the Development Agreement
The evolution of the development agreement reveals how its proliferation as a land use tool is a symptom of a larger struggle between increasingly complicated land use regulations, the public’s conflicting goals, and developers’ desire for certainty

Oklahoma City's Plan to Attract and Retain Millennials
The Oklahoma Gazette takes an in-depth look at the city's efforts to attract and retain millennials.
A First Look at Riverfront Stadium Proposal for St. Louis
Reports that the St. Louis Rams intend to move back to Los Angeles mobilized an effort by state and city leadership to keep the team in St. Louis.

Milken Institute Ranks 2014's 'Best Performing Cities'
The Milken's Institute report ranked San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City at the top of the performance index for the first time in the list's 15-year history.
Brainstorm: What Are the Creative Uses of a Roofless Building?
Becky McCray recently posed the question: "What can you do with a roofless building?"
Friday Funny: Critics Skewer High-Rise-with-a-Mouth in San Francisco
Kriston Capps shares the creative work of a couple of arm-chair architecture critics who took to Photoshop to express their opinions about the Snøhetta-designed tower proposed for One Van Ness in San Francisco.
Mapping Chicago's Current Wave of Transit Oriented Development Projects
Patrick Sisson reports on the fruits of a 2013 effort by the city of Chicago to codify transit oriented development.
Dallas Task Force to Find Preservation Solutions
After a high-profile demolition claimed a 129-year-old building in Dallas, preservationists are getting a seat at the table in the form of a newly formed task force.
A Dissenting Take on the Nicollet Mall Planning Process
While many are excited about the prospect of James Corner Field Operations redesigning the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, one commenter sees some of the worst dynamics of top-down planning at work.
New York's Applied Sciences Campuses and 'Metropolitan Revolution'
As its most recent entry in a new series of "Metropolitan Revolution Blog Series," Brookings examines the recent proliferation of applied sciences campuses in New York City.

'Aerotropolis' Plans Taking Off for Denver International Airport
Denver has plans to create an "aerotropolis" in the vast plain surrounding Denver International Airport.
Would Building in Hot Markets Help Housing Affordability?
As people move back into the cities, and rental housing demand goes up, it's been an interesting time for people wrestling with the problems of highly unaffordable areas to live.
Report: Arlington, Virginia Is Millennial Town U.S.A.
RealtyTrac recently released an analysis of fair market rents and median home prices in more than 500 U.S. counties. Among the findings of the report: the real estate markets with the highest share of millennial population.

Cities Growing Faster than Suburbs (But Not by Much)
Eliot Brown, commercial real estate reporter for The Wall Street Journal, writes on urban trends largely influenced by firms seeking to attract the brightest young workers with decidedly urban preferences. Mid-size and large cities are prospering.
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