Urban Development

Graffiti and Family

Building the Inclusive City

Income inequality, housing affordability, and residential segregation are big challenges that require more self-critical analysis and less civic self-promotion.

May 7, 2015 - Dean Saitta

Seattle Gasworks Park

Seattle Zealously Protects Its Parkland

Based on a history of park-friendly ordinances, Seattle parks and urban forests are largely off-limits to developers. Landowners who flout these regulations must provide the city with an adjacent and equivalent parcel.

May 7, 2015 - KUOW

Revealed: Dan Gilbert's Next Detroit Redevelopment Investment

The neighborhood of Brush Park will be home to the latest big investment by Quicken Loans founder and Detroit patron Dan Gilbert. $70 million will build 337 new housing units on 8.4 acres.

May 7, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Looking for Someone to Blame for Bad Architecture? Look in the Mirror, Says Op-Ed

Architecture Critic Mark Lamster attended the recent Congress for The New Urbanism annual conference, this year held in Dallas. One panel in particular, "How to Rebuild Architecture," proved informative.

May 7, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Mapping Chicago's 375 Tax Increment Financing Projects

A new mapping project allows new access to information about Chicago's controversial tax increment financing mechanism. Now at least the debate will include visuals.

May 6, 2015 - Curbed Chicago

Highlights from CNU 23 Dallas

Having just wrapped up a great CNU in Dallas, April 29 through May 2, a collection of urbanists share some of the ideas that resonated the most.

May 6, 2015 - PlaceShakers

The Sun Also Hides Behind Skyscrapers

The Washington Post details the concern over the shadows cast by skyscrapers on the city street below. The latest high-profile case study of the ability of skyscrapers to block the sun: New York's Midtown.

May 5, 2015 - The Washington Post

Atlanta's Big Mistake: Rushing Movie Studio Deal for Fort McPherson

Checking in on the status of negotiations for the redevelopment of Fort McPherson's 488 acres of rolling hills, historic buildings, and a lake, among much more, the Saporta Report argues that Atlanta has been far too accommodating.

May 5, 2015 - Saporta Report

East L.A. Arts

On the Natural Urbanism of East L.A. Artists

The planning process often suffers from a lack of community engagement. According to James Rojas, planners can learn from the on-the-ground urbanism of artists in East L.A.

May 5, 2015 - KCET

20 Years of Planning for Streetcars in Washington, D.C.

In anticipation of the expected opening of the H Street/Benning Road streetcar line in Washington, D.C., Peter Dovak examines the evolution of streetcar planning over the past 20 years.

May 5, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Remembering Urban Renewal on Jane Jacobs's Birthday

Some think of May 4 as Star Wars day, others remember May 4 as the birthday of Jane Jacobs. Charles Marohn suggests that May 4 should now be known as "Urban Renewal Remembrance Day."

May 4, 2015 - Strong Towns

Reno Sign

Nevada's Most Interesting City: Reno

Long considered a desert backwater and second fiddle to Las Vegas, the city of Reno is having a resurgence. Small entrepreneurs, industrial giants like Tesla, and artists inspired by Burning Man are converging to overshadow the fading casino economy.

May 4, 2015 - Next City

99 Cents

99-Cent Stores: the Weed of the Urban Commercial Environment

A proliferation of 99-cent stores in the Woodhaven neighborhood in Queens has strangled the commercial offerings in the neighborhood. But can residents or the local business improvement district do anything about the trend?

May 4, 2015 - TimesLedger

Making Room for Skyscrapers in the Jane Jacobs Debate

A Market Urbanism op-ed makes the case for high-rise neighborhoods as an integral part of successful cities—even if some Jacobs fans tend to overlook the benefits of such parts of town.

May 4, 2015 - Market Urbanism

Beverly Hills Fountain

How Capitalists View Cities

The Milken Institute Global Conference brought hoards of business leaders to Beverly Hills last week. Sessions included some high praise for cities and buoyant predictions about innovation, development, and accommodating six billion city-dwellers.

May 4, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Charlotte Housing Development

'Missing Middle Housing' Website to Fill the Gap Between Supply and Demand

Opticos Design, Inc., the Berkeley-based urban planning and architecture firm has launched a new website dedicated to the missing middle of the housing market.

May 2, 2015 - Logos Opticos: Composing Vibrant Urban Places

Earth at Night

UN-Habitat Adopts International Guidelines for Urban and Territorial Planning

UN-Habitat has adopted International Guidelines for Urban and Territorial Planning intended to inform the United Nation's New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

May 1, 2015 - Bruce Stiftel

Detroit Strikes Deal to Move Red Wings Stadium Forward

A plan to build a new, $450 million hockey arena along the Cass Avenue corridor near Downtown Detroit has already faced criticism for its generous public subsidies. The City Council recently made sure the public will get something in return.

May 1, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Bracing for Gentrification in Houston's Near Northside

The average median price for home in Houston's Near Northside jumped from $49,500 in 2010 to $80,000 last year. Can these predominantly Latino neighborhoods retain their character as they change?

April 30, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

Small Town Art

Artists Breathe New Life Into Pennsylvania Town

Long suffering Rust Belt woes and lacking the name recognition of a Pittsburgh or Detroit, York opened its doors to another overlooked group: artists. The results so far are impressive.

April 29, 2015 - Belt Magazine

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.