Urban Development

Denver International Airport

Debating Starchitecture: A Mile High View

Is there a sweet spot where architectural boldness and innovation meet sensitivity to local context, history, and culture?

September 15, 2014 - Dean Saitta

pallets of green oil barrels stacked

How Cities Save Nature

According to Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resource Defense Council, the best way to save our natural wonders is by living and investing in cities.

September 15, 2014 - NRDC Switchboard

Criticism for Chicago's Lucas Museum Planning Process

Chicago won the opportunity to house the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, proposed for a location at Chicago's Museum Campus. But critics are gathering with questions about how the museum will fit into the city's fabric.

September 14, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

The Option of Sensing the City

In his second Huffington Post article on "place-decoding," Chuck Wolfe argues for considered attention to enhancing people's abilities to discern the city around them.

September 13, 2014 - The Huffington Post

Seattle & Mt. Rainier

Growth Battles Heating up in Seattle

The growth of Seattle growth is inflaming passions on either side of the issue—some claim that the city wants everyone to "live in cubicles"; others say the city isn't doing enough to prepare for 120,000 expected new residents.

September 12, 2014 - Seattle Weekly

Nashville Struggles to Preserve the Historic Icons of Music Row

Outcry over the potential redevelopment of RCA Studio A in Nashville is raising tough questions about the conflicting dynamics of property rights and cultural heritage.

September 12, 2014 - Aljazeera America

Mixed-use waterfront

6 Ways Urban Renewal Misses the Livability Mark

Despite spending millions on urban renewal projects, municipalities often miss a common group of opportunities to make their communities more livable and walkable, according to William Adams, a San Diego-based land use attorney.

September 12, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Pittsburgh Reaches Deal for 'Transformative' Redevelopment of Lower Hill District

The old Civic Arena site, formerly the home of the Pittsburgh Penguin NHL team, will be redeveloped with the help of the city's largest-ever tax increment financing district.

September 10, 2014 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Identifying Trends from Analysis of 7,000 PlanPhilly Stories

A meta-analysis of the archive of popular local planning website PlanPhilly provides insight into the issues and ideas that drive the planning conversation in Philadelphia.

September 10, 2014 - PlanPhilly

Downtown Los Angeles Punching Above its Weight in Residential Development

Shane Phillips shares the results of his own analysis about how completely Downtown Los Angeles has dominated the supply of new housing units in the city since 1999.

September 10, 2014 - Better Institutions

Leaving California

Lessons Learned from Decades of California Planning

Since the 1980s, California has been both a beacon of cutting-edge urban policy and an example of the ways planning can go awry.

September 10, 2014 - The Planning Report

Lessons in Sprawl from an Abandoned Government Housing Program

The Mexican government built houses for five million citizens in the last decade, only to see those houses abandoned en masse after sprawling patterns out stretched demand.

September 10, 2014 - The New York Times

On the Future of Public Art

Public art can be personal, political, grandly scaled, or small in ambition. And, yes, there's a "new wave" of public art to be found in yard bombing, flash mobs, and tactical urbanism. Find out what the experts say about the future of public art.

September 9, 2014 - Artsblog

Transportation Planning a Key Issue in Upcoming City Elections

Rachel Dovey provides a roundup of mayoral races that feature special interest and attention on the issues of public transportation and transit-oriented development.

September 8, 2014 - Next City

Cincinnati Sign

Cincinnati's Unique, Recession-Era Gentrification

A new study examines gentrification (measured by relative income) at the neighborhoods, revealing the unique case of Cincinnati, which increased wealth faster during the recession than it did during the preceding boom.

September 8, 2014 - Cincinnati Business Courier

You’ve Got Lemons: What Now?

A timeless marker of community has emerged as a source of conflict: the lemonade stand is being called an "illegal business." Scott Doyon discusses how getting to know — and support! — your neighbor can be an issue of survival.

September 8, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Philadelphia's Waterfront Showing Signs of Life

After decades of promises of improvements along the Delaware River In Philadelphia with little to show for it, recent "small but powerful" public improvements are remaking the city's waterfront into a "welcoming, fun place to hang out."

September 8, 2014 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Los Angeles County's Creative Plans to Boost Parks

A recent Los Angeles Times article described the creative ways the city of Los Angeles is trying to meet park needs. Los Angeles County park planner Clement Lau describes the county's side of the story.

September 7, 2014 - UrbDeZine

SoHo Greenwich New York

Historic Preservation as the Enemy of Diversity

A recent article takes a controversial stance contrary to the argument of Jane Jacobs that old buildings equal affordable, diverse neighborhoods.

September 7, 2014 - Market Urbanism

Staying Vigilant on Level of Service Reform

The Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Switchboard blog chimes in on the potential benefits of California's ongoing reform of Level of Service (LOS) review.

September 6, 2014 - NRDC Switchboard

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.

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.