Urban Development

How Street Performances Transform Public Spaces

A busking advocate blogs about the benefits of street performances in public spaces and the need to revisit street performance licenses and requirements.

June 1, 2014 - Project for Public Spaces blog

De Blasio Moving Forward with New York City's Largest Housing Development in Three Decades

Although the Hunter's Point South was a Bloomberg-era proposal, the de Blasio Administration last week released an RFP for $100 million in construction to build the infrastructure and public amenities necessary to support the project.

May 30, 2014 - Crain's Business New York

Can the Garden City of the Past Work in the Future?

Anthony Flynt explores the motivations behind Robert A.M. Stern's recent revival of the Garden City as a model for future development. Among the benefits of the model proposed by Ebenezer Howard in 1902, according to Stern: equity and comfort.

May 30, 2014 - CityLab

Twin Developments to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

With a $1 billion NFL stadium on the way, and a $400 million mixed-use development that recently broke ground next door to the new home of the Vikings, stakeholders have high hopes for Minneapolis' downtown.

May 30, 2014 - New York Times

Toronto Little Italy 2

How Green is My Neighborhood? Let Me Count the Ways

Neighborhood-scale sustainable development is flourishing, as are tools for assessing and certifying the triple bottom line of projects. Ten neighborhood rating tools are reviewed for their best fit for planners, developers, and communities.

May 29, 2014 - Eliot Allen

Hurricane Ike Damage

New Research: Social Vulnerability Significantly Predicted Storm Damage from Hurricane Ike

Wesley E. Highfield, Walter Gillis Peacock, and Shannon Van Zandt from Texas A&M examine the damage after Hurricane Ike and its relationship to social vulnerability (Available via Open Access, http://goo.gl/K) in a new JPER article.

May 28, 2014 - JPER

Supply and Demand: Debating the Blame for Gentrification

Jim Russell and Daniel Kay Hertz are engaged in an ongoing debate about how supply and demand in markets of so-called "superstar metros" influences processes of gentrification.

May 28, 2014 - Pacific Standard

The Lay of the Land in the Columbus Success Story

Aaron Renn recently explored Columbus, Ohio, where he found a city fueled by growth and doing many things right, but lacking the differentiation it merits among the country's urban marketplaces.

May 27, 2014 - Urbanophile

Parking Propels Real Estate Bubble in Beijing

What's causing underground parking spaces to go for $160,000 in Beijing? Quartz reports that demand, narrow roads, resident disenfranchisement and old zoning law give developers the upper-hand.

May 26, 2014 - Quartz

How Fictional Characters Can Give Real Perspective to Planners

Eric Jaffe reports on a simulation method used by the Regional Plan Association to bridge gaps in community engagement while developing the Fourth Regional Plan.

May 26, 2014 - CityLab

Los Angeles Smog

Developer Defeats Planning Expertise in Downtown Los Angeles

The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a pedestrian footbridge for a large development west of Downtown. The approval came suddenly and despite the protests of advocates, planning professionals, and the volunteer City Planning Commission.

May 25, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Transit Planning for the Future of the Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront

The Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront is amidst a radical change—massive housing projects, celebrated parks, and new jobs by the thousands. One writer calls for transit planning now, to support the waterfront of the future.

May 25, 2014 - StreetsBlog NYC

Foreign Investors Driving Up Housing Costs, Creating Zombie Communities

A slew of analysis in recent weeks has examined the negative consequences of foreign real estate speculation in cities like New York City, London, and Vancouver.

May 23, 2014 - The New Yorker

How Value Capture Raised $2 Billion for Infrastructure in São Paulo

Leão Serva reports on the case of São Paulo, where a value capture funding mechanism has raised a huge amount of public revenue to pay for infrastructure projects and public housing.

May 23, 2014 - Citiscope

Quantifying Buying Power in 356 Cities

NPR presents the BEA's Real Personal Income for States and Metropolitan as Infographic

May 22, 2014 - National Public Radio

Seattle City Council Votes to Limit Small Lot Development

After the Seattle City Council voted to approve new small lot zoning regulations this week, the decision was hailed as a victory for neighborhood interests. The city had placed a moratorium on small lot development in September 2012.

May 21, 2014 - Seattle Times

Aggravated 15 Year Olds as a Measure of Place

Is there nowhere in your town to teach a kid to drive? Congratulations. You may be on to something.

May 21, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Does New York City Need More Bank Branches?

The question: "Why are there so many damn banks? Why did we even download this sweet banking app that's supposed to do everything short of pushing cash out of the headset jack?"

May 20, 2014 - Gothamist

Colorado Legislators Pass Bill to Reform Tax Increment Finance Districts

House Bill 1375 in Colorado would rewrite the rules of tax increment finance—sending more money to counties, which hope to gain more funding to provide for services. The bill awaits the signature (or veto) of Governor John Hickenlooper.

May 19, 2014 - The Aurora Sentinel

AT&T Park

Planning For More Than Sports

The recent attempts to lure a NFL team to Los Angeles shows how successful site design will depend on the cultural characteristics of the uses of the site as much as it will depend on planning for land use and logistics.

May 18, 2014 - Reuben Duarte

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.