Urban Development
Flat Tops No Longer Required for Los Angeles Skyscrapers
Emily Alpert Reyes reports that Los Angeles has overturned a long-standing requirement for its skyscrapers to have flat roofs to accommodate the fire department's helicopters in the event of an emergency.
The Look and Feel of 'Inherently Urban'
Greek orators, current solution-based efforts, and 25 photographs remind us of the central role of human opportunity in the urban environment.
A Conservative's Response to Joel Kotkin
A column by Reihan Salam takes exception to Joel Kotkin's recent portrayal of "anti-suburban conservatives."
Can Boston Change its 'Wink and Nod' Development Process?
A reborn plan to raze the Winthrop Square parking garage and replace it with the tallest building in Boston will provide a test for new Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
Bloomberg Donates $125 Million for Urban Transportation
In his second global transportation donation meant to reduce death and injury from transportation, the former NYC mayor will take a decidedly urban focus by directing his foundation to select ten cities to receive $125 million, he announced Monday.
A Call to Protect Cultural Institutions from Urban Renewal
While considering plans for a large urban renewal project in Hollywood, Los Angeles struggles to avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater—that is, saving a place for small cultural institutions when redeveloping neighborhoods.
Report: Cities Segregating by Employment Type—Not Just Income Level
New analysis from Richard Florida and the Martin Prosperity Institute maps segregation by employment type, finding the darker effects of the creative class.
Critic's Review: Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan
Christopher Hawthorne details the finalized master plan for Los Angeles' remodel of its historic Union Station, saying the master plan positions the station to be a hub of activity in a remade city.
New Philadelphia Department of Planning and Development Proposed
Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke will release the details of a proposal to consolidate planning and development approval authority into a new, cabinet-level city department.
The American Planners Who Designed the Australian Capital
Eleri Harris offers a graphic account of the historic planning and design of Canberra, Australia—designed and planned by Americans, Walter Burley Griffen and Marion Mahony Griffin.
Where Critics Fear to Tread
Design criticism bridges the gap between the process and product of design, and the public’s understanding and appreciation for it. But does it have to be all about architecture?
Friday Eye Candy: Life Finds A Way
NPR's Cities Project is crowdsourcing Instagram photos of nature creeping back into urban spaces.
The Race to Map Brazil's Favelas
In an effort to tap into new users, companies like Google and Microsoft are racing to map the winding, informal streets of Brazil's slums in Rio de Janeiro.
Report Reveals Imbalanced Investments for Atlanta's BeltLine
While the neighborhoods on northern segments of the Atlanta's BeltLine has received 94 percent of funding invested towards parks and trails, segments to the south have received 86 percent of affordable housing investments.
The Importance of Inter-Urban Walkability
In his third "place-decoding" essay from France, Chuck Wolfe recalls all that we can learn from walking between settled places.
On the Los Angeles Urbanism Boom
Urban planner and researcher, C.J. Gabbe, shares insights from his past two years living in Los Angeles, including surprising innovations in planning and development.
What's Your 'Elevator Pitch' for Greener, Healthier Cities?
Kaid Benfield shares his placemaking pitch.
New York City BIDs Have Indifferent Impacts on Economic Growth
"Rather than serving as a buffer against economic decline for independent retailers, it seems that Community BIDs are a hindrance to sales and employment growth..." writes Dr. Stacey Sutton in the Journal of Planning Education & Research.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Lead First-Time Buyer Market
Calling Pittsburgh "the next Boston," recent analysis finds Pittsburgh and Cleveland are bucking trends in stagnant first-time buyer rates in the housing market.
The Las Vegas Strip—Now Catering to Millennials
A travel article in the Dallas Morning News describes the Las Vegas Strip's recent changes as Las Vegas-style New Urbanism.
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
