Urban Development
A Planner's Guide to Chicago
Pete Saunders, blogger with the Corner Side Yard and professional planning consultant, wrote a post explaining Chicago for the U.K. publication Guardian Cities.
Columbus, Ohio Launches 'insight2050' Plan to Curb Sprawl
The Mid Ohio Planning Commission (MORPC) is working with Columbus 2020, ULI Columbus, and planning firm Calthorpe and Associates to head up a new effort called insight2050 that will develop "objective analytical tools" to prepare for growth.
Sidewalks Left Out of Nashville Development Fee System
Josh Brown reports for the Tennessean on the unintended consequences of a fee waiver meant to encourage infill development—developers are readily choosing to pay the fee instead of building sidewalks.
What 'Rust Belt Chic' Shows about the Complexity of Cities
Belt Magazine is publishing the second edition of its "Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology" next month. The edition's new introduction sums up will the complicated issue of Cleveland's renaissance.
Government Reform Proposed for Better Planning in Philadelphia
Geoff Kees Thompson digs into one component of this old city's proposed mayoral platform for Philadelphia: the need to organize the city's alphabet soup of planning agencies under one director and give the Planning Commission teeth.
The Community Reinvestment Act Gets a Makeover
Jonathan Walters details the new thinking that is redefining how Community Reinvestment Act funds are invested.
Op-Ed: Chicago's Washington Park a Perfect Fit for TIF
An op-ed in the Chicago Tribune addresses the long history of tax increment financing abuse in Chicago, but supports a proposed TIF district for Washington Park.
A Primer on Innovative Parking Regulations
Writing for Smart Growth America, Neha Bhatt provides a survey of innovative parking regulation and management strategies in cities around the country.
Placemaking in Communities of All Sizes
A new article from Smart Growth America portrays the successes of placemaking in communities as diverse as Soldotna, Alaska (population 4,163), Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Sprawl and the 'Death of the American South'
A post by Sustainatlanta reacts to the recent study that predicted massive, sprawling growth in the South in the next 50 years. The post's concern is that sprawl will "eviscerate' the Southern lifestyle.
Developers Fail to Meet Affordable Housing Quota in Portland's Pearl District
Despite a contractual obligation, Hoyt Street Properties under-built 258 affordable housing units in Portland's Pearl District. The city has to react.
Planned Epicurean District in Paris Raises the Specter of Gentrification
A new corridor planned as a haven for local gourmet food in the quiet Haut Marais neighborhood of Paris concerns residents with the threat of gentrification.
BART secures $760 Million for 10-mile Extension to San Jose, California
On Wednesday, officials celebrated the final fiscal installment of the $2.3 billion 10-mile BART extension planned to open in 2018.
Interpreting the 'Timeless and Time-Bound' in Cities
In his latest essay on interpretation of the urban environment, Chuck Wolfe suggests that if we take away context clues cities become matrices -- with blank cells to complete -- where each of us personalizes how space meets time.
Bloomberg Offers $1 Million Annually for 'Innovation Delivery Teams'
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg began a new program via Bloomberg Philanthropies to invest $45 million for shaking up city halls.
How Small Lots Yield Urban Density
A recent article explains how, and why, small lot subdivisions get built in Los Angeles. Also, the city has recently updated a procedural glitch to make permitting easier for small lot projects.
Designing Child-Friendly Cities: More Trouble than it's Worth?
With the Millennial boom in many urban centers, many cities are looking for ways to retain young families rather than losing them to the traditional suburban exodus. One columnist dares to ask: Do cities even need kids?
Portland Building First Multi-Modal Bridge—No Cars Allowed
To connect the South Waterfront area with the rest of the city, Portland is building a multi-modal bridge accommodating tram lines, streetcars, light rail lines, bicyclists, and pedestrians, but not automobiles.
Kotkin on Cities: What the Hipsters Want is Not What the People Want
Joel Kotkin checks in with a dissenting take on the politics and demographics behind the urban revival.
Olmsted Alive! 'Emerald Necklace' Plan Proposed for Los Angeles
Inspired by a park system proposal by Frederick Law Olmsted from 1930 to build a network of parks and open space throughout the city, a coalition of advocates is reviving the idea of connecting people and parks throughout Los Angeles.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
