Urban Development

Freeway Cap, Penn’s Landing Waterfront Details Emerging in Philadelphia

Project planners estimate that a $200 million investment in an 11-acre cap park over I-95 that will reconnect the city with the Delaware River could return $1 billion in private investment.

April 18, 2014 - PlanPhilly

Strip Mall

Is it a Suburban Exodus Yet?

A new report finds that suburban areas are losing residents to urban areas like New York City and Washington D.C., even well past the point when people would have traditionally made the choice to return to the suburbs.

April 18, 2014 - New York Times

Arguing for City-Focused Sustainable Development Goals

Richard Florida joins the chorus calling for the United Nations to make “cities the centerpiece of its forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals.”

April 17, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

Pittsburgh Land Bank Approved—With Compromises

Pittsburgh recently approved a land bank to acquire properties when owners fall behind on property taxes. The question about how much control to grant an independent authority, or maintain with the City Council, remains controversial.

April 17, 2014 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New Urbanism Gets a New Leader

Lynn Richards, formerly of the U.S. EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities, is set to become President of the Congress for the New Urbanism in July. In this interview, Richards says that forging new alliances will be a key goal for her.

April 17, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

A Comprehensive Examination of the Bay Area Housing Crisis

The Google Bus protests got the media’s attention, and the Ellis Act has politicians' attention, but the Bay Area’s current tech-housing-gentrification crisis is a big, complicated mess.

April 16, 2014 - TechCrunch

Historic Properties Decay in Philadelphia’s Old City

Old City in Philadelphia presents a troubling dichotomy—while the neighborhood is a busy location for redevelopment investment, many of its historic buildings are succumbing to neglect.

April 16, 2014 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Making Multifamily Truly Urban

The multifamily industry is building more in walkable locations, but developers still need instruction on the manners of placemaking. Here are some hints.

April 15, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Pulitzer Prize

Pulitzer Prizes Awarded for Urbanism and Built Environment Journalism

The 2014 Pulitzer Prizes yesterday awarded the best work of journalists over the past year. Included in the roster of winners were journalists and publications covering issues of relevance to Planetizen readers.

April 15, 2014 - Pulitzer.org

Growth Slowing in Washington D.C.

After a decade of incredible growth, a tightening job market has finally slowed the domestic migration into Washington D.C.

April 14, 2014 - Washington Post

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

The High Line as Symbol of 'Severe Economic Inequality'

A recent article in Salon cites the High Line as perhaps the most conspicuous example of how municipal governments are subsidizing wealthy corporate or private interests while many citizens continue to suffer low wages and benefits.

April 14, 2014 - Salon

Study: Planning Failed the Decaying Suburban Subdivision of Windy Ridge

A new study that examines the contributing and enabling factors that led to high foreclosure rates, neighborhood decline, and disparate impacts on low-income populations in the subdivision of Windy Ridge, near Charlotte, North Carolina.

April 14, 2014 - Applied Geography

Multifamily Evolution: From 'Train Wreck' to Urban

In a comprehensive piece called "What's New in New Urbanism," Multi-Housing News reports that new urban ideas have "swept the industry over the past 20 years."

April 14, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Cloud Computing Company Will Have its Name in the Clouds above San Francisco

It is only fitting that Salesforce, whose logo is a cloud, won the naming rights to what will be the West Coast's tallest building when completed in 2017 where they will lease half the space. When the fog rolls in, that's all the workers will see!

April 14, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Nightlife in Tel Aviv

(*Updated) Study Finds Fewer Young Adults Moving into Cities than Moving Away

An article on the Metro Trends Blog finds that data do not support the common narrative that young people are moving to cities in huge numbers. Most cities, according to the study, lost more adults aged 20-35 than they gained between 2000 and 2012.

April 13, 2014 - Metro Trends

Which Cities Have the Most Energy Star Buildings?

More and more energy efficient buildings are coming online, but buildings are still a major source of energy use around the world. To track green building, the EPA recently ranked the cities with the most Energy Star buildings.

April 12, 2014 - United States Environmental Protection Agency

Making the Case for the Downtown Athens Master Plan

University of Georgia College of Environment and Design Professor Jack Crowley has taken to the pages of a local publication to explain some of the thinking behind the proposed Downtown Athens Master Plan.

April 12, 2014 - Flagpole

Empty Parking Lot

Rethinking the Value of Parking Lots

To create more active and economically healthy downtowns, cities are seeking development on parking lots.

April 12, 2014 - Newsweek

How Do Neighborhoods Become Wealthy?

A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland examines a “troubling consistency” of neighborhoods—that is that over the past 30 years, the poorest neighborhoods have stayed that way.

April 11, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

First Look at Alexandria’s Ambitious Waterfront Redesign

Following a Waterfront Small Area Plan adopted in January 2012, Alexandria, Virginia got its first look at proposed designs for the redevelopment of its Old Town waterfront this week.

April 11, 2014 - Washington Business Journal

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.