Urban Development
Examining the Merits of St. Louis’ Infill Boom
The central corridor of St. Louis has a host of development projects in the pipeline. With a celebration of the rebirth of the city has also come questions about the new developments’ adherence to faux-historic brick architecture.
Is A Small, Urban Wal-Mart Too Little Too Late?
Recent reports have revealed weaknesses in the big box business model. Will Wal-Mart’s new urban stores be as successful as its outdated model?
Shrinking Cities: The Antidote to Greenfield Development
Developers should be looking to shrinking cities like Detroit and Buffalo, not to greenfields, for future development.
The Future is Cities
Cities are growing faster than you can say megalopolis. But as populations around the world shift to urban areas, cities are also focal points for global challenges—water, energy, health. MIT is working to address these issues.
Boston’s Micro-Apartment Experiment Continues
Boston, like other cities around the country, suffers from a housing shortage. Initial micro-apartment developments met plenty of demand, but whether the model is a panacea for the city’s housing shortage is still in question.
Detroit—Model of Lean Urbanism
The Knight Foundation has announced funding for the Project for Lean Urbanism, led by Andrés Duany. In a recent article, Duany applies concepts from Lean Urbanism in examining the case of Detroit as the next in a line of revitalized urban settings.
Pittsburgh Resets Clock for Steelers’ Open Space Proposal
Pittsburgh hopes for pedestrian-oriented public space at the corner of Art Rooney Avenue and North Shore Drive. The city’s planning commission recently granted its NFL franchise a third extension to develop a plan for the parking lot on the parcel.
Comments Close for CEQA’s Level Of Service Revisions—What Now?
California’s retooling of Level of Service (LOS) analysis is one of the most closely watched regulatory changes in the country. With public comments on the issue closing on Feb. 18, how are planners reacting to the potential changes?
Exit Interview: D.C. Planning Director Harriet Tregoning Departs for HUD
During Tregoning's seven years at the helm of the Washington, D.C. Office of Planning, she pushed the city to adopt smart-growth policies touching all aspects of life--not just land use, but transportation, the economy, and more.
Learning from Vancouver’s Planning Successes
Vancouver’s reputation as a beautiful “mini-Manhattan” is well documented and well earned. But how did the city manage to fend off regrettable fashions in planning over the years, and how prepared is it to continue its success in the future?
Libraries Remain Central to Communities
A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that despite the increasing use of tablets and e-readers, Americans still love books and still rely on libraries as a central cultural institution.
Defending Kansas City's Historic Tax Credit Program
Historic and affordable housing tax credits recently came under fire from a Missouri state senator. Kevin Collison, writing for the Kansas City Star, responded.
Are Social and Economic Justice Planning Outcomes?
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Planning Commission Chair Carl Weisbrod while promising planning decisions that produce economic and social justice benefits. The question is to what degree planning can influence those outcomes.
10 Unexpected Cities to Love
A valentine to ten cities around the world that are quietly creating urban paradigms to admire and emulate.
Drive Till You Disqualify: Will Businesses Continue Hiring Super-Commuters?
Workers with long commutes are more likely to be be tired and stressed at work, and businesses are learning that they often make for less productive employees.
Peak Sprawl Happened—20 Years Ago
Analysis of the USDA’s 2010 National Resources Inventory, which tracks land use, shows the growth rate of suburban sprawl peaking in the mid-1990s, declining by two-thirds since then, even through the most recent housing boom. How did that happen?
Ranking Freeways Without Futures
The Congress for the New Urbanism releases a Top 10 list highlighting the worst, most ready-to-be-junked urban freeways. New Orleans, Syracuse, and Detroit make the list. Boulevards are a viable and much-needed alternative, says CNU.
Zoning Code Change Considered to Protect Philly’s Cornice Lines
To protect the character of city blocks, a Philadelphia councilwoman has proposed new restrictions on building heights on blocks with uniformly two-story buildings.
Imagining Silicon Valley Parking Lots as Corporate Housing
A series of renderings asks the question: "What might it look like if tech campuses replaced their parking lots and provided all the necessary housing on-site?"
Study: New Mexico MainStreet Achieves Dramatic Success
A new study shows evidence of dramatic positive impacts for the New Mexico MainStreet program, a state program working in coordination with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
