Urban Development
A Call to Flâner, for Spatial Justice
The concept of the flâneur was created in the 19th century in response to the encroaching speed and efficiency of the Industrial Age. Can the flâneur now fashion a political response to the Age of the Automobile?
Questioning Chicago’s Development-Friendly Reputation
Chicago has a reputation for being the most development-friendly city this side of Houston. But Stephen J. Smith cites restrictive zoning outside the Loop as one cause of the city’s anemic housing market.
Parking Lot Tax Considered Among Portland’s Downtown Plans
A proposal to tax and eventually prohibit parking lots in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown is pitting two powerful figures in Portland’s downtown land use politics against each other.
Making the Case for the Redevelopment of Nicollet Mall
Some call it “Minnesota’s Main Street,” but Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis has been the subject of much debate as the city mulls a redevelopment plan for the mall designed by James Corner Field Operations.
Amanda Burden Gives TED Pitch for Public Space
Amanda Burden amassed quite a track record during her tenure as planning commissioner for New York City, like rezoning 40 percent of the city. In a recent Ted talk, however, Burden concentrated on the details that make for successful public spaces.
Can Access to Willamette Falls Spur Urban Renewal?
State and local officials in Oregon have launched a planning process to develop a public access esplanade to Willamette Falls in Oregon City. City planners could center urban renewal plans around what is expected to be a popular tourist destination.
Website Says 'Yes In My Back Yard'
A website called New York YIMBY is run by a 23-year-old New Yorker named Nikolai Fedak. The site, and Fedak’s pro-development ethos, was recently detailed in the New York Times.
Optimism Indicator: Record Number of Building Permits in Philadelphia
Observers of Philadelphia’s economic and social situation can celebrate, and worry, given recent data on issues like poverty, crime, and the job market. One bright spot, however, is 2013's record number of building permits.
After Mayoral Scandal, What Next for Charlotte's Permitting Reform, Streetcar Project?
Former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon resigned after taking bribes in exchange for zoning and parking privileges. Will the fallout affect the city's streetcar plans or its efforts to streamline permitting and code enforcement?
Housing is the Key to Family-Friendly Cities
Why housing should take priority in the effort to attract families back to the city (and welcome them to stay awhile).
What Does Lynch’s 5 Elements Reveal About Oakland, CA?
Using Kevin Lynch’s approach to analyzing the image of cities, Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau explores Oakland and reveals a city that is quite different than it's public image.
Southwest Airlines Joins Project for Public Spaces to Activate Parks
Southwest Airlines joins Project for Public Spaces in an initiative to reactivate underused public spaces.
Seattle Updating Zoning Regulations for Small Single-Family Lots
Planners in Seattle have responded to controversy over the size and scale of development on small lots in many of the city's single-family neighborhoods, with a new set of zoning regulations.
One Possibility for Activating Vacant Storefronts in Small Cities
A post on the blog for Utile, a Boston-based architecture and urban planning firm, recommends the coffee cart as a bit of DIY urbanism for cities like Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Height Controversy in the Lower Ninth Ward
Two seven-story buildings, proposed for the former site of Holy Cross School in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, have created heated controversy in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. In question is the character of the city’s riverfront neighborhoods.
Architecture + Urbanism: Both/And, Not Either/Or
Looking at the trend toward interdisciplinary design practice through the work of WXY Architecture + Urban Design.
HUD expected to further ease restrictions on mixed-use financing
The administrative change to follow recent successful FHA standards, according to CNU president John Norquist.
Study: Sprawl is Bad for Public Health
Smart Growth America has released the "Measuring Sprawl 2014" report, which updates the 2002 report "Measuring Sprawl and Its Impact."
''D.C.'s High Line" Could Transform the Banks of the Anacostia
The proposed elevated park across the Anacostia would be a first for D.C. The group backing it has launched a national design competition to design a bridge that fosters economic development, promotes community health, and cleans the river.
'People Habitat': Kaid Benfield Takes Smart Growth to a Higher Level
Kaid Benfield has a new book out, which Scott Doyon found positively uplifting. In ways beyond what you might be thinking.
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
