Urban Development
Janette Sadik-Khan Previews NACTO's Street Design Guide
Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC DOT Commissioner and president of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), discusses NACTO's mission and forthcoming Street Design Guide: a "permission slip" for cities to change their streets.
Community Benefits Agreement in Brooklyn Draws Criticism from Local Organizations
An agreement between Related Developers and a community organization that has gotten substantial support from an area councilman to support a job training and referral program draws criticism from some groups who feel left out.
Skyscrapers Rise Again in Seattle, But Who'll Work in Them?
Seattle developers are moving ahead with plans for three new downtown office towers - the first in 20 years - despite abundant vacant space in the area. Much sought-after tech tenants will be a tough lure because “[t]hey like weird buildings.”
Mini-City to Transform Victoria Island, But What About the Rest of Lagos?
With sleek high-rises, a waterfront promenade, and yacht-filled marina, Eko Atlantic could help Lagos attract the world's elite. But when it isn't busy demolishing their homes, what is the government doing to improve poor residents' quality of life?
Building on Assets Creates a Better Buffalo
Low interest rates and incentives from the state are helping Buffalo, NY to leverage its waterfront and extraordinary architecture to create a vibrant downtown, with historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects at center stage.
Bloomberg Backs Off Plan for Private Development of Public Housing Land
A controversial plan to generate revenue for New York City's struggling public housing authority by allowing private development is being reconfigured and pushed off until the next administration after it received considerable opposition.
Taking Bicycle Parking to the Streets
We can best thank Portland and other pioneers for all their hard work with on-street bicycle parking (a.k.a. "bike corrals") by simply benefitting ourselves from their efforts. Here's how...
Popularity Threatens Progress in Boston's Booming Seaport District
With growth ten years ahead of estimates, Boston's Innovation District is in need of some fresh ideas to help stave of death by traffic asphyxiation. Local roads and mass transit are already stretched to capacity during the evening commute.
Planning for Obsolescence
As college becomes less affordable, alternatives to the traditional four-year model have been making inroads, leading some to question its lasting viability. If universities struggle, it will impact not only campuses, but cities, as well.
Why the 'Yankee Way' is No Way to Build a Resilient City
Anyone living in New York, or paying attention to baseball, knows how one failed splashy signing can sink a team's competitiveness. Rather than trying to win with home runs, local governments should be playing small ball, argues Charles Marohn.
Is Change By Another Name Still Gentrification?
Those investing in the largely Latino enclave of Boyle Heights prefer to use the term "gentefication" - a play on the Spanish word for people - rather than the pejorative gentrification, to describe their efforts to improve the L.A. neighborhood.
Philly's Ugliest New Building Shows the Folly of Public Subsidies
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has the knives out for a new hotel built in Center City, calling it the 'worst new architecture' in the city. Worse yet, we all helped pay for such awful design.
The Evolution of Bloomberg's New York
This interactive feature from the New York Times employs animation and photographs of the city over time to explore the places where the outgoing Mayor has left the biggest impression.
Who's Returning To The City
Are children, millenials and baby boomers returning to cities? The best answer: sometimes, sometimes, and maybe not.
CA Redevelopment Bill: Communist Land Grab or Catalyst for Affordable Housing?
Amid political demagoguery, a bill to help spur infill redevelopment and the creation of affordable housing in California, following the dismantling the state's redevelopment agencies, is advancing through the California legislature.
Will Short-Term 'Failure' Lead to Long-Term Success of St. Louis Ballpark Village?
Last week the St. Louis Cardinals heralded the opening of a surface parking lot as a 'milestone' in the $650 million mixed-use development known as Ballpark Village. For Alderman Scott Ogilvie the lot represents the 'total failure' of the project.
Could Saudi Arabia's New Subway Unleash a Social Revolution?
The construction of Riyadh's Metro has ambitious goals to relieve gridlock and reduce obesity. Perhaps more importantly, it aims to grant women the freedom of mobility. “That's a lot to expect from a public transport system,” writes Susanne Koelbl.
Cities vs Suburbs: Where do Parents Want to Raise Their Children?
Tanya Snyder wades into the ongoing discussion over whether America's urban revival can be sustained, a question that essentially hinges on whether cities are creating an attractive alternative to the suburbs for raising children.
Would You Live in D.C.'s 'Middle Finger' Monstrosity?
It's being called 'the Monstrosity' and a 'middle finger to taste and scale', but you'd be wrong if you called it illegal. The three story 'pop-up' a developer has added to a two-story DC rowhouse has engendered a spirited debate amid a growing city.
Indianapolis Revival Is a Team Effort
What's made the difference in the trajectories of similarly-sized Midwest cities Detroit and Indianapolis? According to David Masciotra, cross-sector partnerships centered around sports entertainment have been the driving force behind Indy's success.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
