Urban Development
Can New York's Most Suburban Borough Develop a Real Downtown?
Laura Kusisto looks at plans set to be unveiled this week for revitalizing Staten Island's north shore neighborhoods - one of the Bloomberg administration's top priorities in its waning days.
Westward Ho! Philly Fulfills its Manifest Destiny
With seven high-rise housing projects planned for the area between the western edge of Center City and the University City Science Center, Philadelphia's development axis is bending westward. The city's ed and med sectors are providing the impetus.
Detroit Healthy City: Health Impact Assessments and the Detroit Future City Plan
A look at the Detroit Future City Framework through the lens of a Health Impact Assessment may provide valuable information concerning the effects of the plan's policies and practices.
Three Everyday Ways to Inspire Urban Change
Chuck Wolfe suggests three, perhaps non-traditional ideas for how to inspire acceptance of change in our cities through accessible experiences.
Zoning Our Way to HOA Insanity
If local's so great, why is the HOA, the country's most popular form of micro-governance, such an impediment to complete, complex and convivial communities? Scott Doyon has some ideas.
It's Time to Turn Back the Clock on Slum Upgrading
In the 1970s and 80s, bottom-up slum upgrading schemes inspired by the ideas of British-born architect James F.C. Turner benefited tens of thousands of residents of Mumbai. Current policies incentivize top-down redevelopment, harming slum dwellers.
Examining Europe's Attraction to Historical Pastiche
Lost amid the protests and heavy-handed police response throughout Turkey is the original debate over the proposed reconstruction of an historic military barracks in Gezi Park. Feargus O’Sullivan says such debates are playing out across Europe.
Hollywood's Twin Towers Get a Haircut, But Will State Objections Block Final Approval?
Two towers set to transform Hollywood's skyline will alter it just a bit less after developer Millennium agreed to lower their proposed heights by more than a dozen stories. The CA Department of Transportation is raising concerns about the project.
London’s Lived-In Look
London calling! PlaceMaker Hazel Borys fuses her passions for great cities, efficient transit, civic art and form-based coding into one lavishly documented examination of the English capital. Cheers, mates!
America's Most Urban President Should Embrace Its Cities
While he cannot do much to rewrite the Constitution, which favors rural America, or reverse a century of history, which gave rise to the suburbs, Obama, the most urban president, can do more to embrace the city as an innovation incubator.
Has Toronto Built Too Much Too Fast?
As Toronto's condo building boom has transformed the city, it's also helped to transform Canada's housing market. There are warning signs, however, that a surplus of housing in the city threatens to destabilize Canada's entire economy.
How Will the Government Manage China's Great Urban Leap?
Ian Johnson explores a pivotal moment in China's development, as the country seeks to migrate 250 million rural residents to cities in the next 12 years. Observers speculate on how a comprehensive urbanization plan will achieve this transition.
The Case for Hyperdensity
On Places, Vishaan Chakrabarti argues that the hyperdense city is more prosperous, equitable, ecological and delightful — and vital to America's strength as a nation.
Are Cities Killing Their Creative Edge in the Quest for More Revenue?
As the world's centers of business and politics compete to create ever more lucrative commercial and residential zones, creative spaces are being razed and redeveloped. Is the ability to nurture creativity and diversity being lost in the process?
How to Make a Resilient City (budget)
Building intensity can do just about everything: make a city budget more resilient, conserve land, and encourage infill. And possibly make your morning omelet.
The Enduring Allure of Urban Environments
Even if the swelling modern metropolis doesn't reflect the gleaming city of science fiction, Edwin Heathcote finds much to be optimistic about with regard to the future of cities on a rapidly urbanizing planet.
Are Skyscrapers Profitable?
Yes and no, says Peter Bill. As a look at London's delightfully nicknamed towers - the Shard, the Walkie-Talkie, the Cheesegrater - shows, it may take years, and multiple economic cycles for skyscrapers to recoup their investment.
Suburban Poor? Are You Sure?
Brookings Institute's “Confronting Suburban Poverty” is generating a lot of buzz. Community development leaders and planners took to Rooflines to voice opinions and critiques of the book, moving its authors to submit a response that you must read.
Efforts to Boost Walkability Meet Hostility in Twin Cities’ Suburbs
A fragmented network of sidewalks is commonplace in the suburbs of Hennepin County, Minnesota. Mary Jane Smetanka reports on controversial efforts to fill in the gaps and retrofit these suburban neighborhoods as walkable places.
Cities Struggle to Maintain Affordable Housing Near Transit
In Seattle, and elsewhere, city leaders are struggling to maintain the supply of affordable housing in close proximity to transit stations. Rising rents in areas near stops are displacing lower-income residents.
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
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
