Urban Development

On the Westside of L.A., where rush hour traffic slows to a crawl on the best days, a proposed transit-oriented development called the 'quintessential example' of smart growth by the Mayor's staff faces opposition to its size and attraction to autos.

June 11, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

As our suburbs diversify, the most affordable commercial districts found in such areas (often in strip malls) become an important entry point for immigrants to build their 'American Dream'. Kaid Benfield asks if such opportunities deserve protection.

June 11, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard Blog

Real estate listings tout proximity to it, retailers want to be near it, and communities are clamoring for it; Capital Bikeshare has become an economic development tool that some think could be as potent as cars and Metro in guiding development.

June 11, 2013 - The Washington Examiner

The Empire State Building's place in New York City's skyline is set to be challenged by several new residential towers, as the city experiences a height hysteria not seen since the heady days of the late 1920s.

June 10, 2013 - The New York Times

A $1.5 billion deal between London Mayor Boris Johnson and a private Chinese Developer will fund the creation of an international business district at the city's Royal Albert Docks. Terry Farrell & Partners will complete the project's master plan.

June 9, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Prince George's County will streamline the review process for developers who build around public transit stations, writes Miranda S. Spivack. The bill could speed up the approvals process by as much as a year.

June 9, 2013 - The Washington Post

Although he recognized that Denver does not have an immediate demand for micro-housing, architect Jeff Sheppard launched a design competition that proved global interest in the this hot housing type, writes David Hill.

June 9, 2013 - Architectural Record

Famous for renovating well-known historic properties, Los Angeles developer Wayne Ratkovich is taking on a new challenge: transforming a fortress-like enclosed mall that sits smack in the middle of booming downtown L.A.

June 8, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Downtown Redwood City (near San Francisco) has seen an amazing turnaround due to an aggressive program of code reform, strong investments in public spaces, and a strategy of using entertainment as a catalyzing force.

June 8, 2013 - CNU.org

Where you build is important. But when it comes to city budgets, how much you build matters more.

June 7, 2013 - Norman Wright

Shanghai and the Pudong District in particular have seen unprecedented development over the past 25 years. The soil the city is built upon, however, has begun to subside recently.

June 7, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

In their June magazine, SPUR proposes a bold vision for transforming several San Francisco neighborhoods based on three big moves: tear down the end of Interstate 280, put Caltrain and high-speed rail underground, and redevelop the Caltrain railyard.

June 7, 2013 - The Urbanist

This week, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald unveiled how he and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson would like to spend the nearly $100 million in surplus revenues that had been set aside for a downtown project. Steven Litt likes what he heard.

June 7, 2013 - The Plain Dealer

Much to the chagrin of those who partake in the city's congested commute, cars dominate as Atlantans' prime means of mobility. The city's wildly ambitious BeltLine project seeks to change this, but can it be built fast enough to have an impact?

June 5, 2013 - ASLA The Dirt

Jay Corbalis profiles NoMa (short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue”), Washington D.C.'s fastest growing neighborhood, where a building boom has been propelled by an innovative transit funding partnership between the public and private sectors.

June 4, 2013 - Smart Growth America

Toronto is undergoing a 'remarkable transformation', says Charles Birnbaum, and unlike most large scale redevelopment efforts, landscape architecture is leading the way. With abundant photos Birnbaum surveys the new works framing the city's growth.

June 4, 2013 - Huffington Post

Seeking to standardize what is considered an ad hoc and inconsistent approach to allowing extra density in downtown developments, Austin's city council will consider a new bonus program later this month.

June 4, 2013 - Austin American-Statesman

If you only listened to the IBMs of the world, you'd think the path to building better cities was through high tech solutions. But old fashioned dialogue and discussion, facilitated by some low tech platforms, works best, argues Alec Appelbaum.

June 3, 2013 - The New York Times

Developers have announced plans for 'one of the largest real estate projects in Minneapolis history.' The ambitious proposal for a five block area in the city's downtown east neighborhood could be a catalyst to transform the 'largely barren' area.

June 1, 2013 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

City leaders from the Mayor on down recognize that infill development is necessary to create a more livable Los Angeles. So why does the public sector allow so many obstacles to stand in the way of small-scale development?

June 1, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper