Urban Development

Boom is Back as Miami Condo Market Rebounds

After a sharp decline brought on by the housing crash, Miami's condo market is experiencing a squeeze on supply and an attendant building boom, reflecting a nationwide uptick in urban real estate markets.

May 3, 2013 - The New York Times

San Francisco Peninsula Struggles with Growth Plan

The Bay Area is finalizing its plan to comply with state legislation to reduce vehicle emissions from transportation. "Plan Bay Area" has aroused fears of regional government and more, which were expressed at a recent public meeting.

May 3, 2013 - The San Mateo Daily Journal

NYC from Hoboken

Reverse Migration Threatens New Jersey Suburbs

After a half century of growth driven by families fleeing New York City, New Jersey's northern suburbs face an uncertain future as young families, young professionals and retirees find a resurgent Big Apple more to their liking.

May 3, 2013 - NorthJersey.com

Urbanism 2.0 vs. 'Micro Urban' Communities: Imagining Land Use in 2063

Patrick J. Kiger looks at the global trends that will impact urban landscapes over the next 50 years and explores two competing visions for the future of land use.

May 2, 2013 - Urban Land

Success of L.A.'s Rail Investments Rely on First and Last Mile Connections

Alex Schmidt looks at efforts to re-'train' L.A. drivers to use the city's growing rail network. Planners are focusing on rezoning areas within a 10-minute walk from stations, but face obstacles in blending density with single-family districts.

May 2, 2013 - NPR Morning Edition

The Importance of Retail Design to the Future of Our Cities and Towns

Much of the future built environment will be determined by how commercial sites are developed, says Robert Steuteville. And it's up to cities and towns to demand better retail designs.

May 2, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

In D.C., Nearby Projects Reveal Advantages of Effective Outreach

The divergent routes to approvals for two apartment complex developments just a mile apart show how important it is to engage both government and the surrounding community early in the process.

May 1, 2013 - The Washington Post

Dramatic Population Growth Presents Opportunity to Reshape America's Urban Environment

To accomodate America's expected population growth by 2050, the country will need to build up to 74 million new homes. This challenge presents a unique opportunity to reshape our urban environment, says Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogota.

May 1, 2013 - Urban Land

'Triumph of Suburbia' is a Far-Fetched Story

Joel Kotkin is on a roll in the past few weeks, making the case that the revival of cities and decline of suburbs is a fraud — but his argument ignores the facts, argues Robert Steuteville.

April 30, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

The Future of Municipal Planning 02: Learning from Success

Urban design studios and a plethora of new data demonstrate the value of successful placemaking. Howard Blackson sees these as key components of future municipal planning.

April 29, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Enterprise or Chaos? Cairo's DIY Urbanism

Michael Kimmelman examines the race to rebuild and redefine post-revolutionary Cairo, where residents are recreating the city and civic society, and reclaiming public spaces, from the bottom-up.

April 29, 2013 - The New York Times

'Dam Slow City

Amsterdam feels "cozy" because the city's efforts to manage mobility results in an average speed for all modes of 15kph/10mph.

April 28, 2013 - Ian Sacs

Successional Urbanism: An Interview with Andrés Duany

Architect and town planner Galina Tachieva sits down with New Urbanism innovator Andrés Duany to discuss the big and small topics on his mind today: lean urbanism, successional urbanism and the Transect, the orthodoxy of the small block, and more.

April 28, 2013 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

Massive Chicago Master Plan Bridges Downtown Chasm

A speculative master plan for Chicago's West Loop would add a new layer to downtown's complex multi-level weaving of street strata and infrastructure with a highway cap park.

April 24, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Right Mix of Skills is Key to Effective Community Design

According to Arianna McBride, the recipe for good community design must effectively balance community wisdom with expert knowledge. She shares three ways that planners can facilitate the type of participation that leads to great places.

April 24, 2013 - Citizens' Institute on Rural Design

Competition Yields Radically Different Visions for Prime D.C. Site

The General Services Administration, which is looking for ways to fund a new FBI campus, has more ideas at its fingertips with three tantalizing proposals for redeveloping the Hoover Building in downtown Washington, D.C., writes Jonathan O'Connell.

April 24, 2013 - The Washington Post

Are Nefarious Forces Behind the Transformation of Downtown Brooklyn?

Doug Henwood explains how "elite bodies", rather than pure "market forces", guide the growth of New York City. He begins his story with the Regional Plan Association's influential 1929 plan and focuses on the transformation of Downtown Brooklyn.

April 23, 2013 - The Nation

World Bank: Carbon Pricing Key to Tackling Climate Change and Poverty

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim explains why climate change is a poverty issue - and why we must tackle it today to ensure that carbon emissions do not continue rising after 2016. Establishing a world price on carbon will be difficult to achieve.

April 23, 2013 - PBS NewsHour - The Rundown

Play Planner With Auckland Growth Simulator

In a quest to develop a plan to house the additional 1 million people expected to grow New Zealand's largest city in the next 30 years, Auckland is asking residents to submit ideas by using a "housing simulator" game.

April 23, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Will Vitality Be Trampled in the Rush to 'Modernize' Midtown Manhattan?

In a scathing op-ed for The New York Times, architect Robert Stern challenges the city's drive to densify East Midtown without paying the requisite attention to preservation, infrastructure, and the elements that give vitality to great cities.

April 23, 2013 - The New York Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.