Urban Development
The Case for Age-Friendly Suburbs
Several trends are conspiring to challenge America's ability to house and care for its senior citizens. Utilizing successful examples, architect and planner Eric C.Y. Fang examines how the suburbs can be adapted to support an aging population.
The Big Move: Will Toronto Seize its Future by Funding an Ambitious Transit Plan?
As the city's controversial mayor snickers at proposals for new funding sources for transit, Toronto is missing out on another opportunity to build a big-city mass transit system, says Marcus Gee. How much will it cost the city in the long run?
To Create a Great 'Third Place', Get Out of the Way
For far too long, the shaping of public spaces has been left to architects and urban planners, who plan from the top down. The most successful projects involve people directly in deciding how their public spaces will look, feel, and operate.
Embracing Placemaking's Freak Factor
Realizing that overly controlled environments rarely breed the kind of innovation and culture that make cities great, Scott Doyon gets down with the funky and unpredictable.
Density Done Well, and Not Just Downtown
It’s an understatement to say that the “D-Word” is a controversial subject in cities across North America. It needn’t be so though, and shouldn't be, as when it’s done well, density is immensely important to the success of cities and regions.
Can Office Conversions Ease London's Housing Shortage?
As a property buying binge by the global super-rich makes parts of London "more international, more expensive and more empty," the government is looking to ease the conversion of offices to residences. Can this ease the city's housing shortage?
A Contrarian View on New York's Penn Station
When it comes to New York's two rail stations, there's the iconic Grand Central Terminal that just celebrated its centennial, and then there's Penn Station - which all mourn because the original was razed in 1963 - except the NY Post's Bob McManus.
In Bloomberg, NYC Preservationists Find a Friend
During Michael Bloomberg's time in office, New York City has protected more historic sites than under any of his predecessors. The 41 new or expanded historic districts have developers fuming over what they see as planning overreach.
Is This America's Next Great Train Station?
Remember this past week when we asked where America's next generation of grand transit hubs would be built? It turns out one may be destined for San Francisco.
Reducing Historic Tax Credit Could Curb Development in St. Louis
A successful tax credit that boosts development and preservation in St. Louis's historic urban core is under legislative attack in Missouri.
Gilbert Doubles Down on Downtown Detroit With Ambitious Placemaking Plan
Rather than succumb to the negative news surrounding Detroit's dire financial situation, businessman and booster Dan Gilbert is doubling down on his extensive investment in the city with an ambitious effort to enliven downtown's public spaces.
A Cultural Mecca Grows in Brooklyn
With the Bloomberg administration's investments in transforming the area around the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music finally bearing fruit, the emerging cultural district is earning comparisons to the city's premier arts hub - Lincoln Center.
Trend Towards Engagement Transforms America's Public Housing
Public housing models in the U.S. are becoming more community-oriented and taking varying demographics into account during the design process. Engagement with the street, the neighborhood, and social services are creating new design typologies.
With Boston Mayor's Departure, Evaluating His Imprint on the City
With longtime Boston mayor Thomas Menino's announcement that he will not seek re-election, Paul McMorrow assesses the five-term mayor's impact on the shape of the city.
How New York's Hasidim Solved the City's Affordable Housing Problem
The certainly won't win any design awards, but new multi-family residential buildings erected by Hasidic developers in Brooklyn show that it's possible to build spacious and cheap housing in New York for families small and large.
Controversial Hollywood Towers Go Before Planning Commission
The mayor and city planning department's vision of a taller, denser, and more transit-oriented Hollywood is facing stiff community opposition as a proposal for a $664 million, two-skyscraper complex goes before L.A.'s Planning Commission.
Sasaki Plan Seeks to Bring Life Back to Pittsburgh's Riverfront
Under a plan developed by Sasaki Associates, a 6.5-mile-long strip of vacant and derelict industrial land along the Allegheny riverfront would reconnect the surrounding neighborhood to the water with mixed use development and public open spaces.
Massive Development Fulfills 30-Year Promise of Buffalo's 'Train to Nowhere'
The development of the $750M Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which will soon be home to 17,500 employees, is being seen as a catalyst for a culture change in the city towards urban lifestyles oriented around its heretofore underutilized rail system.
Plans for Queens' 'High Line' Has Competition: Bringing Back the Train
Queen's version of Manhattan's High Line is known as the QueensWay, an abandoned LIRR branch that went from Rego Park to Rockaway. Two congressmen have now endorsed a plan to bring the train back - though planning for the new park has already begun.
Denver Densifies as Developers Anticipate Transit Expansion
Before the first line of the multi-billion dollar FasTracks regional transit expansion opens to the public, developers are clamoring to build near Denver area stations. In a city that was beset by sprawl for a half-century, the shift is good news.
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.
Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie
