Urban Development
Planning for People
Instead of planning cities around shiny, tomorrowland dreams of our own invention, how about planning them around something we can count on: the needs of people! Complete with a groovy, vintage planning video mash-up.
MIT Shows its Love for 'Advanced Urbanism'
This week, reports Orhan Ayyüce, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the launch of "a major new research center focused on the planning, design, construction and retrofitting of urban environments for the 21st century."
The Enduring Attraction of Containerized Urbanism
Architectural historian Mitchell Schwarzer traces the historic roots of container architecture and argues that today's shipping container developments, like Proxy in San Francisco, are leading the way to a new kind of urbanism.
Economic Development and Planning: It's a Match!
Mitchell Silver, Raleigh City Planner and President of the APA, is on a mission to get planners to realize the importance of return on investment (ROI) in their projects. Raleigh is providing the testing ground for his arguments.
Valentines for City Enthusiasts
If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's Day card for the planning enthusiast in your life, search no further. Five different Valentines show appreciation for cities and the people that live in them.
Philly RFQ: I-95 Runs Through It
The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation seeks qualifications to plan an open space connection between Center City and its waterfront. I-95, which runs parallel to the Delaware River inside the city, currently cuts off waterfront access.
Should Rio's Event-Oriented Investment Be Spread More Widely?
As Rio de Janiero prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, the city is pursuing several "flagship urban renovation and transportation projects." Should this investment extend to the millions living in low-income bedroom communities?
Chinese Economists Call for Fundamental Reforms to Fight Urban Income Gap
Following the Chinese government’s pledge to address its growing urban income gap, India’s The Economic Times suggest that current proposals do not go far enough.
Can Redevelopment Heal Kent's Old Wounds?
A $110 million mixed-use development being built in the center of Kent, Ohio is being touted as the gateway to a new economic era, and is helping the city's major institutions put a four-decade-old tragedy behind them, reports Keith Schneider.
Connections, Community, and the Science of Loneliness
Can urban form help address the loneliness that so often accompanies aging? In a new blog post, Hazel Borys examines some remedies for severed connections.
Arup Proposes Radical Building of the Near Future
The global engineering firm envisions a "smart" building that will plug into "smart" urban infrastructure and cater to an increasingly dense and technology-savvy urban population.
Hukou: China's Great Urbanization Challenge
A 2,000 year old household registration system in China ties temporary urban workers to rural life.
America's Housing Stock in Need of Triage
In rising to meet America's changing housing needs and demands, not every community is positioned to pull it off. What to do? Painful though it is, Ben Brown suggests triage.
Next Olympic Host Becomes Pawn for Putin's Ambitions
It will cost more than $50 billion to transform the "once sleepy" Black Sea resort of Sochi into the "sleek host" of the 2014 Winter Olympics, writes David M. Herszenhorn. The most expensive games ever is a pet project of President Vladimir V. Putin.
Design for Tallest Building in the West Unveiled
Roger Vincent shares the long-awaited design of the Wilshire Grand, a 73-story tower planned for downtown Los Angeles. When completed, it will surpass the nearby U.S. Bank Tower as the tallest building west of Chicago.
Using Pictures to Think About Cities
How does each of us perceive the city? Using photos of pedestrians in Seattle crosswalks and the highly walkable Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Chuck Wolfe challenges readers to think for themselves about what they see.
Housing Boom on Tap for Downtown Chicago; Will the Bubble Burst?
Alby Gallun looks at Chicago's downtown apartment boom, which is supposed to add 4,700 units to the market by the end of 2014. Will lenders allow the bubble to burst?
Postwar Suburbia from the Air
On Places, D.J. Waldie assesses iconic aerial photographs of Lakewood, California, one of the nation's first postwar planned communities.
Who Can Fill L.A.'s Design Leadership Vacuum?
While New York has benefited over the past decade from the design leadership of Michael Bloomberg, Amanda Burden, and Janette Sadik-Khan, Los Angeles sorely lacks such powerful champions. Sam Lubell asks who will step up for L.A.
What's Next for Alexandria's Waterfront?
The pending sale of historic industrial buildings in Alexandria is seen as crucial to spurring the Virginia city's waterfront redevelopment, and "fulfilling a new vision for the area."
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
