Urban Development
With Mayoral Election Comes Hope for Fixing L.A.'s Broken Public Spaces
LAX, the LA River, Pershing Square; the list of Los Angeles' under-performing public spaces could sadly continue for a while. As the city votes for its next mayor, Christopher Hawthorne offers some "some straightforward ideas" about how to fix them.
Do Airports Make Ideal Cities?
Rowan Moore asks whether investing in air travel-oriented urban design is appropriate for all contexts.
Houston's 'Last, Best, Chance' to Create a Walkable, Livable Downtown Neighborhood
In an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle, John Desmond discusses the findings of a ULI advisory panel tasked with developing recommendations for creating a mixed use 24-hour neighborhood in downtown's east side.
How Will New York's Landscape Change Once Mayor Mike Leaves Office?
Ryan Holeywell looks at the land use legacy of the Bloomberg Administration - perhaps his "signal achievement" - and wonders if his successor can continue the momentum.
Medellin Chosen as 'Innovative City of the Year'
From an initial list of 200 candidates, Medellín, Colombia has been selected as the winner of The Wall Street Journal and Citi's “City of the Year” competition.
Essence of Sustainability
Challenges that strong and weak markets alike share
Simplifying Transit-Adjacent Real Estate Development
In a talk delivered at last December’s US High Speed Rail Conference in Los Angeles, Allan Kotin of Allan D. Kotin and Associates outlined the short-term decisions that can lead to long-term returns on transit-oriented development.
New Reports Stake out Ground in NYC Rezoning Debate
Two position papers out this week present the opposing viewpoints in the contentious debate around New York's Midtown East rezoning. Should historic building protections in the area be expanded or should developers be allowed to maximize density?
Los Angeles Debates Controversial Citywide Design Guidelines
James Brasuell discusses the contentious proposal to adopt citywide design guidelines for use by L.A.'s City Council. While the guidelines are intended to raise the level of design throughout the city, some argue they will stifle good design.
Sports-Oriented Development Starts (Slowly) in St. Louis
It's not the grand slam that the Cardinals and their developer partner were hoping for, but news that the first piece of the $650 million Ballpark Village development project has started construction was welcomed in St. Louis.
Ironies and Oddities of History's 'Future Cities'
Brady Dale provides a list of quirky trivia (taken from the new book "A History of Future Cities") about the forward-looking creation of four mega-cities: Shanghai, Bombay, St. Petersburg and Dubai.
What Will it Take to Transform Chicago's Riverfront?
With dozens of riverfront revitalization projects completed across the world in the past couple of decades, lessons abound for how Chicago can best integrate its waterfront and downtown. Whet Moser considers three examples.
Trend Alert: Church-Oriented Development
A mixed-use development being proposed for the First Baptist Church's property in downtown Silver Spring is just the latest in a series of similar projects across the D.C. suburbs that are pitting congregations against preservationists.
Making Density a Cornerstone for Successful City-Making
Density is a loaded term that brings with it many negative connotations. But it can help solve "our city's toughest challenges." Brent Toderian discusses lessons from Vancouver on how to turn "the third rail of municipal politics" into an asset.
Downtown L.A. Development: A Comprehensive Guide
From $100 million in upgrades to Dodger Stadium, to the decades-long effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River, to the construction of the tallest building west of the Mississippi, discover the status of 85 projects underway in downtown L.A.
$850 Million Expansion Planned for Boston's South Station
Governor Deval Patrick is set to unveil a key piece of his multi-billion dollar plan for reinvigorating Massachusetts' beleaguered transportation system: an $850 million expansion of congested South Station. Martine Powers describes the project.
San Francisco Embraces Gentrification
Unlike the 1970s and 80s, when a building boom created a vocal backlash, S.F.'s current surge in development hasn't galvanized a concerted no-build movement. If gentrification is driven by demand 'from the bottom up,' does that mean it's desirable?
Making Better Places: Nine Lessons From Iceland
Using a set of mid-February photographs from Iceland, Chuck Wolfe describes scaled expressions of urban settlement and transport in Iceland and derives principles for building better places.
Why Has 'Vancouverism' Become a Hard Sell in Canada?
Vancouver's remarkable experiment in livable density is the envy of, and model for, cities across the world. So, after a decade of skyline expansion across Canada, why has densification 'lost steam' in the country? Doug Saunders investigates.
America's Most Beloved Public Market is About to Get Better
Pike Place Market, one of Seattle's most visited tourist sites, and one of the prime models for the rediscovered allure of America's public markets, is primed for a significant expansion thanks to a recently approved agreement.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
