Urban Development

This week it was announced that a private company will pick up the passenger rail ball dropped last year by Gov. Rick Scott by financing a $1 billion project to connect downtown Miami to Orlando by 2014.

August 12, 2012 - Miami Herald

The mostly unfamiliar cities of China's vast inland territories are growing at an exponential rate, attracting global businesses, infrastructure investment, and residents in search of opportunities.

August 12, 2012 - NPR

Driven by its long-cultivated arts community, development of Columbus, Ohio's Short North neighborhood has defied the economic downturn as investment in the once-downtrodden area continues.

August 11, 2012 - The New York Times

As the fear of more local government bankruptcies rises, William Fulton argues that sprawling development patterns play a key role in leading cities to run in the red.

August 10, 2012 - CNN

Zoning codes, street standards, parking regulations, and other hidden determinants of the built environment are like regulatory zombies from the distant past, throwing up barriers in the path of human-scale placemaking, writes Robert Steuteville.

August 9, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

The Washington Post has found that the D.C. government reduced the assessed value of commercial properties owned by some of the city's biggest developers last year to the tune of $2.6 billion, which translates to $48 million in lost tax revenue.

August 8, 2012 - The Washington Post

Is the return of the factory town the solution to jump-start new housing construction? Myron Curzan and Janet Lowenthal propose a plan for developing housing that caters specifically to workers stuck in between affordable and median housing.

August 8, 2012 - Urban Land

In an op-ed for New Geography, Skip Preble argues why communities can benefit from incorporating market analysis and financial modeling techniques into their planning processes.

August 7, 2012 - New Geography

Peter Hermann describes the police force's efforts in D.C.'s up-and-coming areas to put a stop to crime and congestion before it even occurs.

August 7, 2012 - The Washington Post

With the healthiest economy of any major metropolitan area in the country and a winning baseball team, D.C. is doing quite well for itself these days. David Leonhardt looks at what economic lessons the city has to offer the rest of the country.

August 6, 2012 - The New York Times

Brooklyn Bridge Park's privately funded field house proposal, complete with Olympic-class velodrome, faces criticism over its size, effects on the surrounding neighborhood, and arguments over open space versus space for sports facilities.

August 5, 2012 - The New York Times

From its mountain tributaries, to the San Fernando Valley, through Downtown, and across the basin into the Pacific Ocean, Christian MilNeil tells the story behind the ecological and recreation rehabilitation of the Los Angeles River.

August 3, 2012 - Grist

As downtown Los Angeles seeks to cement its nascent transformation into a full-fledged urban neighborhood, Sam Lubell cautions against the threat brought by the suburban mindset of Walmart, Target, and other chain operators.

August 2, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Scott Doyon discusses the dangers of simplification and the counter-intuitive soundbite, which work against the creation of partnerships that are essential to solving some of our biggest challenges.

July 31, 2012 - PlaceShakers

London's Olympics are just the most recent example of the growing trend in building temporary architecture and urbanism in response to financial and practical considerations. Christopher Hawthorne asks whether this trend is too short sighted.

July 31, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

An exhibit remembers the days when the Boston Redevelopment Authority dreamed enormous dreams and asks: have we lost our ambition?

July 30, 2012 - The Boston Globe

For cities across the U.S. facing mass foreclosures and shrinking populations, demolition of abandoned homes is an attractive avenue (see Detroit and Cleveland). Roberta Brandes Gratz argues that the value of preservation deserves to be considered.

July 30, 2012 - Citiwire.net

The gateway to the London Olympic complex isn't marked by an iconic work of art or public plaza, but rather by a store - Fat Face - which is part of a gigantic new mall. Some aren't too happy with the blatant mix of commerce and competition.

July 30, 2012 - The New York Times

Sandy Apgar and Tony Canzoneri aim to clear up myths and misconceptions about PPPs (P3s), "the vehicle of choice to plan and execute many development projects that neither private nor public sector participants could perform on their own."

July 30, 2012 - Urban Land

Finding new uses for vacant gas stations is a major challenge throughout the U.S. The days of the small, independent service station are fading, yet they often occupy prime, gateway sites. Whether razed or transformed, challenges are formidable.

July 30, 2012 - The New York Times - Commercial