Urban Development
Love Thy Neighbor Through Delineated Design
Getting along is much easier when the fronts and backs of buildings are rational: public activities out front, private out back, and a street wall to keep them orderly.
Ohio Cities Dust Off the Rust
In a feature for the Architect's Newspaper, Christopher Bentley looks at efforts by Ohio's three largest cities to revitalize their urban cores, and the challenges they face.
There’s a Lot Riding on U.S. DOT’s Definition of 'Congestion'
As the new federal transportation bill, known as MAP-21, moves to the implementation stage, major finding decisions will ride on the nuances by which the U.S. DOT defines and measures "congestion," "roadway performance," and "cost effectiveness".
Does a Newly-Approved Project Violate Philly's New Waterfront Master Plan?
A proposed waterfront apartment building received final approval from Philadelphia's Historical Commission last week, disappointing waterfront advocates and preservationists who claim its design violates the city's new waterfront master plan.
Chinese Cities are Huge, But What's it Like to Live There?
We get it, China's cities are big and getting bigger. But what's it like to live there? Isaac Stone Fish takes a closer look at the quality of life in Chinese cities, and finds them almost uniformly monolithic and unlivable.
London's Crossrail Offers Ticket to Economic Growth
The Crossrail train service being built in London will not only drastically decrease commuter travel times, it is also expected to catalyze the transformation of areas along its route, reports Graham Norwood.
Restored River Keeps NY's Fourth-Largest City Afloat
Elsa Brenner looks at the boon for developers, and residents, that a city-and-state-funded effort to daylight the Saw Mill River has provided for the New York City suburb of Yonkers.
As Companies Decamp for the City, Suburban Office Parks Struggle
Mirroring a nationwide trend, office parks in suburban Chicago are emptying out as companies increasingly favor urban locations. As a result, developers and local officials are having to think creatively about possibilities for office park reuse.
From a Weedy Cambridge Railyard, a Stalled Mini-City Sprouts Anew
Stalled for 5 years, the 45-acre NorthPoint mixed use development in East Cambridge re-launches with a new development team and an updated vision for its urban form.
DreamWorks Takes on Disney with $3.1 Billion Shanghai Project
Seeking to rival the Broadway theater district in New York and the West End in London, DreamWorks Animation SKG recently announced plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai.
Cities Court Medical and Educational Facilities in Hopes of Stimulating Development
The rise of the innovation economy is driving fierce competition between cities across America to attract medical facilities and universities as job providers and engines of development.
Plans for Passenger Rail Return to South Florida
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.
China's Rapidly Expanding Inland Cities
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.
Columbus's Thriving Arts District Goes on Display
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.
Is Sprawl to Blame for Municipal Bankruptcies?
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.
How Sprawl's Zombie Remains Prohibit Lively Places
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.
FBI Investigating Shady D.C. Property Tax Reductions
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.
Rethinking the Factory Town to Meet America's Affordable Housing Needs
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.
Bringing Market Analysis to the Public Planning Process
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.
D.C. Police Use Redevelopment to Predict, and Prevent, Crime
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.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
