Urban Development

Tear Down the Freeway, Or Not?

Using a federal grant, New York City is studying the effects of a highway teardown not just on transportation but on housing, jobs, park access and quality of life.

July 22, 2011 - Streetsblog

Where the Youth Goes, Companies Follow

Companies are moving back to the city in response to a new generation of workers who prefer the urban environment over suburban office parks.

July 22, 2011 - CNN Money

Top 10 Cities to Invest in Rental Properties

Based on estimated returns on investment in single-family home rental properties of 316 markets, Las Vegas is your best bet to invest on rental properties. Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale - all in Florida - also made the list.

July 22, 2011 - CNN Money

Quality Housing Stands the Test of Time

Patrick Kennedy stresses the importance of quality over quantity in residential housing by comparing houses in McKinney, North Texas, with those on Swiss Avenue near Downtown Dallas.

July 22, 2011 - D Magazine

Walmart Win in Washington

Walmart easily received approval for four new big box stores in Washington, D.C. With so much opposition elsewhere, why the open arms in the Beltway?

July 22, 2011 - New Urban Network

Placemaking Is Key To Job Creation, Says Politician

In a post at Project for Public Spaces, a politician from Spokane, WA is quoted as saying the way municipal governments could spur job growth is by building public spaces where people want to live, work, shop and invest.

July 21, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

Ranking the Most Walkable Cities in the US

Each year Walk Score ranks the top cities for walking, according to its own walk score methodology. In 2011, NYC placed #1. See the rest of the top 10!

July 21, 2011 - Walk Score

Does Dallas-Fort Worth's Urban Form Affect Its Music Scene?

Observer music writers Pete Freeman and Daniel Hopkins debate the affects of suburban sprawl on the local music scene.

July 21, 2011 - Dallas Observer

Parkspace Brings Neighborhood Feel to Downtown Phoenix

A new public park in downtown Phoenix is both a venue for artists and performers and a public space that calls to mind a small neighborhood park, according to this piece from Next American City.

July 21, 2011 - Next American City

Miami Shifts Urban Form

Though much of its urban form requires a car to traverse, a few new projects in Miami are shifting the city away from its past of parking lot sprawl.

July 21, 2011 - Wallpaper

Cities Cut Parking Supply to Discourage Driving

Cities plan to cut off individual parking garages is a gamble, says Josie Garthwaite in National Geographic -- yet making it impossible to park is one of the few yet most effective tools that reduces driving.

July 20, 2011 - National Geographic

Transforming Parking into TOD at a Long Island Train Station

This NYT editorial endorses the effort of a Long Island town supervisor to transform the Ronkonkoma LIRR station, one of the busiest stations on the nation's busiest commuter line from a sea of parking into a vibrant TOD with a convention center.

July 20, 2011 - The New York Times - Editorial

California Cities Sue Over Laws That Kill Redevelopment

Cities have filed a lawsuit with the California State Supreme Court over recently passed laws that eliminate funding for the state's redevelopment agencies.

July 19, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

The Food Truck Backlash

Food trucks can be exciting for diners, but local businesses that face unexpected competition on their doorstep are less excited.

July 18, 2011 - The New York Times

More In My Back Yard

MIMBYs? Seattle plans to build a one-story light-rail station in the Roosevelt neighborhood's commercial district, but locals are fighting for greater density and reducing zoning restrictions on the site.

July 18, 2011 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

More Garden Cities? Richard Rogers Says No

The Town & Country Planning Association of Britain recently released a report calling for more "garden cities" a la Ebenezer Howard. Famed British architect Richard Rogers thinks that's crazy.

July 17, 2011 - Building Design

Fusion Businesses as Indicators of Urban Change

Chuck Wolfe explains how the fusion of laundromats and dining are evidence of the evolving city and the ongoing need for regulatory reform.

July 17, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Can a 'Case Management' Office Save the Development Process in Los Angeles?

Despite 40 percent fewer employees, the department recently announced a reform plan to expedite the development approval process by bringing the city's Planning Department and the Department of Building and Safety under one roof.

July 17, 2011 - The Planning Report

Hunters Point Project Moves Ahead in San Francisco

The redevelopment of former Navy land at Hunters Point in San Francisco appears to be moving ahead after a judge overruled environmental objections that could have stalled development of the new residential neighborhood.

July 16, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

China's Urban Development Closing in on its Military Bases

New development is spreading uncontrolled throughout much of China, and it's closing around many of the country's military bases.

July 16, 2011 - Reuters

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.