Urban Development
San Francisco's Parklets Become Part of the City
Parking spaces in San Francisco are being repurposed as small patio-like park spaces and out door seating areas. John King of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at how they've become part of the city.
The Future of Los Angeles' Union Station
On Wednesday, LA Metro started the process of soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the 42 acres of land it owns around Union Station.
McMansion No More
2010 Census offers telling evidence of America's shifting demographics. Diana Olick of CNBC contextualizes the new U.S. household data in terms of real estate development.
Richard Florida Explains "The Geography of How We Get to Work"
In a piece from The Atlantic Richard Florida discusses the factors that shape Americans' commuting patterns. Some of his assertions are counter to commonly accepted explanations for commuting behaviors.
Europe's Most Dynamic City
Berlin, Brussels or Bruges? Against the backdrop of an ongoing debt crisis, planning pundits deliberate on which European city is the true "dynamic center of Europe."
Shanghai to Create Suburbs as Remedy for Urban Density
Shanghai in its 12th Five-Year Plan is modeling seven new satellite cities as suburbs to alleviate the density in the city center, reports Yu Ran, China Daily.
Mixed Feelings As San Diego Dissolves Planning Department
As the San Diego Planning Department folds into another department to save city money, locals and former officials grapple with whether it was the right move and how the city could change as a result.
German Port Town Transforms into Thriving, Ambitious Community
HafenCity, a neighborhood in the Hamburg docklands, is sprouting into a model redevelopment project by caring for the human element and adapting the port's cultural history into the physical landscape.
Private Sector the First Stop in Public Project Fundraising
When Toronto City Councilor Kristyn Wong-Tam wanted to raise money for a street redesign project, she went directly to the private sector. They raised the money and recently released the master plan for their proposed street project.
Security and Walkability Entwine in New Park at White House
Plans to redesign the expanded publicly accessible section of the White House's front lawn combine both walkability concerns and safety concerns.
L.A.'s Planning Director Trying to Do More with Less
Despite a budget significantly smaller than his predecessors had, Los Angeles Planning Director Michael LoGrande is hoping to bring about major changes in the way the city gets things done.
Projects Die As Redevelopment Agencies Try to Survive
Legislation in California that officially dissolves its redevelopment agencies offers them the chance to stay alive -- but at a cost that may be too high for some.
Less Parking Needed In Silicon Valley TODs
A graduate class in San Jose State's urban planning program surveyed parking lots at 12 housing developments by rail stations in Santa Clara County to see how well utilized they were and offer recommendations on parking codes.
Fast Web and Local Food Key to Chattanooga's Revival
Through a combination of local food initiatives and the installation of a new high-speed fiber optic network, the city of Chattanooga is hoping to continue its trend of recovering from years of industrial decline.
Making Cities Smarter By Making Urban Data Digestible
Making urban data available is important, but not as important as presenting that data in a digestible way, according to this piece from Change Observer.
Olympic Preparations Spur Private Building Boom in Russian Resort City
Construction is underway to prepare the Russian resort city of Sochi for its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But it's not just venues for the games that are being built.
Rethinking Boosterism in the 'City of Quartz'
OF the many written works about Los Angeles, Mike Davis' "City of Quartz" stands out, according to this review by Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.
Easy Zoning and Emergent Urbanism
The emergent urbanism of informal settlements has posed problems to governments in the Third World, and some are looking to address equality issues by issuing land titles. But one approach skips the titles and focuses on simple zoning.
Against the Olympic 'Regeneration Culture' in London
In a new book, author Iain Sinclair argues against the Olympic redevelopment of London's East End, and argues that the legacy goals its planners are pushing largely already exist.
Rental Market Rebounds
A new report indicates that the average rent went up while vacancy rate fell in the second quarter of this year. Based on the data from 82 markets around the country, San Jose, California experienced the highest rent increase.
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
