Urban Development
In Northern Manhattan, Community Board Nixes High-Rise Apartments
Community board members, representing a traditionally Dominican neighborhood with six- to 10-story buildings, recently rejected one developer's plans for a mixed-income project of 800+ apartments, fearing gentrification and non-contextual development
In Praise of Orenco Station
Michael Mehaffy worked on Orenco Station in Portland, and says criticism that says it fails because most commuters drive to work misses the point of the forward-thinking development.
Could Gentrification Sometimes Be A Good Thing?
Kaid Benfield bravely tackles the topic of gentrification, suggesting that while all attempts should be made to avoid displacing current residents, revitalizing neighborhoods is still a good thing.
A Call to Revamp POPS
New York City's privately-owned public spaces are back on the radar since protesters took over Zuccotti Park last month. Remnants of good-intentioned zoning that didn't quite do enough, the spaces are often far more lackluster than occupier-worthy.
In Seattle, Feelings are Mixed on Extra Perks for "Ultra-Green" Building Standards
Under the "living building" pilot program, a handful of developments get to bypass the usual zoning for sticking to some of the most stringent building standards in the world. But one developer wants an additional 10 feet of height for it.
How Would You Change the Zoning Code?
At last week's Municipal Art Society Summmit in New York City, one panel of experts attempted to answer just that. Neither overbearing zoning rules, contextual zoning, or the current environmental review process was left untouched.
New Documentary Film Shows How to be "Urbanized"
In this interview with Gary Hustwit, the director of the new documentary film "Urbanized", Charlotte West asks about the film-making process, social media and how the profiled cities were selected.
World's Most Expensive Home Goes Mostly Unused
Mukesh Ambani found himself the center of a lot of controversy with the 27-story residence he built last year in Mumbai, overlooking a sea of poverty. Vikas Bajaj reports that now that it is completed, the Ambani's hardly even use it.
Developers in Downtown, Cleveland are Turning to the Slots to Appeal to a New Crowd
Executives of Rock Gaming LLC and its partner, Caesars Entertainment Corp, are hoping to revitalize Cleveland's downtown nightlife and create connections with nearby businesses by building Horseshoe Casino Cleveland.
Dept. Store Blocks Use of Easement to Stifle Competition
A Sears Shopping Center in Lincoln Park, Michigan has found a novel way to kill their competitor - close the easement the developer is using to access the property.
New Planning Law Will Protect Istanbul's Historic Views And Lines Of Sight
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has announced a plan aimed at protecting the city's views by preventing construction of tall buildings in lines of sight and preventing illegal building construction.
Plan to Revitalize Public Housing Stymied by NYC Parking Requirements
New York City Housing Authority Chairman John Rhea says that the city's own parking minimums are making it difficult to make public housing sites more mixed-use, mixed-income and financially sustainable.
São Paulo's "Big Worm" Needs to Flatten
At least, according to the city's urban planners. The two-mile elevated highway is a hindrance, reports Juan Forero, to the city's modernization.
Exploring Serenbe
Terrain.org's newest "UnSprawl" case study explores the new Serenbe development, a mixed-use community of three hamlets anchored by an organic farm and striving to be an Atlanta-region destination for its restaurants, inn, and more.
New Cycling Initiatives in Ukraine
The city of Lviv in western Ukraine has begun a 9-year initiative to build 168 miles of bicycling infrastructure to the region.
Richard Florida on the Importance of Place
Richard Florida, interviewed by blogger Dave Copeland, says that quality of place is going to be of growing importance in the coming era to keep cities vibrant and attracting talent and the "creative class."
Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World
From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.
The Science Behind Bike-Share Placement In NYC
The Atlantic examines the factors that create a successfully implemented bike sharing program, based on current plans scheduled to be implemented on New York streets by next summer.
From Sprawl to Complete Communities
Galina Tachieva's new Sprawl Repair Manual creates a narrative and visual process for making suburbs more sustainable. The book's first chapter is available now online.
With Land at a Premium, Fire Poles are Back
The single-story fire station meant the classic fire pole disappeared. But now that land prices are on the rise, the second story and the fire pole have returned.
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
