Urban Development
$1 Homes to Urban Homesteaders in Buffalo
City of Buffalo program has inspired a small and growing movement of "homesteaders" who are buying City-owned houses for one dollar and rehabbing them.
The Synthesis of Creativity and Manufacturing
Tom Vanderbilt argues that manufacturing will never disappear from our cities, because the creative class will always seek small-scale industry to make their ideas a reality.
Planning and Childhood Health
Marissa Ramirez, a planner, biologist, and former cancer researcher, writes about the connection between the neighborhoods children grow up in and their health later in life.
Do It Yourself Urban Design
Gordon Douglas, writing for Good Magazine, explains that there has been an increase in the "unauthorized, creative alteration of public spaces for the common good" by enterprising citizens.
When TODs Fail to Catch On
Two transit-oriented developments in Salt Lake City have struggled to attract tenants. Critics say this is evidence that the whole idea of TOD is wrong, while supporters say they're just getting started.
Redevelopment Agencies' Debt Overshadows Revenue
California's redevelopment agencies have almost as much if not more debt than what they pull in from tax revenues, according to this investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
Bulldozing Quincy, Mass - and Building it Back Up
Most cities don't get the chance to start from scratch. But Quincy, Mass. plans to raze most of its 50-acre center and build it anew with the aid of a private developer's upfront funding - a plan that may rewrite the rules of urban development.
Blending Density
Vinayak Bharne proposes that density is often achieved using blunt enforcement of crude tools like "floor-space index", when density can be much more subtly accomplished than just shooting up a tower.
10 Tips for Building a Stadium in L.A.
As the city of Los Angeles edges closer to approving the construction of a new sports stadium in downtown, this post from Curbed LA offers 10 suggestions on how the stadium could and should fit into the city.
Making Venice Work
The city of Venice, Italy, is a complex, historic, watery, tourist-filled place. This video explains how the city works.
Understanding L.A. in Dark and Light
This piece from Places discusses Los Angeles as a place difficult to wrap one's head around, and how light and darkness are so important to the city's identity.
The Good and Bad of London's "Boris Bikes"
According to Joe Peach of This Big City, London public transit finally got something right with its cycle hire scheme, now known as "Boris Bikes."
Wall Street Journal Ranks U.S.' Most Miserable Cities
The WSJ's annual Misery Index looked at unemployment rates, gas prices, and changes in home values to determine the rankings of 20 major US cities.
Traffic Calming: Making Streets Safer
The concept of "traffic calming," in which urban streets are altered in order to make them feel slower for drivers is discussed in this video from Street Films.
Rethinking Retail Strategies in an Urbanizing U.S.
Writing for Retail Traffic Magazine, David Lynn claims that a renewed urbanization movement in the United States will drive retailers and investors to change their strategies to fit a more urban market.
Holland, Michigan's Heated Sidewalks Bring People Together
A small town in Michigan created a network of underground pipes to divert waste heat from its power plant to downtown streets and sidewalks. Today, the community benefits from sidewalks that remain clear and dry no matter how cold it gets.
Americans Prefer Smart Growth Neighborhoods, Study Finds
A recent study by the National Association of Realtors found that 56 per cent of respondents preferred walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods over neighborhoods that required more driving between home, work, and recreation.
Slum Appreciation Misguided
The slums of the world's megacities have been the subject of much admiration among urban thinkers recently. Joel Kotkin argues that adulation is misguided.
The Burden of Understanding Placemaking
Scott Doyon laments his growing knowledge of what makes great places because of how overly aware it makes him of bad planning and design.
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
