Urban Development
Higher Vacancy Rates in Walkable Neighborhoods
In comparing data collected during the 2010 Census, walkable neighborhoods are shown to have greater vacancy rates than the cities they're in.
The History and the Flaws of the Cul-de-Sac
This episode of 99% Invisible looks into the history of the cul-de-sac, and why its design flaws overpower its benefits.
Reviewing Recent Books on Cities
In reviewing a handful of new books looking at cities and how they work, this piece from The New Yorker glosses over the current thinking behind the urban conversation and wonders if city celebration has gone too far.
Inside Bangkok's "Ghost Tower"
Photojournalist and blogger Dr. Hank Snaffler, Jr. documents the Sathorn Unique, an abandoned skyscraper at the heart of Bangkok.
Wendell Cox Blames Planners for Housing Crisis
Smart Growth opponent Wendell Cox clamors that land use regulations imposed by Smart Growth exacerbate the ongoing housing woes.
Dwindling Sprawl: The End is Near for Suburbia
As mobile technology is fast becoming more mainstream, Urban Land Institute's CEO Patrick Phillips envisages more mixed-use developments in the next decade.
Stagnant Sales Hamper Chicago's Revitalization Efforts
Failing to attract buyers even with deep discounts, developers are starting to bail out on Plan for Transformation, an ambitious program that seeks to replace moribund public housing projects with mixed-income housing.
Chinese Ghost Cities on the Rise
A year after taking a look at the new but empty cities being created in China, Business Insider takes a trip back to see what's changed in those brand new and unoccupied cities.
Opportunities for Big-Box Developments Abound Across the Northern Border
After being hidden in plain sight for decades, Canada now emerges as the hot spot for U.S. "international" investment.
Marketing Cities as Products in China
City development has become a close cousin to product sales in China, where developers are finding new ways to market their services as suites of urban products.
South Korea to Build New Capital for Southern Sudan
The new country of Southern Sudan, officially declaring its independence in July, will have help from the national development arm of South Korea in building a proposed new capital city.
Secret Plans for Chinese Version of Austrian Village Irk Locals
Plans to build a copy of a scenic Austrian village in China have irked officials in Hallstatt, Austria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Urban Development Shifts Reduce Driving
The patterns of urban development over the past few decades have pushed more and more people into cars by necessity. But as design priorities change, so are people's walking and driving habits.
New Housing Starts Reveal Shift Toward Multi-Family Housing Construction
AP reports on the Anderson Forecast from UCLA that looks into CA's housing slump and shows two distinct markets, one on the rise and the other (single-family housing) falling.
Megaprojects Approved in San Francisco
Two major redevelopment projects - Treasure Island and Parkmerced - have been approved after a lengthy process by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.
Rust Belt Mayors Are Greening Brownfields
With the unlikely help of a group called the Mayors Automotive Coalition, down-at-the-heels towns are reinventing themselves - in various shades of green.
Breaking out of the Single-Family Home "Box"
An editorial from John McManus at Big Builder Online says that the downturn in the economy is pushing developers to break out of the single-family housing box and experiment with mixed-use.
New City Planned For Unlikely Corner of California Desert
Travertine City would house 35,000 residents on the shores of the Salton Sea, California's largest - and most unpleasant - body of water. Developers claim that it will be a model of sustainability. "
Realizing Fast-Forward Urbanism
Top-down and bottom-up planning are brushed aside in favor of the concept of a middle ground approach in the new book "Fast-Forward Urbanism: Rethinking Architecture's Engagement with the City". It could work, according to this review.
The Olympic Aftermath in Athens
This piece from Domus goes on a tour of Athens with local architect Andreas Angelidakis, who reflects on the city's lasting and negative impacts from hosting the Olympics.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
