Urban Development
A Developer in the Park
Sitting in a controversial niche in the development market, Thomas Chapman develops plans for parcels within national parks, only to take buyouts from environmental groups or the government. He's got a bold new proposal on the way.
Portland's EcoDistricts
Launched in 2009 as an effort to choose five neighborhoods where sustainability measures could be quickly implemented and tested out, the city of Portland's EcoDistricts are entering their pilot phase.
Using Domes to Understand Concerns
Conflicts inevitably arise during design discussions and policy talks. A team of architects has created a new way of understanding each side's concerns, mainly by diagramming them into distinct domes.
Mixed Use Mix Up
The Architect's Newspaper brings this cautionary tale of architect's accepting ambitious work projects in China that are too good to be true.
Owner of Valuable Railroad Easement is a Mystery
16 overgrown acres of land hide a long-unused railroad easement in Muskegee -- so long unused that no one knows who owns it. Muskegee Development wants it.
Four Visions for Future Living
In the face of climate change and sea level rise, Popular Science offers four designs for urban lifestyles of the near future.
Homes for the New Economy
The factors that make homes attractive to buyers have changed considerably since the market crash, says Builder Magazine, which features three homes that exemplify the new realities of the market.
Ped, Bike, & Bus: Transforming NYC Streets
This 6-minute video looks at how New York City streets have changed after a mere three years of planning. Pedestrian plazas, bike lanes, and bus rapid transit are the major projects highlighted, and the improvements to economy, health, and happiness
Clash Between Ideals and Realities in Boise
Boise, Idaho attempts to find common ground between its vision for the future and the need for economic development.
Cattle vs. Subdivisions
Arizona's long-standing open range laws allow cattle to roam freely, but the state is now reconsidering the laws as residents of the West's suburban subdivisions are growing more frustrated by encounters with roaming cattle.
Fearing a 'Middle Class Ghetto'
As London redevelops its troubled East End ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics, organizers are warning against the post-event developments turning into ghettos of the middle class.
No ARC without TOD
New Jersey wants billions in federal money for its ARC project, but NJ Transit's commuter rail service is too often just a subsidy to the rich and an excuse not to develop North Jersey, says Stephen Smith.
Reviving Suburbs Requires an Urban Sensibility
Richard Florida argues that edge cities ravaged by the recession should take cues from urban development patterns to spur growth.
New Jersey Moves Away From McMansion Trend
In the face of a recent report showing that sprawl was rapidly eating up developable land in New Jersey, developers have begun to ditch the McMansion in favor of taller and more dense projects.
A Post-Sprawl Los Angeles
CNN's Richard Quest takes an incredulous look at the changes brewing in Los Angeles as downtown revitalizes and the city densifies.
A Tale of Two Tall Towers
Josh Leon reports on his time "around two instructive pieces of vertical architecture that could presumably be competitors in a transoceanic race between the US and China for economic hegemony."
Stuttgart Roiled By Conflict Over Proposed Development
A plan to underground the central train station of Stuttgart and create a new city neighborhood above it is so controversial that violent protests have broken out.
New Jersey Running Out of Land
The NYT is reporting that New Jersey is running out of developable land, but with the recent ARC decision, the legacy of the Mount Laurel doctrine, and decades of highway-based suburbanizing policies, is New Jersey actually ready for density?
Grocery Stores Becoming Hot Mall Properties
Supermarkets are moving in to spaces vacated by department stores in malls, which until recently were too costly for grocery stores to rent.
Stopping Sprawl, Slowing Emissions, Improving the Economy
A new report suggests that making policies in Canada to avoid urban sprawl development will reduce pollution and boost the economy.
Pagination
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