Urban Development
Cities, Not Farms, At Fault For Bay Pollution
Cities, not the agriculture heavy Central Valley, are the source of most of the runoff and pollution that enters the San Francisco Bay, according to a new report.
Millions in Affordable Housing Funds Misspent
Continuing its exposé of California redevelopment agencies, The L.A. Times uncovers that $700 million meant for affordable housing across the state was spent without a single unit being built.
Parks Better For Cities Than Stadiums, Arts Centers
Because of their broad appeal, diverse uses, and heavy programming, parks may do more for cities than the performing arts centers of the 1980s and the sports venues of the 1990s have accomplished, says JoAnn Greco.
Arrested Redevelopment
A Los Angeles Times investigation finds "widespread instances of corruption, questionable spending and poor accountability" among California's 400 municipal redevelopment agencies.
The Problem With Density
Density is an imperfect and unreliable measurement of intensity, says architect and city planner Walter Hosack, and must be replaced with a yardstick that can more accurately measure cause and predict effect.
Photographing a Decade of Difference in East Germany
After a trip through Eastern Germany in 1990 photographing blasted out buildings from World War Two, photographer Stefan Koppelkamm's second trip ten years later revealed vastly renovated places -- to his disappointment.
Dubai Calms Down
After nearly collapsing under the pressure of a free-wheeling building boom, Dubai is on the rebound. A new internal accounting effort is trying to explore what went wrong and how to avoid those mistakes in the future.
Brooklyn Bridge Park's Evolving Role
As a new park near the Brooklyn Bridge gradually opens in New York, the role it plays in public life in the city is already evolving.
Building Takes More Realistic Pace in Dubai
Once the site of a seemingly endless string of outlandish building projects, Dubai has shaken off the dust from the market crash and resumed building less flashy projects at a steadier pace.
Builders, Developers and Cities Team Up Against Florida's Amendment 4
Amendment 4, on the Nov. ballot in Florida, would put state-mandated growth plans before the voters, and could mean any change to a community's development plan would have to be approved by the masses.
Regionalism Takes A Step Forward In CA With SB 375 Targets Approved
NRDC land use expert Amanda Eaken blogs about the approval by the Air Resources Board of the regional targets required by SB 375 to reduce global warming caused by transportation. An overlooked result may be the new powers resting with MPOs.
The Post-Olympics Neighborhood
For a few weeks in 2012 a part of East London will be host to 20,000 journalists. After the Summer Olympics, though, the area set to host the media will be a mixed use neighborhood of nearly 3,000 homes, if all goes as planned.
Pilot Projects Are Nice, But Not As Nice As Permanence
Despite the quality of temporary public spaces being created in San Francisco, their use of funding sources and lack of permanence could hurt efforts to build permanent public spaces, according to this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Hypothetical Futures of Empty Buildings
To draw attention to unused buildings lying fallow in cities like New Orleans, writer Rob Walker has created the "Hypothetical Development Organization" to render possible future uses and designs.
Could Classic Hill Towns Be a Model for Town Planning?
In classic hill towns, people showed innovation and dynamic placemaking--lessons learned for urbanism in the new century, says Chuck Wolfe.
Urban Sprawl and Development Threatening Biodiversity in Animals
Habitat fragmentation linked with urban sprawl and development has been shown to negatively impact biological diversity in animals, according to new research.
Future Olympic Host Working Around the Clock
Sochi, Russia, is set to play host to the Winter Olympics in 2014. Preparations are fast underway, with construction work happening practically around the clock.
Friday Funny: Goats on the Roof™
Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in Wisconsin features a traditional sod roof, complete with grazing goats. The Johnson family lawyers have trademarked the animal/roof combination, and sue anyone who does the same.
Grocers Succeeding in Low-Income Areas
The Save-a-Lot grocery chain has succeeded by going into urban and rural low-income areas that other chains have shied away from.
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
