Urban Development
Designing Urban Areas to Hear the Sounds of the City
Cities make more sounds than just cars driving by or factories humming. Trevor Cox says we should embrace the subtle sounds of cities, and update our urban design to make sure we can.
Ambitious Development Plan Crumbles Before City's Eyes
This piece from The New York Times looks at how an ill-fated development plan for the island of Alameda fell apart, and the city official tied up in the controversy.
From Baseball Star To Affordable Housing Rehabilitator
Former major league baseball player Maurice Vaughn has made a new new career of buying, then rehabilitating public housing projects. The Times describes Mo's life and transformation as well as that of his six-year-old company, Omni New York LLC.
The Harlem 'Under-Line'
Seeking to replicate the success of the High Line linear park in New York City, some are suggesting the creation of a linear small business market beneath a segment of Metro tracks in Harlem.
The Mall: Not Dead Yet
Retail Traffic Magazine reports that the indoor mall, long declared dead, has weathered the storm of the recession better than expected -- and better than many retail concepts imagined as the next big thing.
The Happy Magic Watercube Waterpark
That's the name of the new project being built in the Beijing Watercube, one of the city's highlight architectural creations built for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
New Jersey's Forests Disappearing
A new study shows that the amount of urban development in New Jersey now outnumbers the state's forest acreage.
Cairo Facing Possible Future of American-Style Suburban Sprawl
Real estate investment is expected to rise sharply in the greater Cairo region. Some fear this will bring about American-style suburban sprawl.
Liveability Loses Out
The House of Representatives voted on the 2011 appropriations bill for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development yesterday, stripping $200 million from liveability initiatives that the Obama administration wanted.
Miami Approves 50-story Electronic Signs
The Miami City Commission has controversially approved a pair of 50-story electronic signs to be built atop a parking garage next to the City's Arsht Performing Arts Center.
China's Cities: All Show, No Substance?
Chinese urban sprawl has the potential to be transformed into urban sustainability.
Underwater Homeowners Taking New Gambles on Real Estate
The Wall St. Journal reports that some homeowners are selling their underwater homes at a loss and turning right around and investing in new homes with lower mortgage rates and getting more house in the process.
San Francisco Pins Utopian Hopes on Treasure Island
San Francisco has always been home to utopian dreamers. With a clean slate to work on in the middle of the bay, the city has drafted plans for a sustainable utopia. With politics and money kicking in, will the dream be dashed?
Cleveland Development Could Connect Food Wholesalers With Public
A proposed development on a vacant lot in ailing Cleveland could connect locals with a little-known asset of their community - a cluster of food wholesalers.
San Juan to Ban Cars, Make "Walkable City"
The oldest city in the Americas bans cars from its colonial streets and outlines a plan to make San Juan more livable. David Soto gives us a look at this ambitious plan.
Unrealized Berlin
A new exhibit in Germany looks at a variety of unrealized and unbuilt plans for Berlin created by 100 different architects and planners.
Improving Suburbia Via A Contest
Can planners and architects build a better model of suburbia? Long Island Index thinks so, and has designed a contest to retrofit parts of asphalt laden suburban Long Island. Ideas are discussed in this NYT blog on design and architecture.
The Civic Divide Between Quantity and Quality
Aaron M. Renn dissects the "Venus-Mars" split between the high quality and high quantity model and argues that "an hourglass America is not one most of us want to live in for the long term."
Agricultural Urbanism in Illinois
This piece from Grist looks at Prairie Crossing, a planned community in Illinois that integrates agriculture into its village-like setting.
LA and New York in 2030
Newsweek picks the brains of architects to offer these visions of what the cities of New York and Los Angeles will look like in 2030.
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
