Urban Development

The Federal Government's Sustainable Urbanism Challenge

Sustainability is going federal through a new collaboration between HUD, EPA and DOT. Anthony Flint takes a look at the new coordinated effort and some of the challenges it faces.

February 17, 2010 - Citiwire

Qatar Learning Lessons From Dubai's Crash

With its ambitious and extravagant plans, Dubai has fallen hard amid the economic bust. Nearby Qatar, on the other hand, is poised to weather the economic storm a little better.

February 17, 2010 - Time

The Physical Legacy of Vancouver's Olympics

This piece from Fast Company looks at the legacy that will remain in Vancouver after the Olympics are over.

February 17, 2010 - Fast Company

Millennials Aren't Buying American Dream

The younger generation of Americans will continue to rent rather than buy, predicts the Urban Land Institute.

February 16, 2010 - Examiner LA

Olympic Village Named LEED Platinum Neighborhood

The Olympic Village in Vancouver's Southeast False Creek has earned a platinum rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system.

February 16, 2010 - CTV

San Francisco Looks At Converting Parking to Public Space

Inspired by the home-grown Park(ing) Day parking spot conversion event, the city of San Francisco is launching a pilot project to convert street parking in its North Beach neighborhood to outdoor dining areas and public spaces.

February 16, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

Suburbs Get Taller, But Send Mixed Signals

Chicago's suburbs are growing taller, adding density and height like never before. Blair Kamin argues that these small towns are facing an identity crisis, stuck uncomfortably between city and suburb.

February 16, 2010 - Cityscapes (Blair Kamin)

Cities Prepare for Electric Cars

San Francisco, Portland, and San Diego lead the charge to ensure everything from power grids to building codes are prepared for arrival of electric cars.

February 16, 2010 - New York Times

Tough Choices in Pleasantville, NY

Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.

February 16, 2010 - New York Times

Hollywood Sign Edited in the Name of Preservation

With the threat of its sale bringing the prospect of hilltop housing development behind the city's most well-known icon, the hills near the Hollywood sign in L.A. have spurred local activists to drape a new anti-development message over the sign.

February 15, 2010 - The New York Times

Vancouver's Recession Olympics

Vancouver lost its Triple A credit rating after being forced to bail out its Olympic Athletes Village when the hedge fund that had backed it went under -- just one of the unpredicted events that made this a Recession Olympics.

February 15, 2010 - Financial Times

Resisting Dickensian Gloom

High-density development in Australia is causing more greenhouse gases than the suburbs, argues Dr. Tony Recsei of the group Save Our Suburbs, in this rebuttal of a blog post by Michael Dudley.

February 15, 2010 - Tony Recsei

Charlotte's Development Animated

This paper animation clip by Rob Carter shows the urban growth and development of Charlotte, North Carolina over time.

February 14, 2010 - Good

Revitalizing a City With Technology

The town of Holyoke, Massachusetts has hired Cisco to create a technology-led urban revitalization plan.

February 14, 2010 - Fast Company

Vancouver Tops List of Livable Cities

As the Winter Olympics kick off in Vancouver, the city has been named the world's "most livable city".

February 12, 2010 - Reuters

California Plan Would Block Projects From Environmental Lawsuits

California is looking to fast-track a pilot project that would exempt some construction projects from environment-related legal challenges. It's a move aimed at speeding development and creating jobs, but critics say it will harm the environment.

February 12, 2010 - The Desert Sun

What's Green and Not-So-Green About Vancouver

Grist takes a look at the Olympic city of Vancouver, and lists some of its greenest attributes, and some of its less-than-green downfalls.

February 12, 2010 - Grist

London Stadium Plan Misses Mark on Context

One of London's major soccer teams is floating plans to rebuild its stadium. But with its location in one of the city's most impoverished sections, many say the new plan doesn't do enough for its neighborhood.

February 12, 2010 - London Evening Standard

Reinventing Mobility in Detroit

PBS documents Detroit's attempts to overcome its history as "the Motor City" to create new ways of getting people around. Transit advocates play a big part in this preview, which includes renderings of projected transit options.

February 10, 2010 - PBS

Shanghai Invests Deep in Expo, But Legacy Raises Concerns

Shanghai is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo -- an event that's costing more than $45 billion. While officials hope the event will be a boon for tourism, locals question whether the investment will pay off.

February 10, 2010 - NPR

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.