Urban Development
Wal-Mart Gains Foothold In Lucrative Urban Market
Wal-Mart is succeeding in convincing Chicago politicians that it will create sustainable "employment and revenue for the city." The predominantly suburban-based supercenter chain is trying to move into denser urban areas.
An Aerotropolis for Edmonton
Will airports become the "anchors of 21st century development," as Prof. John Kasarda believes? Kasarda spoke in Edmonton, Alberta, where planners are considering developing airport-adjacent greenfields into dense development.
Vision California Calls for Compact Development in Established Cities
Vision California, the state's first planning document in over thirty years, was released Wednesday and concludes that planners "should focus on creating compact development in already established cities," over continued suburban sprawl.
Mall Makeovers, For Better or Worse
Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin reviews a few mall retrofits and finds that breathing life back into a dead mall can be a challenge.
A Driveable Future
An auto company has a new design competition to imagine a future city that is car-friendly.
Planning for the Future of London's Olympic Park
To ensure its longevity, developers of London's Olympic Park have made integration of its facilities into a larger urban renewal plan a priority.
Urban Activism 101
Alison Arieff talks with Jason Roberts Go Oak Cliff, a neighborhood advocacy group in Austin, Texas, about his techniques for advocating for better neighborhoods.
Study Shows Mixed Use Reduces Car Travel More Than Density
Smart Planet talks with transportation researcher Reid Ewing about a new study he co-authored about how different development patterns can reduce auto use.
Reversing California's Sprawl with SB 375 and TOD
A new report from the Urban Land Institute finds that California's VMT-focused Senate Bill 375 can potentially reverse the state's sprawl. Transit-oriented development is seen as a strong strategy.
Mortgage Headache Spawns Legislation in California
Mortgage debt is crippling the housing market all over the country, and the homeowners who've taken on more debt than they can afford. Now, real estate interests and banking interests are battling over legislation intended to ease the pain.
Layoffs Hurt Planning Efforts in California
Cities in California's Central Valley are looking at the economic downturn as an opportunity for planners to focus on long-range work. But layoffs in planning departments are making that hard to do.
Some Say Tysons Urban Village Idea Not Good Enough
A new plan up for approval today in Fairfax County, Virginia to turn the suburban office park of Tysons Corner into an urban village is a good idea gone bad, according to the chairman of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.
The Social Supermarket
A new Safeway in Washington, D.C. is breaking the mold in grocery design by tucking the parking away behind the entrance and putting the market upstairs in a 2-story building, with smaller shops for lease on the street.
Americans Spending More On Housing Than Ever
18.6 million American households –renters and homeowners alike – spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new study by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Tapping the Crowd to Solve America's Transportation Problem
Slate is soliciting ideas from its readers to improve the nation's transportation system.
Dollar Stores and Groceries Bouncing Back
A new study shows a significant increase in planned new retail stores over the past three months, and discounters and grocery stores are leading the way.
Randal O'Toole vs. the Livable Communities Act
O'Toole asks why, if there is such a demand for high-density, mixed-use housing, that the government needs to subsidize it?
Underground Berkeley Bike Station Surfaces
...and expands almost nine-fold to be the nation's second largest. While not as proximate to the BART gates as the existing ten-year-old, 400 sq. ft station, it will be only be half a block away.
Struggles with Urban Farming
A ring road that has been on the books for decades is being revived in Urbana, Illinois - and would run right through a popular urban farm.
Mega Development or Mega Disappointment?
CityCenter in Las Vegas is the most expensive development in U.S. history. As it settles into it surrounds, will the project attain visionary status, or will it be just another casino?
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
