Urban Development
Street Food, Now With Table Service
Blogger and landscape architect Lisa Town gathers a few D.I.Y. tables and chairs designed for creating instant public seating space for street food, including a hydrant tabletop.
Cruise Ship Utopia
The cruise ship Utopia will be a $1.1 billion dollar party boat that includes 200 homes for sale for $3.7 million and up. That is, if they can get enough buyers in a tough market.
Jane Jacobs, Gentrifier?
Prof. Sharon Zukin argues that Jacobs had "a gentrifier’s appreciation of urban authenticity" in her new book, Naked City.
2000 - 2009: The Decade in Planning
The editors' choice of the most significant stories in the realm of urban planning, design and development of the "aughts" (2000-2009). The decade began with one crash and ended with another, but in between we've learned a lot about making cities.
Supply and Demand for Big Boxes
The market for big box spaces plunged during the recession as companies like Circuit City folded. But demand is very slightly picking up, and in some places it never went away.
Transitioning From Sprawl To Compactness
Regional planning in CA's sprawling Central Valley has turned to the huge challenge of increasing density. Fortunately, SB 375 will facilitate planners' efforts to double Fresno County density to 8 units per acre. Yet institutional obstacles remain.
Texas Pastor Builds a Neighborhood
Though he originally planned to build a prayer center on part of a 20 acre property he was pursuing, a Texas Pastor has expanded his plans into an all-out neighborhood with more than 450 homes.
Creating Urban Connections Between Dubai's Icons
The Burj Khalifa has opened in Dubai. Now, locals say, the development of the city's public life must begin.
Agriculture vs. Business on Portland's Growth Boundary
Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, is an ambitious town on the urban growth boundary that is eager to expand into the farmland next door. How will Portland's system of growth-slowing government respond?
NASA Says Agriculture Is Draining Groundwater in California
NASA satellite imagery reveals that two of California's main groundwater sources are being rapidly depleted by agriculture and exurban development.
Smart Growth From the Environmental Perspective
Kaid Benfield of the NRDC reviews The Smart Growth Manual by Andres Duany, Jeff Speck and Mike Lydon. Benfield gives it high marks for style and substance, and for the way it incorporates environmental issues.
SF's Transbay Terminal Project Edges Closer to Groundbreaking
The New York Times looks at plans for the new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, which could break ground within months.
The Ruins of Detroit and New Orleans
Bryan Finoki looks at the devastated cities of Detroit and New Orleans and finds "blueprints for the manufacture of ruin".
Urban Planning in Los Angeles, 2009
Curbed LA takes an amusing look at the urban planning proposals that bubbled up in L.A. throughout 2009.
Stadiums Draining City Coffers
Sweetheart deals using public monies to fund stadiums have backfired across the country, causing more drain than gain.
Japanese Women Shack Up
Sharing apartments as roommates is a foreign concept in Japan- single people have traditionally preferred their own tiny living quarters. A new glut of large, fancy apartments has created a new market for roomies.
What to Look For in 2010 in Sustainability
New Urbanist Steve Mouzon lists the sustainable building trends to watch out for in the new year, including the growth of live/work spaces and a move towards greater durability.
Sub-Urban Planning
Triple Canopy translates a Chinese interview with Shu Yu, one of the world's foremost underground urban planners. He talks about the potential of underground space for urban habitation.
Marin TOD Planning: Drop The 'D'
Marin County, long known for its environmental awareness, is concerned about anything that is "growth inducing", and that certainly includes the new SMART passenger rail system, approved by the voters in November, that will serve Sonoma and Marin.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
