Urban Development
Parking Requirements Over-Projected
Prof. Robert Cervero at UC Berkeley studied parking needs at transit-oriented developments in the Bay Area and Portland and found that, on average, they exceeded peak demand by 25-30%.
L.A.'s Biggest Development Blunders
Los Angeles Downtown News picks the 10 Biggest Problem Projects of the Decade, including the still empty Hall of Justice and the languishing Angel's Flight.
Scientologists Fight For Expansion in Sandy Springs
In a close vote last week, the Sandy Springs, Georgia City Council approved a rezoning for a Church of Scientology but rejected the building expansion they were hoping for. The Church plans to sue under RLUIPA.
Planning Utopia
Jeff Speck and Andrés Duany talk about why they wrote their new book The Smart Growth Manual, and why 'planners aren’t going to like it.'
The Bizarre Planning of the Las Vegas Monorail
There's a monorail on the Las Vegas Strip. Well, kinda. It's actually behind the casinos and hotels that line the famous strip. This piece from Metropolis explains how it got there and why it's not so good.
San Francisco Claims Treasure Island
The City of San Francisco has secured a deal with the U.S. Navy to purchase Treasure Island, a man-made island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The city has broad plans to redevelop the site.
People Don't Want Density, Says Duany
In an interview with Builder Magazine, Andrés Duany says that citizen participation in one of the biggest roadblocks to smart growth, because people don't understand the benefits yet.
Vast Changes Along the Mekong River
Dam and development projects are in the works along the Mekong River, which runs through six Asian countries. Some say the river and the economies that rely on it are being threatened.
Filling in the City
As climate talks start and stop in Copenhagen, Anthony Flint argues for local action by affecting the built environment. He calls for more infill redevelopment, saying "we need more city".
Sin Keeps Development Away, Preserves Nature
The former site of the Mustang Ranch turns out to be an important piece of a floodplain restoration project in Nevada, and was inadvertently preserved because of the presence of the famous brothel.
Libeskind Says Downturn is Right Time for Mega Projects
Architect Daniel Libeskind, designer of part of the new Las Vegas megaproject CityCenter, says now is the right time to be building big and bold projects.
Some Silver Lining to Urban Renewal
Barry Johnson of The Oregonian looks back at Portland's urban renewal program, what was lost in the demolition of neighborhoods and what was gained.
Newburg: Embracing Density at the Urban Fringe
The U.S. needs a new model for denser living, says John Stillich of the Sustainable Urban Development Association. 'Newburg' is SUDA's proposed solution to the problem.
China Clamping Down on Home Flippers
The Chinese government has announced their intention to increase the stock of affordable housing and tax homes sold within five years or less of purchase.
'A Palace for the Age of Towering Debt and Easy Credit'
Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a take on Las Vegas' new CityCenter mega project, highlighting the project's faux-urbanism and what in the end is disappointingly conservative architecture.
Historic Preservation vs. Revitalization?
In Willmar, Minnesota, city officials were not pleased when a mandated environmental review concluded that the 68-year old airport building they wanted to demolish was historically significant.
Old Buildings See New Life As Schools
School officials in the UK are increasingly looking at old office buildings and other existing facilities that can be converted into school houses more affordably than building from scratch.
Austin Limits Home Sizes
In 2006, Austin, Texas established rules limiting the size of homes in the central city for reasons of historic character. Residents of South Austin may soon face similar restrictions.
The Detritus of Dead Malls
Photographer Brian Ulrich has been taking pictures of dead mall and big-box retail across the country. The Morning News presents a photo gallery of his work.
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
