Urban Development

Experiencing Debtenfreude

Schadenfreude is a German concept that means "taking pleasure in the suffering of others." Columnist Meghan Daum is experiencing 'debtenfreude'; the pleasure in watching house flippers and McMansion builders fall to the economic downturn.

June 8, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

How is the Fate of Historic Complex Space?

Concern: Ames Shovel Shops might be demolished.

June 7, 2009 - The Boston Globe

Bad Habits Persist in Designs for Future Malls

A competition to design the shopping mall of the future produces some surprisingly non-futuristic results, according to juror and commentator Allison Arieff.

June 6, 2009 - The New York Times

Suburbs 2.0

A review of Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs by Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson, from Residential Architect Online.

June 4, 2009 - Residential Architect Online

Vancouver Planners Propose to Alter Zoning on Shoreline

The False Creek Shoreline in northeast Vancouver has been slated for decades for significant commercial development. Today, planners proposed taking the area in a new direction.

June 2, 2009 - The Vancouver Sun

Preserving A Modernist Hotel in LA

A debate over preserving the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City is a question of not just a building, but the historic preservation of an entire model of planning, says Christopher Hawthorne.

June 1, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Transit Stops Increase Property Value- But Why?

Sam Staley argues that the increase in property values around transit stations isn't attributable to increased ridership, and in fact the locations with the least investment had the highest ridership.

June 1, 2009 - The Business Journal (Fresno)

Making Public Space Hip

The group tasked with reenergizing Bermondsey Square in southeast London see their target audience as "urban safarians."

June 1, 2009 - Building

A Village Takes Shape Near Atlanta

Serenbe is a new master-planned community outside of Atlanta that is creating a new model for placemaking in the U.S., taking its form from English villages and working within the natural environment.

May 31, 2009 - AIArchitect

Master Planning Underway for Early LEED-ND Project

A 212-acre urban infill project in Yakima, Washington will be one of the first communities to be planned according to developing LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) principles.

May 30, 2009 - Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce

Massive Redevelopment In The Works In St. Louis

Developer Paul McKee has secretly assembled 500 acres of land in north St. Louis, and recently unveiled a plan that includes 4 and a half million sq. ft. of new office and retail and 10,000 new homes.

May 30, 2009 - St. Louis Post Dispatch

Green Developments Getting Green Light

Developers are finding it easier to get funding for sustainable building projects due to federal incentives and investor interest in green certification.

May 30, 2009 - Apartment Finance Today

California Housing Market Looking Rosier

The median home price in California notched up 1.4% in April from the previous month, prompting some to announce the market has bottomed out and is recovering.

May 29, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

Pedestrian Planning Coming to Tennessee

Shelby County and Memphis are on the verge of adopting a new smart growth zoning code to slow urban sprawl and breathe reinvigorate urban centers. The county's Main Street Mall will remain car-free. "Pedestrian-friendly" is the new planning theme.

May 27, 2009 - The Commercial Appeal (Memphis

The Challenge of Turning Blue Collars Green

The new documentary The Greening of Southie follows construction workers in Boston as they adapt to the new rules and regulations of green development (sometimes unwittingly).

May 27, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Downtown Plan Showing Wear

A battle over the height of a proposed skyscraper in San Francisco emphasizes the need for an update to the city's 25-yr old plan, says critic John King.

May 27, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Closing Dealerships Spell Opportunity

Seems some developers are taking Planetizen's recent poll to heart and are looking at closing car dealerships as perfect locations for new, dense development.

May 26, 2009 - The Boston Globe

PBS Doc Examines Development In Denver, Portland, and NYC

Three cities - three directions on how their transportation infrastructure was shaped by national transportation and housing legislation, and the role of influential leaders like CO Gov. Lamm, OR representative Earl Blumenauer, and NY's Robert Moses.

May 26, 2009 - PBS

The Rowhouse Returns

The rowhouse, a style of housing that began in 17th century Europe, is gaining in popularity in the U.S.

May 25, 2009 - Chicago Tribune

Is the Housing Market on the Mend?

The consensus seems to be that its so bad, we must have hit bottom. But "a drop in housing starts might actually be good news," says one economist.

May 24, 2009 - Business Week

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.