Urban Development
States Enjoying Lower Bids for Construction Projects
The recession is causing construction contractors to branch out -- from subdivisions to road projects. And the market is now flooded, giving state more and lower bids to choose from.
What’s in Store for the New HUD Secretary?
Shaun Donovan wants HUD to catalyze shifts in American urban planning, one community at a time. A look at the optimistic HUD secretary, who has been given the task of fixing the housing market—and making over a broken government agency.
CO Springs to Bring Downtown Back to Life
Colorado Springs planners have put two ambitious plans on the table: The first, a brand new Master Plan for its downtown, and the second, a form-based code.
LA Buys its Foreclosed Homes to Refurbish and Resell
Los Angeles has begun using its $33 million in funds from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to jumpstart neighborhoods blighted by foreclosure. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited a South Los Angeles neighborhood Wednesday.
China's Eco-Cities Stumble and Fall
The ambitious green Chinese city of Dongtan was hyped up to be one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. But now, like other eco-city plans, work on the project has slowed to a halt.
Tent Cities As 'Informal Urbanism'
High Country News reports on Fresno's infamous Taco Flat in this 4-pager. Seattle's Nickelsville and Portland's Dignity Village are held up as better examples of squatter settlements. Architecture and 'informal urbanism' of tent cities is examined.
San Antonio Saves The Trees
Officials in San Antonio say they've closed a legal loophole that allowed developers to clear trees for ranching or farming.
TOD Boom Goes Bust in Seattle
A transit-oriented development boom in Southeast Seattle is coming to a halt, as the economic recession sets in.
Parking As Art
A new parking garage opening in Ft. Worth is actually a full-scale public art project by artist/architect Christopher Janney. Janney's design includes a soundscape of Ft. Worth music and native animal sounds.
Not Your Parents' Denver Region Any Longer
Following the path of only a few other attractive cities and regions, Denver is seeing an influx of whites while the suburbs are becoming increasingly racially & ethnically integrated.
Unofficial International Olympic Committee Tours Chicago's 2016 Venues
The Chicago Tribune formed its own panel of international judges -- made up of tourists -- to tour and evaluate the city's proposed venues for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The End Of San Francisco's High-Rise Housing Boom
A prominent developer predicts that all hi-rise housing will cease in the San Francisco due to the credit crisis. The result, says an urban think tank director, will be more sprawl development in the Bay Area as it presents the least financial risk.
One-Fourth of Las Vegas Commercial Real Estate in Trouble
With the gambling industry facing lower demand, commercial real estate is being hit hard in Las Vegas, where nearly $8 billion worth of real estate is in trouble.
Time for Real Estate to 'Get Real'
Ventura, CA, City Manager Rick Cole Op-ed argues for a comprehensive paradigm shift in the real estate and development industries.
The Presidential Focus on Cities and Metros
Urban policy is looking to be a major element of President Barack Obama's administration. Though it hasn't quite taken shape yet, this piece argues it's a good sign for cities and metropolitan regions.
Planning for Spontaneity
According to this opinion piece, planners must ease up on "big bang" planning--an approach centered around sweeping changes with fixed ideas of what the outcome must look like.
Bronx Boomer
Big-name and big-budget projects in New York are basking in the spotlight, but smaller, community-based projects are also flourishing in the Bronx.
The City Makes a Comeback
Nicolai Ouroussof uses four cities--New Orleans, Los Angeles, The Bronx, and Buffalo--as case studies on how America's urban areas, long neglected, can once again be great.
Vancouver Revisits View Preservation Policy
Amid growing concern that downtown Vancouver's mandated view corridors cost too much development while making too little sense, its planners are once again debating their necessity.
Slow and Steady Survives the Recession
Pittsburgh's strategy of slow, steady growth has made it the front runner for sustainable building. The city now boasts the most LEED-certified square footage in the country.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
