Urban Development
Making Temporary Use of Empty Development Lots
Empty lots are scattered throughout San Francisco, sites of would-be towers that have been temporarily put off by the building bust. Instead of letting these lots sit empty until construction, some are finding ways to utilize them in the meantime.
If You're NIMBY, You Aren't Green
Environmentalists in Berkeley and Oakland are realizing that the inner-city development they protested in the past is actually more eco-friendly than the alternative.
Designing a City on the Sea
Winners have been announced in an open competition to design what could become a permanent, sea-based, autonomous living facility.
Bid to Build Museum in San Francisco's Historic Presidio Dropped
A controversial effort to develop a modern art museum in San Francisco's Presidio has come to an end.
Fear of Density in Houston
As Houston considers extending its urban boundaries, planners and locals struggle with the proper techniques for ensuring good development without zoning.
Developer Sues Planners
Terrapin Run LLC proposed a 4,300 home development in Allegheny County. Local officials decided that the project was not in keeping with environmental or smart growth objectives for the area, and the developer answered with a lawsuit.
Big and Getting Bigger
Cities on the rise are growing faster and cities on the decline are shrinking slower, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Decline in Decline of Housing Market
Yale economist Robert Schiller believes that the housing market is showing signs of improvement. "At this point, people are thinking the fall is over," says Schiller.
Can Zoo Design Apply to People?
Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG looks at plans for a zoo in France made up of simulated environments, and wonders why we don't build simulated environments for humans.
Should We Plan Cities To Be Temporary?
Eoin O'Carroll, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, notes the plans to bulldoze neighborhoods in decaying American cities and wonders if all this waste couldn't be avoided in the future by building more pre-fab houses.
London's Temporary Olympic Stadium Could Go Permanent
Officials in London are changing their minds about the main stadium being built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was intended to be a semi-temporary structure. Now they want it to be permanent.
A Different Kind of New York Street Conversion 100 Years Ago
While New York City is currently taking space away from automobiles and giving it to pedestrians and cyclists, the New York City of 100 years ago was doing exactly the opposite. And it was a popular idea.
Public Space Starting Small On Philadelphia's Waterfront
A competition to redesign Philadelphia's Pier 11 represents a concentrated -- and viable -- effort to create quality public space along the city's waterfront, according to Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron.
Good Parks Good for Urban Economies
Anne Schwartz compiles recent studies on the economic value of parks, describing how an investment in parks by the city will result in a healthier urban economy.
The Megaprojects Shaping the Future of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is looking to develop itself into a new global arts hub, and an incubator of green technology. This piece takes a tour of two ambitious projects seeking to reform the oil-rich emirate.
What's Holding Back the UK's 'Eco-Towns'
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's grand plans for 10 carbon-neutral 'eco-towns' haven't lived up to their fanfare, according to some. Now as things move forward, the goals have been watered down a bit.
Seattle's SLU Sees Slew of Development
Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood is developing into a new high-tech hub in the city.
Will Plan It Calgary Lead Canada in Urban Sustainability?
Calgary's proposed plan "Plan It" seeks to lay out the city's future for the next 60 years, and it represents a dramatic shift away from unregulated suburbanization. It faces a lot of opposition.
Kunstler Says "Too Late" For High-Speed Rail
Returning from CNU, James Howard Kunstler reacts to a NY Times article about California's high-speed rail plans, and reflects on New Urbanism's shift away from traditional-neighborhood developments and into preparing for the 'long emergency'.
Dubai's Strange Development Pattern Spreading
The economic downturn has halted many projects in Dubai, but the show's not over in the elaborate emirate. In fact, its patterns of development may even be spreading to other cities around the world.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
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
