Urban Development

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

Density Bonus in Action in Mineola

Mineola, NY has approved a new 257-unit transit-oriented development, which will benefit from a density bonus. The project is expected to pump $2 million dollars into the economy.

May 24, 2009 - Newsday

FL Growth Legislation Hinges on "What Is Urban?"

A controversial bill on the desk of FL Gov. Crist is touted by supporters as 'smart growth' because they feel it will direct growth to urban areas, which are defined as 1,000 people per sq. mile. At stake is transportation mitigation of new projects.

May 22, 2009 - The New York Times - U.S.

Downtown, Everything's Waiting For You

MSNBC looks at the demographic and cultural shift away from suburbs and towards downtown.

May 22, 2009 - MSNBC

Foreclosures Lose Stigma, Attract Buyers

Americans are much more willing to consider buying a foreclosure than in the recent past, according to a new survey by online real estate site Trulia.

May 21, 2009 - Builder Magazine

San Francisco's Instant Public Space

The San Francisco Chronicle's John King looks at the city's new public plaza -- a successful "small move" in the face of unrealized "big plans".

May 21, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Suburban Growth Is From Country, Not Abandoned Cities

Wendell Cox argues that the growth of the suburbs is not attributable to flight from cities, but to residents of small towns and the countryside moving to denser living.

May 21, 2009 - New Geography

Honolulu Light Rail Plans 'Raising' Concerns

Concerns over views and infrastructure blight have some in Honolulu opposing the city's plans to build its planned light rail with portions of elevated track.

May 21, 2009 - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Retailers Fled? Think Local, Experts Say

Real estate brokers are looking towards local and atypical businesses to fill empty retail space left behind by shrinking and bankrupt national chains like Starbucks and CompUSA.

May 19, 2009 - International Council Of Shopping Centers

Slow Progress on Russian Olympics Site

Sochi, Russia, is set to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. But work on the site has hardly begun, according to this report from The Moscow Times.

May 19, 2009 - The Moscow Times

Piazza A Score For Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Enquirer's Inga Saffron looks at the city's newest public plaza and finds much to like -- and much for other cities to learn from.

May 19, 2009 - The Philadelphia Enquirer

Controversial Florida Growth Management Bill Spurs Call for Veto

A bill that would allow exurban development before adequate transportation infrastructure is in place has caused a stir in Florida, where environmental groups are lobbying the governor for a veto.

May 18, 2009 - The Bradenton Herald

The Troubles Facing Nevada's Master Planned Communities

Las Vegas and Southern Nevada are chock-full of planned communities. The region is also struggling with some of the harshest declines in property values in the nation. Though planned communities are seeing some sales, they are mainly in trouble.

May 17, 2009 - Las Vegas Sun

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.

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.