Urban Development
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.
Recession a Bittersweet Thing for Preservationists
Ironically, buildings unable to get funded for preservation due to a recession can also benefit from it: as development overall comes to a stop, so does the wrecking ball.
Greener Than Greeny-Green Sustainable Homes Debut
Chartreuse and Associates, a sustainable eco-planning firm, has announced a new suburban development that they say is greener than green. The 14,000 sq ft single-family dwellings feature the latest in eco-gadgetry.
Exurbs, the New Rentals
In many areas, housing on the suburban fringe has gone rental. The shift indicates mobility on the part of renters who want to stay put, but could also be a precursor for a low-income future for the exurbs.
Where California's Foreclosure Hot Spots Went Wrong
This piece form the Modesto Bee looks at the growth and housing bust that has dramatically affected California's San Joaquin Valley -- home to some of the nation's highest rates of foreclosure.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
