Urban Development
Could Montreal Be Barcelona?
French starchitect Paul Andreu is creating a new iconic building for Montreal, but writer Joseph Baker posits that one splashy building does not a beautiful city make. Baker calls for a grand vision of city form on the scale of Barecelona's plan.
The High Cost of Smart Growth
Washington instituted a Growth Management Act in the 1980s to help the state grow smarter. But recent studies show that the GMA has made housing increasingly unaffordable.
Baltimore Makes Grander Vision for Arts District
Planners in Baltimore have unveiled a 30-year plan to remake its arts district into a mixed-use, transit-oriented, regional destination.
'Laneway Housing' Adds Density
'Laneway housing'- known to many in the U.S. as 'granny units'- is a popular solution for creating more housing in dense Canadian cities like North Vancouver. In fact, Mayor Darrell Mussatto lives in one.
The Fatal Flaw of Celebration, FL
Architect Richard Reep argues that the fatal flaw of Celebration and other New Urbanist-style developments around Florida is the lack of jobs within walking distance.
Re-Inventing the Mall
Shopping malls are rarely architectural gems. Architects, especially big-name architects, typically try to stay away from designing them. But now architects are rethinking how malls should be, and looking to examples of the distant past for guidance.
Adaptively Reusing Brooklyn's Industrial Spaces
Preservationists say that there are better ways to use buildings along Brooklyn's industrial waterfront than to demolish them.
'Eco-Town' Plans Falter in UK
The UK's "eco-towns" are feeling the hurt of the current economic situation, with only one or two likely to move ahead.
Segregated in the City
As more and more people move to the cities, the prevalence of economic and racial segregation becomes more and more apparent.
Will Mayoral Race Change Vancouver's Downtown East Side?
Decades of plans and interventions have failed to improve the Downtown East Side of Vancouver, one of Canada's most notorious neighbourhoods. The two mayoral candidates have very different visions for the DETS.
One Developer's Outlook
Dawanna Williams of Dabar Development Partners discusses the narrower options for mid-sized developers in the current financial climate.
Berkeley Unveils Climate Action Plan Based Around TOD
In Nov, 2006, the residents of Berkeley approved a measure requiring the city to reduce GHG emissions by 80% by the year 2050. The draft plan has been released, and unlike an earlier version, this one emphasizes transit oriented development as key.
Inside the Mind of the Anti-Planner
Next American City chats with Randal O'Toole -- the "Anti-Planner" -- about the problems of planning and what makes the ideal city.
How to Make San Francisco More Sustainable
As part of its series on creating a sustainable future, the San Francisco Bay Guardian has outlined a list of steps for improving land use in the city, and argues that current plans from the mayor won't be enough.
Homeless at the Mall
A reporter goes undercover as a homeless person to find out what happens when the indigent pay a visit to L.A.'s first corporate-controlled public park.
Boston's Back Bay Fills In
The last empty lot in Boston's posh Back Bay neighborhood will soon be developed into a luxury, contextually appropriate, condominium.
Rebuilding Underway in Sichuan Province
A California-based architecture firm has been selected by a Sichuan planning department to rebuild the city of Dujiangyan after the deadly earthquake in the province earlier this year.
Leave the Sprawl of the Past Behind
A melting economy and struggling suburbs may mean it's time to reconsider how we model our cities and development patterns, according to this column.
'Lifestyle Changes' Needed for High-Speed Rail's Success
Critics of California's proposed high-speed rail system say that big cities are too spread apart for it to work as well as it has in Europe and Asia. Additionally, Californians will have to learn to adapt to density and public transportation.
Pagination
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.
Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie