Urban Development
Resilience Matters: Opportunities for Action to Strengthen Communities
In this hopeful and frustrating year, contributors to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project celebrate our collective progress and challenges in a new free book of short and sweet articles, op-eds, and interviews. Essential reading for planners!
Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.
State Bill Seeks CEQA Exemption for California Universities
A bill introduced in the California legislature would allow public universities to bypass environmental review regulations for student housing projects.
Housing Affordability Crisis Spreading to More Cities
Cities like Spokane, Washington courted new residents and businesses during the pandemic. Now, they're starting to wonder if it was worth it.
The Road Forward: Cost-Effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport
This new 165-page book, available free, is a resource for identifying practical, cost-effective policies for reducing passenger transport emissions on land, and especially in urban areas.
Exclusionary Zoning and Poverty: A New Hampshire Case Study
A deep dive into the history of zoning and development in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Prince William County Upzoning Plan Causes Concern Among Rural Residents
Local officials want to ease concerns about a proposal to increase density in rural parts of Northern Virginia.
Conservatives, Progressives, and Cities
Are liberals more pro-urban than conservatives? On some issues, yes—but in other ways, reality is more complicated.
Judge Denies Proposed Development in Fire-Prone Area
The decision could signal a new reluctance to allow development in wildland areas at high risk for fires.
Bringing Rurality Back to Planning Culture
Michael Hibbard at the University of Oregon and Kathryn I. Frank at the University of Florida write about their recently published article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
What Is an Entitlement?
In the context of planning and development, an entitlement is the legal agreement between a government and a landowner to allow a proposed development.
Despite Covid, Planners Expect Return to 'Old Normal,' Survey Says
Although the survey collects data from a small sample, it looks like North American planners don't expect the pandemic to change much about the way cities are planned.
How Infrastructure Improvements Spur Economic Development
A formerly underutilized corridor in Citrus Heights, California is being transformed into a vibrant, walkable street—and stimulating economic growth in the process.
Where Words Fail: Teach Architects and Urban Designers Like Violinists
Architects and urban designers justify or explain their work with words, and municipalities govern design with jargon-filled regulations. The outcome is often underwhelming.
Industrial Zoning a Foothold for Amazon Distribution Centers in San Francisco
Locals aren't happy about Amazon's numerous new distribution facilities in San Francisco, but all of the new facilities are all perfectly legal under the city's zoning code—much more legal than housing, for example.
What Is Car-Centric Planning?
'Car-centric planning' refers to urban planning that privileges the private automobile as a primary transportation mode, often to the exclusion of people who walk, bike, or use public transit.
Pressing Pause on Development in the Shadow of Austin's Growth
The Dripping Springs City Council points to inadequate wastewater infrastructure and the need to update its comprehensive plan as reasons for the city's development moratorium.
Disney Plans New Residential Developments
Despite the less-than-magical results of its experiment in Celebration, Florida, Disney has announced plans to build a chain of master-planned communities around the country.
Lawmaker Proposes Permanent Environmental Review Exemptions for Transit Projects
A 2020 law that exempts transit, bike, and pedestrian projects from California's strict environmental review process could become permanent.
Rochester, New York Drafts a Zoning Map to Match its New Comprehensive Plan
The Rochester 2034 Zoning Alignment Project is implementing the award-winning Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan.
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.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
