Urban Development
Boom Coming Soon in Louisiana
With a new four-lane highway and bridge, West Feliciana Parish in Louisiana is preparing for growth -- despite the economic downturn.
Turning Big Box Blocks Into Mixed-Use
Mesa, AZ is adding a new land use category to its general plan to promote mixed-use, high-density development along the light-rail corridor- specifically in an area of West Mesa formerly dominated by WalMart.
Builders Chafe at Green Standards
The State of Connecticut will enact a new green building code in January, and builders are already calling it "awkward" and "unworkable".
Growing People And Jobs While Shrinking Traffic
As New York City faces its worst financial crisis in 2 decades, a NYC D.O.T. study was released showing that from 2003-2007, the increase in jobs and people was accompanied by a slight decrease in traffic due primarily to increased transit usage.
Rapid Buses To Serve Suburbs?
A local leader in the suburban Maryland/Washington DC area proposes aggressive use of "rapid buses" in dedicated lanes to accommodate growth, like other jurisdictions in the U.S.
The Role of Urban Journalism in the Future
Dan Lorentz at Where blog takes a look at the current state of urban affairs journalism in these two posts. He looks at the role of bloggers and citizen journalists, and wonders what would happen if a city were to lose its daily newspaper.
Denver Pushes Projects to Fuel Economy
In an effort to revitalize the local economy, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has announced a plan to fast-track more than 200 construction projects in the city.
Duany Improves on Thomas Jefferson
Planner Andres Duany proposes a plan for Goodbee Square, near Covington, LA, that adds modern light-imprint urbanism to an old Jeffersonian idea.
What's In A Name Anyway?
A lot, according to columnist Linda Robertson who makes the case for renaming the nation's most prized stadia. After all, she argues, many of them bear the name of the economy's most troubled corporations bailed out by Terry taxpayer.
Economic Tremors Felt By New Urbanists
"Economic troubles spread from housing to other development sectors, including retail and offices."
Pro-WalMart Study Refuted
A new and widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. A close inspection of the study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance argues that the report is flawed.
From Edge-City to Real City
Its way of life no longer en vogue, the auto-centric suburb of Tysons Corner, VA plans to undergo a large-scale transformation into a walkable, "real" city over the course of the next 30 years.
Can Dallas Densify?
The Dallas City Council ponders a form-based code, designed to encourage neighborhoods where driving isn't required to get around.
Incentivizing Developers In A Slump
How should cities incentivize developers in a down market? And should they? William Fulton reflects on the price cities will pay to get new buildings, and if it is worth it.
Waterfront Redux
Major redevelopment projects are changing the face of Columbus, Ohio's waterfront.
Zoning Out Bikini Car Washes
San Antonio's city council attempts to make it harder for bikini carwashes to attract oglers by forcing them to accept a new zoning category.
Urban Design Studio To Transform Glendale
Glendale, California, has recently established an Urban Design Studio within its planning department to help developers create more appropriate, aesthetically appealing projects.
Rural Town Brings in Students for Preliminary Planning
Middlebury College students have been commissioned to simply get to know Starksboro, Vermont for a semester. The hope is that their findings will help develop a plan that embraces growth while upholding the things unique to the small town.
UNESCO on UK's Back for Indadequate Preservation
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has issued the UK a warning that it must start doing a better job of preserving its heritage sites. A number of development projects have gotten the green light without any consultation from the committee.
The Urban Shortcomings of 'L.A. Live'
L.A. Live, the city's new megadevelopment, does little to engage the growing downtown area and ends up being little more than another separate commercial enclave in a city desperately needing closely-knit urbanism, according to Christopher Hawthorne.
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
