Urban Development
Cultural Preservation the Bright Side of Dubai's Tough Times
Native of the bustling United Arab Emirates are cheering the global economic slowdown, crediting it for curbing development in its cities that had been blamed for destroying much of their local heritage.
Developers Sweeten Deals With Transit, Carshare Options
New developments in Oakland and San Francisco are luring in eco-conscious homeseekers with free transit passes and discounts on carsharing programs.
Big Box Retail Owners Ask For Stacked Housing
The two owners of a traditional 8-acre strip, big box retail center in San Francisco have asked for an amendment to the neighborhood plan (undergoing revision) to allow them to add housing on top of their stores, thus doubling the height limit.
Housing Comeback in 2010?
An industry expert predicted at ULI's fall meeting that the new home market could pick back up by 2010, followed by a rally in the resale market in 2011.
Miami's Downtown, Going Once, Twice?
Valued at more than $115 million during the boom, a prominent Hong Kong-based developer has bought the unbuilt Brickell CitiCentre development site for $41.3 million. Similar transactions are happening on other key properties in Miami's downtown.
HUD Announces Mortgage Guidelines- But Can't Enforce Them
The Department of Housing and Urban Development says the new rules will help buyers understand broker's fees will limit fee increases, and they are currently seeking legislation to give them the power to enforce the rules.
'Overbuilding Hangover' in Store for Atlanta
According to the Urban Land Institute, there is no need for Atlanta to continue building; currently, there is more than four times more construction going on than there is office spaced being used.
Revitalizing Main Street, One Store at a Time
More retail, joining residential and office developments, is seen as the crucial linchpin in the ongoing revitalization of Columbia, SC's Main Street.
To Re-Imagine Cities, Re-Imagine Urban Design
Oil is running out and the climate is changing. How this impacts cities will largely be determined by how the urban design field reacts.
Obama Administration to Create Office of Urban Policy
When President-elect Obama takes office in January, he says, an Office of Urban Policy will be established, and a Director of Urban Policy will be in place to "coordinate all federal urban programs."
Military Town Real Estate Remains Unfazed by Housing Bust
Military towns are seeing home sales go up despite decreasing home values elsewhere across the country, thanks in part to a steady wartime economy.
NYC Imposes Bike Parking Requirements
New office and apartment buildings in New York City are now mandated to provide a certain proportion of secure bike parking spaces.
Estates for All
Wendell Cox looks at how single-family detached housing came to be, and why it's likely to remain a popular option for the middle class.
A Town Underwater
Almost 90% of the homeowners in Mountain House, CA, a planned smart growth community in the Central Valley, owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth- the highest percentage in the country.
Plenty Green But Too Tall?
In what may prove a decisive test to see the political limits of what green building offers developers, a LEED Platinum, 10-story office building is proposed along San Francisco's tightly regulated waterfront - exceeding the height limit by 40 feet.
NJ Town Bristles at Affordable Housing Requirements
'It stinks,'says Mayor John Hipp of Rutherford, New Jersey, as his town struggles to fulfill its requirements for affordable housing. The planning board has reluctantly agreed to require affordable units in a previously planned redevelopment site.
Pioneer Square, 25 Years On
Portland's Pioneer Square, designed back in 1983, is still looked t as a model of successful public space design. Landscape Architect Doug Macy looks back on the thought that went into the design.
Big Box Breakthrough in Charlotte
Lofts and ground floor retail envelop a new Lowe's store in Charlotte, forming a buffer between the large store and the surrounding Dilworth neighborhood.
Stadium Living
A future housing development is planned next to Vancouver's GM Place Stadium. 'It’s certainly different than the livability we’ve stressed elsewhere,'says Planning Director Brent Toderian.
Is 'Planning Gain' Really A Loss?
This article looks at the concept of "planning gain" -- in which cities gain amenities as concessions for allowing big developments -- and finds that the benefits are often outweighed.
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
