Urban Development
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.
The End of Atlanta's Sprawl
The age of sprawl is ending in Atlanta, according to Christopher Leinberger, who highlights the city's move towards a more dense, walkable future.
HUD Seeks Dollar House Buyers
Desperate to sell dilapidated, foreclosed homes, as well as to lure in local governments willing to build affordable housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering those properties for just a dollar.
Impound Lot Could Find New Life in Mixed Use
The City of Minneapolis is considering a plan to convert a 55-acre site containing an impound lot into a mixed-use office and residential project.
Surprise - Affluent Long Island Hit Hard By Subprime Crisis
Editorial: Long Island is one of the nation's most affluent suburbs. With very high housing values and located by NYC, it would be not expected to be hit hard by the subprime crisis. But it has - and its roots lie in its racially segregated past.
Economic Benefits In Question in New York Stadium Redevelopments
Stadium construction in New York that was intended to have only a small cost to taxpayers has turned out to be a major investment and allocation of tax breaks, causing many to question whether the economic benefits of rebuilding will ever be seen.
TOD Gets Green Light in Utah
Draper, UT will soon be seeing new transit-oriented development, where there will be no building height restrictions or population caps.
Container Homes Find Niche in Hawaii
Interest in houses made from shipping containers has been rising in Hawaii, where these inexpensive homes' designs can range from studios to multistory apartments.
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
