Urban Development
Even Dubai is Feeling the Pinch
Cityscape, Dubai's annual real estate showcase, paints a rosy picture of the booming city. But even Mideast moguls aren't immune from the global financial crisis.
Residents Call For Expansion of Seattle Growth Boundary
Residents in the Seattle region are calling on officials to expand the area's urban growth boundary to allow denser development in what is currently outside the border.
Taking City Revitalization Beyond Iconic Architecture
Many cities see new iconic buildings as a major element in recreating themselves into distinctive places. But if every city has distinctive buildings, the distinctiveness is diminished. This commentary argues for new revitalization ideas.
'Broken Windows' Rebuffed: The Social Life of Skid Row
On L.A.'s Skid Row, revitalization efforts fail to consider the human aspects of life on the streets, according to Rocco Pendola.
Wine Bars Raise Property Values
CoolTown Studios looks at a recent study in Portland, OR that shows that certain retail establishments- cafes, movie theaters, wine bars- increase property values in neighborhoods by up to 30%.
Reconsidering the Trailer Park
A new study finds that manufactured housing (also known as mobile homes), despite their reputation, offer important advantages for low-income households.
Why Affordability Matters
In this article, Erick Villagomez argues that affordable housing, by enabling urban diversity, is the key to a city's economic and social sustainability.
The Ephemeral Shopping Mall
Harundale Mall, one of the first enclosed malls built in the country, is now a strip mall. This article contains an examination of its somber decline and the direction in which Harundale--and other malls--may be headed next.
Stalled Project Gets Money, Beats Odds
Capital may be tough to find these days, but the developers of a major downtown mixed-use project in Boston's Downtown Crossing district have received financing.
Cities Struggle as They Face Higher Municipal Bond Rates
The credit crisis has caused soaring interest rates on municipal bonds, causing cities to look for other ways to fund projects. Nevertheless, numerous projects have been put on hold or face cancellation.
Neighbors Oppose Possible Street Sale in New York
One of New York City's smallest and least-known streets is attracting the eyes of private developers, and the city seems keen to sell. But neighbors say the tiny street is worth preserving.
Urban Supermarkets, Suburban Designs
Supermarkets are moving back to urban areas like Philadelphia. But their big box designs are decidedly un-urban, according to architecture critic Inga Saffron, who calls for more relevant urban designs.
Testing Ideas in Dubai
Dubai is increasingly attracting architects and planners as a blank slate, and it's becoming a vibrant testing ground for ideas new and extreme.
What Constitutes a 'Floating Home'?
Houseboats may soon appear on Lake Erie, along the Port Clinton, OH waterfront. But first, planners are taking great pains to define what makes a 'floating home.'
New York Needs a Wrecking Ball
New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff argues that some buildings make the city worse, and lists of some that need to be demolished. Included in his list are Penn Station, Madison Square Garden and Astor Place.
Doug Farr on Detroit, His Hometown
A Detroit weekly talks to Doug Farr about his life growing up in Detroit and his ideas for bringing sustainable urbanism to the city.
Relating Peak Oil To Auto Dependency And Urban Planning
Daniel Lerch, author of "Post Carbon Cities" presents his thoughts for a new California Dream in a 'post carbon future' in which cars still exist but are used sparingly due to urban planning that reduces their necessity. He looks toward Portland.
Rule-Bending Keeps Fresno Sprawling
Despite a 2002 General Plan update aimed at curbing sprawl in the Central California city of Fresno, repeated zoning amendments have allowed hundreds of developments to push the city's edge farther out into the fringe.
Downtown Miami Developer May Bet On Casinos
The developer of a nine block mega-project may pursue casino gambling as an added component to what promises to transform a derelict portion of downtown Miami.
Twin Cities Spreading
The Minneapolis-St. Paul region is spreading further south, according to a recent study, which shows that projected growth will require more than 50,000 new homes and millions of square feet of retail and office space.
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
