Urban Development

Green Affordable Housing Complex Opens In Harlem

A new 85-unit apartment building in Harlem shows that affordable housing and green building practices can go hand in hand.

May 3, 2008 - Inhabitat

A Neighborhood Revitalized By Books

A stretch of warehouses, parking lots, and rundown buildings in Minneapolis -- once envision as technology corridor -- has been instead been transformed into a thriving literary arts community, complete with new businesses and residences.

May 2, 2008 - The New York Times

Pod Hotels: The Urban Motel 6?

Resembling a compartment in a first-class airplane cabin more than a standard hotel room, new pod hotels are popping up in major travel centers in Europe and North America, offering mini-rooms that provide travelers with lower-cost lodgings.

May 2, 2008 - The National Post

Eminent Domain Back On The Ballot In California

Two ballot measures -- one sponsored by property owners, the other by local government groups and businesses -- seek to tighten the rules around eminent domain, and potentially end rent control in the state.

May 2, 2008 - San Jose Mercury News

Green Incentives Don't Help Small Businesses

While cities are eager to encourage businesses to go green, many government incentive programs are not designed with small businesses in mind.

May 2, 2008 - Globe St.

Despite The Best Intentions, Sprawl Continues In Oregon

Though the state is considered a model for smart planning, Oregon's sprawling landscape shows that the state has much the same problems as the rest of the country.

May 1, 2008 - The Oregonian

A New Downtown Skyline For San Francisco?

San Francisco planners unveiled a rezoning proposal that would permit new skyscrapers around the new Transbay terminal, shifting downtown southward around a planned 1,000 foot tower -- which would be the tallest on the West Coast.

May 1, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Homeowners Resist Plan To Scale Down City

Officials in Youngstown, Ohio, hope to save money and strengthen their community by vacating sparsely populated neighborhoods, but homeowners in the targeted areas are reluctant to leave -- even with the city's $50,000 incentives.

May 1, 2008 - CNN Money

Smart Growth's Role In The Housing Crisis

The housing markets most affected by the subprime mortgage fallout are those with the toughest land use regulations, argues Wendell Cox.

May 1, 2008 - The Heritage Foundation

Questioning The Value Of Stadium Subsidies

Taxpayers typically contribute more than 50 percent of the cost of a new stadium or arena these days, but what are they getting for their money?

April 30, 2008 - The American

Did Rising Gas Prices Burst The Housing Bubble?

A new reports says high gas prices have contributed to falling house prices in the nation's suburbs.

April 30, 2008 - The Oregonian

Developer Action Needed to Spur Light Rail Plans

Private investors and developers must come forward and plan around proposed rail lines in Detroit if there is any hope of transit materializing, according to this editorial.

April 30, 2008 - The Detroit Free Press

Cities Built From Scratch

This slideshow from Slate looks at the elaborate plans for new cities in the United Arab Emirates, and compares them to other built-from-scratch cities in history.

April 30, 2008 - Slate

Boston's Cruise Boat Terminal Faces Uncertain Future

Once supported by the Mayor and Massachusetts Port Authority, plans to enhance Boston's Black Falcon cruise boat terminal are now up in the air.

April 29, 2008 - The Boston Globe

Learning From Vancouver

Scholar and Brookings Fellow Christopher B. Leinberger says Vancouver provides an accessible model for American cities as they look for examples of sustainable development done right.

April 29, 2008 - The Tyee

How Urban Road Networks 'Evolve'

Think a city's road network is a result of rational planning? Well, think again. After analyzing over 300 cities -- both old and new -- scientists have discovered that cities tend to grow like organisms, and follow a similar mathematical pattern.

April 29, 2008 - New Scientist

Sustainable Cities Could Save The Planet

A review of the 7th annual EcoCity World Summit reveals some of the ideas and innovations the planners, architects and builders are using to create greener and more sustainable cities.

April 29, 2008 - WorldChanging

Earth To Houston: Wake Up And Smell The Greenhouse Gas Emissions

While the American Dream Coalition celebrates the 'freedom and affordability' of Houston -- Robert Steuteville wonders why the group ignores the environmental and financial consequences of such an auto-dependent city.

April 29, 2008 - New Urban News

New Urban Developers Surviving The Current Economic Storm

As the housing industry flounders, New Urbanist developers are using the flexibility inherent in their community plans to their advantage.

April 28, 2008 - New Urban News

The Decline Of The Suburbs?

The sub prime crisis is affecting both the growth of planned suburbs and prompting the decline of new suburbs. Is the US heading for Slumburbia?

April 28, 2008 - The Guardian

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.