Urban Development
Urban Trends Erasing Rural Past
Rural communities in Ottawa are being wiped out as urban trends take over the minds of developers and consumers. Rural residents are looking at ways to preserve the character of their communities.
California's Growth Debate Continues Amidst Housing Slowdown
Sacramento Bee's political columnist Dan Walters discusses the California growth debate amidst the temporary development lull and questions whether the state is ready to embrace smart growth, despite recognizing that it reduces global warming.
Form-Based Zoning on Main Street
National Trust Main Street Center Program Officer Nick Kalogersis, AICP gives a primer on form-based zoning and its relavance to traditional commercial district revitalization.
City Accused Of Neglecting Community To Make Way For Redevelopment
Business and property owners in Willets Point, Queens have filed suit against New York City officials, claiming the city has deprived the area of basic services in order to declare the community blighted and begin redevelopment proceedings.
Missed Opportunity at D.C. Retail Development
In a part of D.C. that has been largely ignored as the rest of the city reinvents itself with mixed-use development and pedestrian friendly design, one new single-use retail development stands out as an example of what not to build.
Hollywood, Reborn and Transformed
By nearly any measure, the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood has been radically transformed in the last 10 years, becoming a bar-hopper’s dream, a gourmet’s destination, and a rising shopping and housing district.
Downtown Salt Lake Will Get Its Sky Bridge
The controversial plan, which critics fear will hurt street life, gets the go ahead from the city council.
A Call For Smart Growth-Based New Towns
It's politics, not planning, that drives up housing costs. Rather than back away from regulations, more professional planning is needed to create healthy and affordable communities.
Encouraging Mixed-Use Big Box Retail
By requiring a minimum height of at least two stories, cities could force big boxes to redesign their buildings into more urban friendly forms.
40 Years Later, A Neighborhood's Comeback
The U street corridor in Washington D.C. was a flash point during the 1968 riots. Four decades later, the neighborhood is finally recovering from the aftermath.
Does Hiring A Starchitect Help Developers Get Approval?
Controversy surrounds a proposed 75-story tower designed by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan.
From Parking Lot To Pedestrian-Friendly
The University of Utah wants to transform an eight acre parking lot near its stadium light rail station into shops, offices and condos.
When Redevelopment Plans Work
Once considered a backwater near Los Angeles' westside, Culver City has experienced a resurgence. Residents like the new restaurants, but aren't prepared to cope with all the effects of the successful redevelopment.
An Ambitious Plan For New Orleans' Riverfront
The city wants to remove unused warehouses and port-facilities and open up several miles of its riverfront for public enjoyment.
The Reality Of Infill
While planners generally sell plans with "integrated infill" and "elegant density" that pairs new development with public amenities, the reality of what gets built in neighborhoods isn't always what's promised.
Cities Need To Be Built For People, Not Cars
With observations from six world cities on four continents, the new book "Endless City" calls for development that supports people and the environment, rather than automobiles.
How Housing Choices Affect Climate Change
NPR's Climate Connections series explores how American's lifestyles affect climate change. In this first of two articles, Elizabeth Shogren introduces an Emory University researcher who moves out of Atlanta into her 'dream house' in the suburbs.
Another Year Later, New Orleans Still Waiting
With little evidence of progress in the city's 17 designated recovery areas, residents grow ever more frustrated with local officials.
After Disaster, Town Sprouts Back 'Green'
Local leaders and residents of Greensburg, Kansas -- which was devastated by a tornado last year -- are hoping to rebuild their town into a model of environmental sustainability.
Park And Play
Parking structures topped off with synthetic fields offer a practical solution for areas where parking and recreation space is in short supply.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
