Urban Development
Chinatown Debates Gentrification, as Hipsters Descend
New York's Chinatown has been impenetrable to non-Chinese entrepreneurs for a century, but new glitzy bars and restaurants are beginning to push through. In a neighborhood that has suffered since 9/11, locals debate the merits of outsider investment.
Cheap Sicilian Villas, Some Strings Attached
In Salemi, Italy, 3000 villas ravaged in a 1968 earthquake are now on the market for about U.S.$1.41. However, interested buyers must adhere to a number of stipulations, including a two-year deadline for development.
A Grand Public Space in Indianapolis
Civic leaders in Indianapolis are considering closing Monument Circle to traffic. Says one, "From a European perspective, this could be one of the great public spaces in America."
Make No Little Plans, 100 Years Later
As the 100-year anniversary of the writing of the Burnham Plan for Chicago approaches, the city and its suburbs are thinking big about how to improve the city.
Canada's Most Sprawled City Reconsiders- Developers Protest
Calgary has the largest ecological footprint of any large Canadian municipality. The city council is trying to fix that history with Plan It Calgary, a new land use and transportation plan- and developers are none too pleased.
Cambodian Cool
The Cambodian city of Siem Reap is a hotbed of tourist activity -- and of tacky hotels. Many say this sprawl of hotels is a major problem in the city, but new designs are making the city a cooler place to visit and live.
No Slowing Floodplain Development in Britain
Floodplain development has proven time and time again to be big trouble when heavy rains come. But in Britain, that's not stopping it.
Developers and Activists Battle in Berlin
Activists are fighting to keep the bank of the Spree River accessible as a two multi-billion Euro projects move in.
Little Havana Stadium Moves Forward
Despite controversy over its funding,location and impact, the Florida Marlins are likely to build a new retractable-roof stadium on the former site of the Orange Bowl in the city's Little Havana neighborhood.
Too Many Malls, Too Few Tenants
Large shopping centers across the country have grown in quantity and size for years, but developers say that overbuilding may now be a problem.
Are Form-Based Codes 'Green Zoning'?
Albuquerque's new "form-based codes" could offer city planners another model for denser, more pedestrian-friendly growth.
Grocery Stores are Shrinking
For years, the sizes of grocery stores have grown increasingly to provide a greater variety to the consumer. Andrew Martin explains why retailers have now begun opening smaller stores instead.
Ground Zero Project Shows Little Signs of Progress
Seven years on, the site of the former World Trade Center remains largely barren. However, despite delays and claims of over-budgeting, the Port Authority says new development at Ground Zero s expected to finish on schedule.
World's Most Expensive City: Luanda?
Luanda, Angola has brushed past Tokyo and London to be the world's most expensive city, and slums cover much of the city's prime real estate.
Rethinking the Kwik-E-Mart
Jeff Patterson thinks the future will look less like your auto-oriented 7-11 and more like "transit station marketplaces".
Mumbai Slum A Battleground Between Dwellers and Developers
The battle over development continues in Dharavi, the largest slum in India. Its valuable location in Mumbai has had developers' mouths watering for years, but residents have resisted their drive to demolish and rebuild the slum.
Concerns Persist as Venue is Cut From World Cup Dress Rehearsal
Delays in construction have cased FIFA officials to remove Port Elizabeth from the list of host cities for the 2009 Confederations Cup, the dress rehearsal tournament before the 2010 World Cup. Concerns remain about the country's readiness.
New England's Football Mall
Football and shopping become one in New England, where the owner of the New England Patriots NFL team has built a $300 million mall and entertainment complex next to the stadium.
Big Density Plans for Toronto
Toronto is considering a broad new plan to encourage higher density.
Foreclosures Gone Wild
A foreclosed home in Lake Elsinore, CA has attracted some new residents- a family of bobcats.
Pagination
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