Urban Development
Massachusetts Releases Transit-Oriented Multifamily Housing Rules
Communities near transit stations will have to comply with a new set of regulations that support multifamily development and increased housing density.
Commerce City Approves Transit-Oriented Development
An isolated train station north of Denver could become a hub of housing and commercial activity.
National Redevelopment Role Model: Alpharetta, Georgia
Cities around the country have taken notice of the big redevelopment programs in the city of Alpharetta.
Boston Will Urge Developers to Provide Diversity Disclosures
Stopping short of a mandate, the city plans to request that developers provide information about diversity and inclusion on their teams.
What Is the Urban Heat Island Effect?
Man-made surfaces and urban density contribute to higher temperatures, intensifying heat waves and posing a growing danger to public health.
What Is the Transect?
In urbanism and planning, the term transect provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the scale of built environments can vary from place to place.
Ann Arbor Votes to Eliminate Parking Minimums
Ann Arbor, Michigan approved changes to the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) earlier this week that eliminate off-street parking requirements for a variety of development types throughout the city.
Richmond Weighing How to End Parking Requirements
A series of town hall meetings will allow the public a chance to give feedback about zoning changes in Richmond, Virginia that would include the end of parking requirements.
Key Warehouse Centers Challenge Distribution Center Expansion
Communities near major e-commerce distribution centers are increasingly resisting new construction, citing air pollution and other public health impacts.
Could Los Angeles Emulate Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’?
A proposal in the city council could bring the ‘superblock’ model to Los Angeles, opening up neighborhood streets to more biking, walking, and public amenities.
Aurora Restricts ‘Cool Weather Turf’ For New Development
Drought is reshaping western U.S. landscapes. Las Vegas banned ornamental grass in 2021. Aurora is now the first municipality in Colorado to curb the use of some grasses in new developments.
Urban Design Through a Gender Lens
Building cities to be safe and accessible for women and LGBTQIA+ people has benefits for all users of public space.
Sports Stadiums Bring Few Economic Benefits
While their developers often tout jobs and local economic development as benefits of major stadium projects, research shows these venues often make little impact on local economies.
'Intersections + Identities: A Radical Rethinking of Our Transportation Experiences'
The American Planning Association's free "State of Transportation Planning Report" includes more than two dozen interesting and entertaining chapters by diverse authors on the subjects of planning resilience, equity, technology and mobility.
Redlined Neighborhoods Experience High Food Insecurity
A study from Des Moines found that households in historically redlined parts of town are more likely to have to seek help from food pantries.
Could Inflation Spur an Urban Rebound?
Inflation is hitting rural areas particularly hard. One expert sees the possibility of rural residents reconsidering cities as a place to avoid higher costs associated with rural mobility and to make more money.
Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan
The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.
Marrying Urban Identity and Economic Prosperity
A new book posits that truly successful communities have a strong economic base and a firmly rooted sense of place.
A Permanent Decline in Revenue Forecasted for the Tunnel Bertha Built in Seattle
Public transit isn't the only mode struggling to attract the expected number of users in 2022. State Route 99 in Downtown Seattle is also failing to live up to expectations and struggling to make ends meet.
People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development
A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.
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
