Urban Development

Inclusionary Housing Bill Gets Approval In Philadelphia

The Philadelphia city council has approved an inclusionary housing bill requiring developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing in all projects of 20 units or more.

December 16, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Abu Dhabi's Green Future

Despite its plentiful oil reserves, the Arabian emirate of Abu Dhabi is planning and developing some green cities that will be able to operate without the power of oil.

December 16, 2007 - Business Week

Downtown Park Plan Will Require Much Cooperation In Atlanta

Plans have just been announced for a large park space in Atlanta, circled by pedestrian friendly developments, including 5,000 units of housing and mixed use developments. But making it happen will require a lot of cooperation.

December 14, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Las Vegas Goes Green

Various projects in Las Vegas are including environmentally-friendly elements, signaling a shift amongst the city's development community.

December 14, 2007 - E/The Environmental Magazine

Columbia Says Expansion Will Not Require Evictions

Officials at New York's Comubia University have vowed that they would not use eminent domain or evict any tenants as they move forward with their 25-year expansion plan.

December 14, 2007 - The Daily News

Planners And Developers Have Grand Visions For Empty Land in L.A.

Planning has begun for a 400-acre plot of land near downtown Los Angeles, and expectations are high.

December 13, 2007 - Los Angeles Downtown News

D.C.-Area Governments Pushed To Build Green

The regional association of governments in Washington D.C. is calling on its member cities to put more emphasis on encouraging environmentally friendly development.

December 13, 2007 - The Washington Post

The Most Important Year In New Orleans History

According to Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Louisiana's recovery has reached the tipping point, setting 2008 up as the year New Orleans will truly come back.

December 13, 2007 - WWL AM 870

The New Suburban Ghetto

High foreclosure rates are turning Charlotte's new starter home suburbs into bastions of crime and decay.

December 12, 2007 - The Charlotte Observer

Lagos: Africa's New York City

This video from Current profiles Lagos, Nigeria, the world's fastest growing megacity.

December 11, 2007 - Current

Closing Schools Opens Doors

On the tail of a recent announcement that Washington D.C. would decommission up to two dozen public schools, columnist Roger K. Lewis suggests that the closings can be a good thing, and that they open the door for adaptive reuse.

December 11, 2007 - The Washington Post

Selling The Garden City That Isn't A Garden City

This article from the Warsaw Business Journal looks at how the concept of the Garden City is gladly embraced by developers to market their housing projects, but rarely are its design characteristics included in the actual development.

December 10, 2007 - Warsaw Business Journal

Small Cities, Big Challenges

December 10, 2007 - Wayne Senville

Report Says Growth Management Plans Make Housing Unaffordable

In this new report from the Cato Institute, Randal O'Toole writes that regional growth management plans make housing unaffordable and that states with these laws should repeal them.

December 10, 2007 - Cato Institute

Munich: A Marvel Of Smart Growth and Urban Planning

Urban planners and developers in the Western United States could learn a lot from Munich, Germany, argues one online commentator.

December 9, 2007 - UtahStories.com

'Complete Streets' Movement Gaining Momentum

The new slogan for bicyclists and pedestrians across America is gaining attention, as well as weight, from a number of municipalities.

December 9, 2007 - New Urban News

Bankrupt Developer Leaves Chicago Exurban Area Desolate

The first new residents of the Clublands subdivision were promised a neighborhood. Instead they live among half-finished homes, unpaved roads, and darkened street lights as the community's developer wrestles with bankruptcy.

December 9, 2007 - The Chicago Tribune

Trendy Transit

Subways are proliferating across the globe as metro status symbols and attracting new forms of urban investment.

December 9, 2007 - Business Week

Brad Pitt Announces Plans To Build Eco-Friendly Homes In New Orleans

The actor-turned-developer announced plans to build 150 environmentally-friendly homes for low-income families in New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward.

December 9, 2007 - CNN

College's Makeover Of Downtown Leaves Residents Sour

A $40 million gift from a wealthy alumna helped Wells College transform the small town of Aurora, New York into a postcard perfect setting. But while enrollment is up, residents say the change hasn't been good for them.

December 8, 2007 - The New York Times

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.