Urban Development

Planners Could Learn From Toronto's Messy Urbanism

While other cities may be perfect examples of textbook urbanism, Toronto's diversity and rough edges makes it an especially useful model for 21st century cities, observes one planner.

October 18, 2007 - The National Post

Boise Reconsiders Landlord Status

City officials in Boise, Idaho, are considering a liquidation of properties the city owns and operates as affordable housing. The costs of keeping the housing available is becoming unaffordable for the city.

October 18, 2007 - The Boise Weekly

TDR Not As Easy As It Sounds

A new report finds that the transfer of development rights from one area to another is simple in concept, but difficult in implementation.

October 18, 2007 - Center for Environmental Excellence

Condos Popping Up Around Baseball Stadiums

Condos and luxury high-rise residential buildings are sprouting up next to a number of the country's pro baseball stadiums.

October 17, 2007 - Architectural Record

Open Season In The City

Spreading urbanization is eating up green spaces, bringing wildlife -- and hunters -- into closer contact with urban dwellers.

October 16, 2007 - Time

The Middle East's 'Biggest Civil Engineering Project'

Developers have announced plans for a 75-kilometer canal to run through Dubai, with waterfront cities and developments all along its banks.

October 15, 2007 - Gulf News

Miami's Botched Foreign Trade Zone Development

What could have been an economic development homerun for Miami's Wynwood neighborhood has turned out to be a miserable failure. Nonetheless, hope remains that new ownership can restore the site's promising potential.

October 15, 2007 - The Miami Herald

New Orleans Recovery Plan Scaled Back

Officials in New Orleans have released a scaled-back version of the recovery plan the city council approved earlier this spring. This lighter version of the plan focuses on removing blight, and building affordable apartments.

October 15, 2007 - Associated Press via Time

Truly Off-Street Parking In New York's 'En Suite Sky Garage'

A planned 19-story residential building on Manhattan's west side features New York City's first personal "sky garages." A video animation shows how they work.

October 15, 2007 - Streetsblog

Vancouver's 'EcoDensity' Plans Stumble

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan's highly-touted push for "EcoDensity" in the city has fallen apart lately, according to columnist Trevor Boddy.

October 13, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Friday Funny: Building Industry Safety Blunders Hall Of Shame

The Building website invites readers to send in pictures of construction safety blunders.

October 12, 2007 - Building

Hudson Yards Development Will Bring Big Things To New York

As design proposals come in for the Hudson Yards development site in Manhattan, Peter Slatin writes that this project more than any other has the potential to bolster the economic power of New York City in a huge way.

October 12, 2007 - The Slatin Report

Japan's Development Pace Threatens Environment

Rapid building and public works projects are destroying much of the natural environment in Japan, a country that lays 25 to 30 times more concrete than the U.S.

October 11, 2007 - NPR

Locals Displaced By Tourism In Mayan Riviera

The tourism industry is booming along the Mayan Riviera on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Many are worried that the ever-increasing supply of hotels and the flood of tourists will displace most of the area's local residents and hurt the environment.

October 11, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

Freeways Hard To Avoid As L.A. Builds Schools

This report form NPR looks at the threats associated with building schools near freeways, and how those threats are not easy to avoid in Los Angeles.

October 11, 2007 - NPR

A Working Class Neighborhood Battle With Foreclosure

In the struggling city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, sub-prime mortgage foreclosures are threatening the community's stability and the longterm viability of the city's minority and working class neighborhoods.

October 10, 2007 - The Boston Globe

A New Model Of Development In California?

Planners at the recent California APA chapter conference were asked whether they thought the state is ready for "complex urban development". As John King explains, most said "no".

October 10, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Hawaiians Unite Against Development

Residents on the Hawaiian island of Kauai are rallying together to oppose the island's overdevelopment. Their main rallying point is the contentious inter-island "Superferry".

October 10, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

New York's Bike Measures Earn Award

New York City has been honored by the League of American Bicyclists for its citywide improvements in bike lanes, parking, and safety.

October 9, 2007 - Associated Press via The Hartford Courant

New York Suburbs Lure TOD For Revitalization

Officials in suburban New York towns are putting more effort into luring developers to build housing near their transit stations -- a revitalization method that has shown success around the country.

October 9, 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.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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.