Urban Development
Orange County Goes Urban, In A Suburban Sort Of Way
A 1,400-unit condo project in Irvine demonstrates Orange County's newfound urban qualities, as well as its reluctance to shake suburban design values, according to Bill Fulton, who recently visited the construction site.
Park Space Requirement Dismays Developers
Builders' groups and developers are upset over a proposal in Houston that would require them to include park space in any developments of 100 units or more. They say the requirement will stifle development.
British Pubs Endangered
A group of concerned, beer-drinking citizens is issuing a warning that more than 50 pubs are closing every month in England due to a planning loophole that makes it easy for owners to convert their bars into more profitable housing developments.
Condo Conversions Leaving Seniors Stranded
The wave of condo conversions in the Seattle area is hitting seniors especially hard.
Downtown L.A. Is Improving, But Developers Are Driving
With a surge in population and some large-scale retail and entertainment complexes in the works, downtown L.A. is in the midst of a major urban shift. But as this column from the Los Angeles Times argues, developers are shaping the growth.
Catch-22 Hinders Harbor Redevelopment Plans
Plans to redevelop a harbor are under consideration in Victoria, British Columbia, but would require the relocation of a busy ferry terminal -- one of the harbor's top services. The ferry's operators say the redevelopment would fail without them.
Tax Breaks Fueling Luxury Condo Development In Gulf
Investors are taking advantage of tax breaks offered for developing and buying property in hurricane-affected areas of the Gulf region, such as the hot condo market that has sprung up next to a college football stadium in Alabama.
Officials Vote No On 'Flawed' Incentive, Propose New System
Two Roanoke City Councilmembers explain why they voted against an $880,000 city grant to a local developer and propose a more objective approach to offering development incentives.
Commercial Construction Balances Growth
Despite busts in residential construction, American cities such as Phoenix are managing to continue growing due to an influx of commercial construction.
Transit Project Could Remake The Image Of San Francisco
The design competition for San Francisco's Transbay Terminal has the potential to redefine the city, writes John King.
From Flea Market To TOD
A flea market space located adjacent to a planned expansion of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in San Jose, California, may be replaced with a mixed use transit village.
New Bridge In Venice Greeted With Criticism
A new pedestrian bridge has been added over the Grand Canal in Venice, despite objections from locals that the new modern-designed bridge is out of place.
Beyond Moses and Jacobs
Neither the block-level gentrification inspired by the patron saint of city planning nor the wide-scale mega-project redevelopment advocated by New York City's infamous planning czar are useful models for the realities of 21st century cities.
Downtown Mixed-Use Village Envisioned As City's New Centerpiece
A mixed-use village on a prime parcel of land in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, known as Renaissance Park may be the first major project to result from the city's recently adopted master plan.
Developer Ties Mix Of Uses Into Stadium Plans
Officials and developers in St. Louis continue their quest to draw a Major League Soccer team to the city with recently revealed plans for a major stadium-housing-retail-office complex.
The History Of Toronto's Parks Deficiency
The city of Toronto originally had more park space than New York's Central Park. But the need to generate revenue caused the city to sell off much of its parkspace over the years, leaving a city with comparably few open spaces.
The Difficulty With Implementing Planning Ideals
New urbanist designs can be beautiful in the hands of experts, but the developer's version of idealistic plans may be something else altogether, says Morris Newman, who examines the design of a 500-acre project in Fresno.
Farmland Values Reach Record Heights
The price of farmland is rising rapidly as ethanol fever grabs many farmers who are looking to cash in on the corn-based fuel. But the rising prices are making things harder for smaller farmers, and keeping many prospective farmers out of business.
More Land Secured For Atlanta Beltline Project
The City of Atlanta and a group of investors have purchased another plot of land for the city's Beltline project -- a loop of open spaces, rail lines, and housing and retail developments. This is the first plot purchased in more than a year.
Landlords Find Loophole To Ease Condo Conversion
In the Alberta Province of Canada, a loophole in a law meant to protect tenants from being evicted for condo conversions has been discovered that allows landlords to legally raise the rents as high as they want, effectively pricing tenants out.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
