Urban Development

Documentary Follows Suburban Development Fight In Austin

"The Unforeseen," a new documentary, takes a thoughtful look at the various interests at stake in the development of sprawling real estate in Austin.

June 20, 2007 - NOW

The Corruption Of Smart Growth

With many developers touting their various projects as "smart growth", the term is losing much of it meaning.

June 20, 2007 - The Hartford Courant

Ranch vs. McMansion

Wayne Senville is on a trip across the U.S. on Route 50. He reports on how Creve Coeur, Missouri, is a well-kept suburb west of the city of St. Louis, is handling the trend of ranch homes are being torn down and replaced with McMansions.

June 19, 2007 - Greetings From Route 50

Urban Green Space Threatened By Higher Density?

New regulations requiring higher density housing have some worried about the threat to urban green space in the UK.

June 18, 2007 - BBC

Manhattan Neighborhood Transformed By High Rises

Two towers climbing hundreds of feet high above the rest of the neighborhood has some Upper West Side residents upset about the resulting transformation of their community.

June 18, 2007 - The New York Times

EPA Bullseye: Smart Growth Targets Big Builders

The US EPA is directing educational and research efforts that explain (among other things) the financial benefits of smart growth directly to the nation's largest homebuilders and developers.

June 18, 2007 - New Urban News

For Hong Kong, Street Markets Are In The Past

While neighborhood farmer's markets are all the rage in the U.S., redevelopment officials in Hong Kong are making plans to raze of the city's oldest open-air food markets -- which is falling victim to gentrification.

June 17, 2007 - International Herald Tribune

Big Box Stores Fuel Chicago Retail Boom

Despite efforts to limit big box retailers in the city, Chicago is riding a new wave of retail spending at the likes of Target and Wal-Mart -- though smaller local retailers are also sharing in the boom.

June 17, 2007 - The Chicago Tribune

Historic Brooklyn Waterfront Declared 'Endangered'

Plans for development have threatened the historic industrial buildings along Brooklyn's waterfront in recent years. Now, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has declared the waterfront one of the nation's most endangered historic places.

June 16, 2007 - The New York Times

Study Shows Walkable Nieghborhoods Important To Health Of Elderly

Walkability has been shown to greatly improve the health and wellbeing of senior citizens. In response to recent studies on this issue, planners are looking to create walkable neighborhoods that encourage healthy habits for residents of all ages.

June 15, 2007 - The Seattle Times

Zoning Loophole Eyes Backyards As Developable Brownfields

A zoning loophole classifying backyard gardens as brownfields has opened the door for developers in England to tear down homes and rebuild flats and apartments, eating up the equivalent of nearly 3,000 soccer fields in the next decade.

June 14, 2007 - BBC

West Palm Beach Seeks Signature Skyline

West Palm Beach, Florida, is entertaining several ideas to embolden its skyline. One proposal suggests a 1,500 foot tower, which would be the tallest in the United States.

June 14, 2007 - The Miami Herald

School Site Next To Freeway Decried As Hazardous

Plans for a new high school next to a busy freeway interchange in New Haven, Connecticut, call for sealed windows and air filtration systems, but community and environmental groups are calling the entire proposal unconscionable.

June 14, 2007 - New Haven Independent

Housing Developers Breathe Neighborhood Into Downtown Boise

With a number of large-scale condo and apartment developments planned for downtown Boise, seven developers are transforming the formerly vacant downtown into a vibrant neighborhood.

June 13, 2007 - The Idaho Statesman

To Preserve Its Skyline, London May Limit Skyscrapers

Preservationists are calling for buffer zones around the city's heritage sites, which could upset Mayor Ken Livingstone's plans to spur urban regeneration with new high-rise buildings.

June 13, 2007 - BusinessWeek

A Walkable Downtown Los Angeles?

As part of a new set of guiding principles that call on city planners to 'demand a walkable city', Los Angeles may adopt new standards requiring developers to widen sidewalks, not streets.

June 13, 2007 - LA Downtown News

TODs Prove To Be A Boon For Urban Regions

In this special report, the WSJ examines the growing popularity of rail-based TODs, examining their effect on land values as well as the challenges they may face in obtaining approval.

June 13, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal

Building TODs Without The Transit

With pedestrian-friendly urban design increasingly popular, many suburban communities are building urban village-type developments usually designed around transit stations -- except they don't have transit.

June 12, 2007 - USA Today

China's Pre-Olympic Clean-Up Creates Slums

In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing and other Chinese cities have taken measures to clean up their "urban villages", demolishing homes and displacing thousands of poor migrants, which has resulted in the creation of many slums.

June 11, 2007 - The Economist

A Browner Shade of Green: The New Water Rules and the Next Chapter of Sprawl

Stormwater mitigation rules are supposed to help protect the environment, but the current regulations also end up encouraging sprawl over urban redevelopment.

June 11, 2007 - Lisa Nisenson

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.