Urban Development

Last Stand for Property-rights Activists?

A year after high court's key decision, New London, Conn., voted to evict homeowners.

June 9, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Federal Land Sale May Fund Local Wilderness Development In Utah

Population growth in scenic St. George, Utah, has officials trying to sell federal land to pay for municipal projects. Other western states may follow suit.

June 9, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

House Passes Transportation, Housing, And Urban Development Budget

The new bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee "Provides for Smarter, More Efficient Amtrak Operations"; "Supports Aviation"; "Addresses Critical Housing Needs"; and "Funds Highway Spending", while cutting some critical programs.

June 8, 2006 - U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

Housing Demand Booms -- In South African Shantytowns

The rabid market for housing has spread from upper- and middle-class neighborhoods to the shacks of impoverished slum townships, with tens of prospective buyers for every property.

June 8, 2006 - The New York Times

Server Farms: The Hot New Land Use

The Washington farmland town of Quincy has signed deals with Yahoo and Microsoft to house huge new Internet data centers -- server farms -- and land prices are spiking. Low power costs and high connectivity can create a 'technology gold rush'.

June 7, 2006 - BusinessWeek

'Banking' On Open Space In Florida

Bedroom community Maitland wants to convert its strip commercial core to a downtown, but guidelines mandate open space. Redefining 'open space' has opened a door to greater intensity -- and controversy.

June 7, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

Sprawling Calgary Faces Increased Pollution, Car Dependence

With a footprint as big as New York City but with a tenth of the population, and with no natural limits on growth, Calgary struggles to rein in suburban sprawl.

June 7, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

World's Fastest Growing City - A Photo Essay

Dubai is leading the pace as one of the world's fastest growing cities.

June 7, 2006 - Flickr

Sharpening 'Ruppie' Skills For Downtown Living

Urban planner Kyle Ezell has developed a course to teach suburbanites the "skills" required for downtown living. It promotes the "ruppie", or "retired urban people" lifestyle.

June 7, 2006 - The Chicago Tribune

Chicago's Millenium Park Sparks High End Housing Development

Modernist park design inspires modernist residential buildings, increasing real estate values in Chicago's East Loop.

June 6, 2006 - The New York Times

Bill Clinton Pushes LEED On Shopping Center Industry

Former President Clinton, addressing the shopping center industry's convention in Las Vegas, urged the adoption of LEED certification for new centers, explaining how it would benefit the security of the country and the economy.

June 6, 2006 - The Denver Post

L.A. Stakeholders Perform 'Walk Audit' Downtown

L.A.'s downtown Business Improvement District calls on local business people, property owners, and residents to get stepping in L.A.'s Fashion District, to evaluate the area's walkability. The BID has $1.6 million to make improvements by 2008.

June 5, 2006 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Reframing New Jersey's Competitive Challenge

New research by the Brookings Institution ties New Jersey's troubling economic position to multiple forces, including rising housing costs, persistent race, class and place disparities, and unbalanced development patterns.

June 5, 2006 - NJBIZ Journal

Philadelphia's Navy Yard Turns Commercial

Philadelphia's Navy Yard provides a suburban office park environment, and historic fabric, at the edge of the city, with opportunities from dog walking for office employees to a future 2016 Olympic site.

June 5, 2006 - The New York Times

National Jazz Center Park Planned For Central New Orleans

Strategic Hotels & Resorts has proposed a plan to build a 20-acre national jazz center and park in the center of New Orleans, to be designed by Pritzker Prize winner, Thom Mayne.

June 4, 2006 - New Orleans Times-Picayune

Even in Sprawling Arizona, Downtown Condos Are Now Hip

Phoenix and Tucson are building up, not out, but is it enough to slow desert development?

June 3, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Faux Suburban Downtowns Challenge Traditional City Centers

The popularity of mixed-use suburban town centers is threatening the viability of older, traditional downtowns. While many tout their urban-style amenities, the suburban centers often lack transit and -- sometimes -- even sidewalks.

June 3, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

The Public Reacts To Miami 21

After the much anticipated unveiling of the first quadrant in the Miami 21 project on May 13th, the public is now taking the opportunity to react to the City's most ambitious urban planning effort to date.

June 2, 2006 - Miami Sun-Post

Seven Housing Markets With Most Potential

How to identify and invest in housing markets with good short- and long-term appreciation potential.

June 1, 2006 - The Los Angeles 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.