Urban Development

Apartment for Rent

U.S. Rents Spiking As More Renters Enter the Market

All of the nation's largest metro areas are experiencing sharp growth in costs and demand for rental housing, posing even more challenges for low-income renters.

October 11, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

A satellite image of the location of Murio Farms in Boise, Idaho.

380-Acre Development Planned in Southwest Boise

One of the fastest-growing cities in the country could be making space for even more growth.

October 10, 2021 - Boise Dev

Atlanta Braves Country

New Apartments Rise at the Former Home of the Atlanta Braves

Where the boys of summer once played, hundreds of households now call home.

October 10, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

Hartford Connecticut

A 'Pro-Homes Playbook' for Planning and Land Use Commissioners

Desegregate Connecticut, the organization working for planning and zoning reforms in the Constitution State, recently published a series of "playbooks" intended to spur action at the local level.

October 10, 2021 - Desegregate Connecticut

Dokken is a western part of the Port of Bergen (Norway). At Dokken is the large, white Port Warehouse, in which a small brown/black building (in the center of this image) is the WWII German anti-aircraft artillery bunker (RK-ID 212746).

Norwegian City Plans for Zero-Emissions Neighborhood

As it winds down port operations in the area, Bergen plans to transform its Dokken district from a busy shipping hub to a car-free, 'regenerative' zone.

October 8, 2021 - Fast Company

Roanoke, Virginia

Northern Virginians Look to Community Land Trusts to Increase Affordable Housing

As the state's real estate costs rise, community land trusts struggle to access funding and land in order to build more affordable housing.

October 7, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Houston

Houston's Land Market Heats Up

The pandemic has spurred a sharp spike in land sales in the Houston area as more people look to buy homes and developers buy land for industrial uses.

October 7, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Atlanta Civic Center

Housing Trust Fund Proposed for Atlanta

An ordinance proposed by an Atlanta City Councilmember would establish the "Building the Beloved Community Affordable Housing Trust Fund"—with a commitment to spend 2 percent of the city's general fund annually.

October 7, 2021 - Atlanta Civic Circle

A map showing zoning for the South District in the city of Iowa City.

Missing Middle Housing, Form-Based Code Added to the Zoning Menu in Iowa City

The Iowa City Planning Commission approved a rezoning amendment that will allow new missing middle density and implement a form-based code for the city's South District. The city could expand the concepts as it expands the city in the future.

October 6, 2021 - Iowa City Press Citizen

Site plan for Urban Oasis Catalyst LLC development around Westside Park

Affordable Housing Planned Around Atlanta's New Westside Park

The 65 new units will include single-family homes with ADUs, duplexes, and fourplexes, according to Invest Atlanta.

October 5, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

Philadelphia Construction

Affordable Housing Bonus Program Expanded in Philadelphia

The city of Philadelphia launched a height and density bonus in 2018 to create incentives for the development of affordable housing, but so far the results have proven underwhelming.

October 5, 2021 - PlanPhilly

Home For Sale Signs

How Do We Calculate Demand for Housing?

Actual demand for a place's housing might exceed increases in the number of residents or households.

October 4, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Boston Aerial

Big Boston Buildings Must Be Carbon Neutral by 2050

The Boston City Council approved a new ordinance would eliminate emissions from the 4 percent of the buildings responsible for 60 percent of the city's building emissions.

October 4, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Town Homes

Atlanta's Pro-Density 'Comprehensive Development Plan' Stalls in City Council

Planning is politics, an Atlanta case study.

October 4, 2021 - SaportaReport

Dollar Store

Retail Openings Outpace Closures in 2021

An estimated 20 percent of the stores to open so far in 2021 are Dollar Generals.

October 3, 2021 - Retail Dive

California Houses

Eliminating Single-Family Zoning Alone Won't Solve California's Housing Crisis

While zoning reforms can help reduce barriers to building more housing, high construction costs and local opposition mean that the state won't see an immediate boom in density.

October 1, 2021 - Slate

New Orleans Freeway

Outdated State and Federal Road Design Rules Hinder Freeway Removal

Although some cities are in favor of removing or reducing urban freeways in favor of more walkable spaces, guidelines like the 11-year-old MUTCD still encourage a 'throughput at all costs' mentality.

October 1, 2021 - Governing

People gather on a street with no cars during the L.E.A.F. Festival of Flowers in the Meatpacking District of New York City.

Don't Call it a Comeback: Big Cities Are Outlasting Predictions of Demise

As the new world order of working from home and vaccine hesitancy settles in, it's time to reevaluate assumptions from early in the pandemic about the effect of the public health on the economic health of large cities.

October 1, 2021 - Business Insider

A rendering showing a planned freeway improvement project that will create a "lid" over State Route 520 for use as public open space.

Seattle Freeway Lid Expected by 2030

When complete, the SR 520 Montlake Project will reorganize the street grid to provide new connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

September 29, 2021 - Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

Washington D.C.

D.C. Considers Centering Equity in Transportation and Land Use Planning Decisions

A plan to prioritize equity would, according to regional planners, increase access to jobs and resources, reduce emissions, and improve public health.

September 29, 2021 - The Washington Post

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.