Urban Development

Chicago ADA Access

Centering Non-Drivers Would Improve Infrastructure for All

Inadequate infrastructure disproportionately harms people with mobility challenges who can't or don't drive, but their needs closely mirror those of all pedestrians.

September 1, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Disabled Parking

San José Could Eliminate Parking Minimums

The city of San José has the highest minimum parking requirements in the state. Now, it is weighing a proposal that would do away with them altogether and let developers decide how much parking to build.

September 1, 2021 - The Mercury News

Homes

The Limits of Citywide Upzoning

A study shows zoning reform isn't a silver bullet for the housing crisis. In some low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods, it could 'cause more harm than good.'

September 1, 2021 - Next City

Washington D.C. - The White House

White House Announces Plans for 100,000 Affordable Homes

The Biden administration has proposed a suite of policy and funding programs designed to create and protect 100,000 affordable housing units. If successful, the program will still fall well short of the need.

September 1, 2021 - James Brasuell

The backboar of a basketball hoop is painted orange with the words "orange Mound"--the name of a historically black neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis Targets Adaptive Reuse of Historic School for Neighborhood Benefits

A plan to rehabilitate the vacant former location of Melrose High School in Memphis' Orange Mound neighborhood "recalls many other recent initiatives aimed at elevating and investing in Black urban history."

September 1, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The 'Mountain Lion' Cities Rising in the U.S. West

An economist identifies the growth in nine U.S. cities—scattered from Utah to Texas, Arizona, Washington, and Idaho—as similar to the economic power generated in parts of Asia.

August 31, 2021 - Full Stack Economics

Houston Metro

Can Houston Rein In Its Famous Sprawl?

The city's unabated growth has made it a bustling hub of industry and commerce, but can it sustain its unmitigated outward sprawl?

August 31, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Single-Family Housing Construction

Watch: The Laws and Policies Driving Up the Cost of Housing

A Vox explainer video tackles the rising cost of housing in the United States.

August 31, 2021 - Vox via YouTube

Philadelphia

Neighborhood Rezoning Proposal at Odds With Philadelphia's Comprehensive Plan

While planning departments around the country make news for removing exclusionary zoning and parking requirements, many neighborhoods still show a strong preference for parking minimums and development limits. Case in point: Germantown, Philadelphia.

August 31, 2021 - WHYY

New York City Public Housing Project

What is Public Housing?

Born out of the progressive ideals of the New Deal and a desire to improve the standard of living in poor urban neighborhoods, American public housing has taken several forms as political opinion about subsidized housing shifts.

August 30, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Students passing through the historic Sather Gate on the University of California, Berkeley campus.

Judge Caps Enrollment at UC Berkeley Pending Environmental Impact Report

An Alameda County judge dealt a stunning rebuke of a plan to expand the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, with housing and new space for the Goodman School of Public Policy.

August 30, 2021 - Berkeleyside

Cincinnati, Ohio

Black Residents Leaving Cincinnati's Fast Growing Urban Area

The housing market in the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine is a 'segregation machine.'

August 30, 2021 - WCPO

Chicago, Illinois

Illinois Law Mandates Safety Studies at Fatal Intersections

Newly adopted legislation mandates a traffic study for all pedestrian fatalities and consideration of alternate road design options.

August 29, 2021 - Streetsblog Chicago

California

California Assembly Advances Statewide Upzoning Bill

California's Senate Bill 9 would allow up to four housing units on lots traditionally zoned for single-family homes, paving the way for more 'gentle density.'

August 27, 2021 - The New York Times

A sign reading Atlanta Beltline appears above the large doorway of a brick building.

Longtime Champion of Tax Breaks for Luxury Housing Changes its Tune in Atlanta

A recent scandal and leadership changes have produced an almost unprecedented decision by the Development Authority of Fulton County.

August 27, 2021 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Coronavirus

Rent Control Buckling Under Market Pressure, Sweden Increases Development

A housing affordability case study, provided by the unique housing policies in the country of Sweden.

August 26, 2021 - BBC

A map of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Orange Line, highlighting the West Falls Church station.

One Million Square Feet of Transit Oriented Joint Development Advances in Northern Virginia

Fairfax County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority have reached an agreement with a team of developers to add one million square feet of mixed-use development near a station on the Orange Line.

August 26, 2021 - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Wide shot of bridge overpasses under construction at the intersection of GA 400 and I-285 on July 22, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

Highway Widening and Interchange Improvements a Headache for Atlanta Drivers

A road widening and interchange improvement project in Atlanta will have a dramatic impact on congestion for as much as a year.

August 26, 2021 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Texas Apartment Construction

Apartment Construction Ramps Up to Meet New Demand

It's unclear if or when the supply of entry level rental housing options will catch up with the demand, but some cities are building quickly.

August 26, 2021 - RentCafé

Deer eating an orange on a Banff street

Returning to a Wilder World

The pandemic induced an accidental 'rewilding' in many places as animals took over cities and streets devoid of humans. As we emerge from our isolation, can we co-exist peacefully?

August 25, 2021 - High Country News

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.