Urban Development

Noise Pollution Harms the Heart, Too
New research shows that excessive noise levels have significant negative impacts on heart health.

Washington State Considering New Gas Tax, Transit and Bike Fees
The state legislature is weighing three proposals that seek to fund improvements to aging infrastructure and upgrade the state's transportation network.

How to Fix Racist Housing Policies: Sue the Suburbs
Strengthening U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's civil rights enforcement could send a powerful signal to communities resistant to changing discriminatory housing rules.

Tax Increment Financing District Considered for West Louisville
A prominently Black and low-income neighborhood in Louisville could gain a new tool for spurring local development—the law is intended also to control the effects of gentrification.

Boston-to-New York High-Speed Rail Project Hopes for Federal Support
If completed, the North Atlantic Rail project could transform New England's transportation landscape.

What Is Market Rate Housing?
Market-rate housing is a term used to define housing generated by the real estate market without direct subsidy. The price the market sets for housing, even without subsidies, is a direct outcome of policies and practices of planning.

History (Un)made: Berkeley City Council Votes to Eliminate Single-Family Zoning
The city that invented single-family zoning in 1916, for discriminatory purposes, will completely remove that exclusionary legacy from its zoning code.

Boston Leaders Want A Dog Park in Every Neighborhood
City leaders want to build more off-leash dog parks, partly as a response to the trend of "pandemic puppies" that has led to a sharp spike in urban dog ownership.

Chicago Planning Department Rejects 'Overparked' Six Corners Proposal
In a decision that is still impossible in most of the country, Chicago's Department of Planning and Development is requiring housing and reduced surface parking to approve a retail project.

What is Single-Family Zoning?
Single-family zoning is by far the most common form of zoning in the United States, but it's facing increasing criticisms both for its discriminatory origins and its sprawling effects.

Still No Flying Cars: The Underwhelming Progress of Autonomous Vehicles
While we're still far from a Jetsons-style reality, understated autonomous features could be the key to safer transportation.

Higher Lot Coverage to Boost Density
A proposal in Snohomish County, Washington could raise the lot coverage limits in medium density residential zones to allow for more usable square footage.

Boston to Require Fair Housing Review for New Developments
The Boston Zoning Code is one of the first in the nation to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.

Atlanta Weighs 'Midtown Connector' Freeway Cap
The billion-dollar project would create a 25-acre park and 3.5 miles of new bike and pedestrian routes.

What the Livability Index Shows About Housing
A new report highlights inequalities in accessibility and affordability.

Bend City Councilmember Advocates for Parking Reform
Elected in November and already proposing bold reforms in parking policy in the city of Bend, Oregon.

Where the Ground Sinks Under the Weight of Development
New research documents how the weight of buildings causes the ground to sink underneath developments in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Potential of New Towns
Richard Peiser and Ann Forsyth discuss their latest book, New Towns for the Twenty-First Century: A Guide to Planned Communities Worldwide, with the Penn Institute for Urban Research.

New Research on the Effects of Market-Rate Development and Upzoning
A glut of new housing and development research has been published recently, shedding new light on some of the most fundamental questions of contemporary planning.

Boise Using Adaptive Reuse to Convert Offices to Affordable Housing
Under the city's Grow Our Housing program, vacant offices could see a new life as below-market rentals.
Pagination
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.
City of Charlotte
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)