Florida

The Unbuilt Origins of Seaside

Seaside, Florida is well known as the proving grounds for new urbanism, the place where Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk made a development into a town. Dhiru Thadani documents the early experiments and unbuilt designs in a new book.

October 23, 2013 - CNU

Agreement Paves the Way for Private Rail Service Between Miami and Orlando

A $1.5 billion project to provide a passenger rail link between Miami and Orlando was given a boost this week by an agreement to connect to Orlando International Airport, reached after 17 months of negotiations.

October 3, 2013 - WMFE

Festival Makes Crowdfunding a Community-Building Affair

An innovative event held recently in Jacksonville, Florida used a festival as a means to bring crowdfunding to the people; providing a platform for community building and branding in the process. Could this be the future of financing public projects?

August 15, 2013 - Urban Land

view out a window of rooftops of Seaside, Florida

Does Seaside Deserve a Rethink?

Often forgotten amid the Truman Show jokes and architectural disdain are the iconic New Urbanist community's contributions to planning history, and its many innovations. Two new works are helping to reframe how the Florida town is understood.

August 15, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

How Light Becomes Material in the Parking Garages of Miami Beach

Claudia and George Klousoulas examine how designers have used light as a building material in the parking garages of Miami Beach -- with a slideshow.

August 12, 2013 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

Mass Deaths Indicate Marine Ecosystem in Distress

The deaths of hundreds of pelicans, dolphins and manatees across Florida's Indian River estuary - 'one of the richest marine ecosystems in the continental United States' - have scientists concerned, and wondering if rapid urbanization is to blame.

August 9, 2013 - The New York Times

Retreat at Twin Lakes

Zimmerman Free But Gated Communities Guilty

Until gated community ownership organizations are held accountable for the actions of their residents and security agents we will see the use of "stand your ground" arguments as veils for deeper racial and socioeconomic profiling.

August 8, 2013 - Edward J. Blakely

Redesigning the Golden Arches: Do Famous Architects Create Happier Meals?

In the 1980s and 90s, a pair of accomplished architecture firms were asked to design restaurants for the world's most famous, and formulaic, fast food chain. See what happened when the avant garde rethought the golden arches.

August 4, 2013 - Smithsonian

Competition Aims to Shrink Miami's Public Space Deficit

Seeking to help improve the city's livability and boost its attraction to talented workers, the Miami Foundation has launched an open competition to identify, and ultimately build, neighborhood public spaces.

July 29, 2013 - Miami Herald

Infrastructure Investment Pushed by Obama at Jacksonville Port

President Obama used a tour of Jaxport to promote infrastructure investment, e.g. accommodating larger ships and intermodal cargo transfer to trains to stimulate the economy and increase employment, and maybe convert some Republicans to the cause.

July 27, 2013 - The New York Times - Politics

Climate Adaptation: Is Miami Indefensible?

In advance of President Obama's long-awaited speech on climate change, NPR looked at climate adaptation - preparing for the environmental changes it will cause. Rising sea level is the topic. In the U.S., two cities stand out: New York and Miami.

June 26, 2013 - NPR

1111 Lincoln Road Garage Miami

Miami Beach Makes Transportation Infrastructure Sexy

From parking garages to its bike-share program, and streetscape improvements to trails that integrate nature and city life, Miami has taken a stylish but pedestrian-friendly approach to transportation decisions, says Claudia Kousoulas.

June 21, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

Can a Mayor's Morning Constitutional Help Transform a Cityscape?

In the Central Florida city of Eatonville, Mayor Bruce Mount has been leading morning walks since 2011. Their popularity have helped improve residents' health and opened eyes as to the need for more pedestrian-friendly environments.

June 2, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

Miami Highway

How Miami Lost Its Way to a Transit-Rich Future

Forty years ago, Dade County officials sketched a vision for a paradigm shift away from highways and towards a multi-modal transportation system for the area. Four decades onward, highway expansion is alive and well in Miami-Dade. What happened?

May 20, 2013 - TransitMiami

Is CA High-Speed Rail Stalling the Federal Rail Program?

House Republicans object to further funding of the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program - largely due to California's expectation to receive $42 billion in federal funding - yet less ambitious projects have shown much promise.

May 8, 2013 - Governing Magazine

Shrinking Government for Environment's Sake?

Eli Lehrer argues that ending subsidies to high-risk developments, as Florida is about to do, presents a successful small-government environmental preservation measure that also benefits taxpayers.

May 7, 2013 - Huffington Post

Boom is Back as Miami Condo Market Rebounds

After a sharp decline brought on by the housing crash, Miami's condo market is experiencing a squeeze on supply and an attendant building boom, reflecting a nationwide uptick in urban real estate markets.

May 3, 2013 - The New York Times

Miami Tops When it Comes to Roadway Efficiency

Miami probably isn't the first city you think of when it comes to the efficiency of its road infrastructure. New York, yes. San Francisco or Boston, maybe. But Miami? Chris Dickersin-Prokopp explains the surprising results culled from census data.

April 16, 2013 - Greater Greater Washington

America's Surprising Springs of Sprawl

Although urban living has been making a comeback throughout the United States, "sprawl still dominates new construction in emerging metro regions in certain parts of the country," says Kaid Benfield. He looks at the areas where sprawl still rules.

April 12, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Miami’s Missing Middle

Miami’s housing stock can be characterized generally to encompass single family homes and condos. Between these two options, however, other choices are lacking.

April 6, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

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.

Senior Planner

planning NEXT

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

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.