Florida
Downtown Mixed Use Generates More Than 30 Times The Tax Revenue of Malls
Sarasota County, Florida finds that one mixed use building generates 36 times the property taxes per acre as the region's largest high end mall. Mary Newsom reports that "evidence is piling up to show the benefits of compact, in-town development."
Baseball Team's Move Could Spark Light Rail
A proposed move of the Tampa Bay Rays professional baseball team has officials in the region scrambling to make plans for a new rail line to accommodate the team's future home.
Mickey Mouse McMansions
The Disney Company is betting against the struggling Florida housing market with plans to build million-dollar luxury homes near its Orlando theme park.
Population Loss in the Sun Belt
Census estimates show that St. Petersburg, Florida, lost population between 2008 and 2009 -- a decline that's expected to continue.
The Gulf Oil Spill Illustrates a Corrupt Regulatory System
On the Commons criticizes the policy of 'enclosure' that has allowed "the systemic failures of the regulatory system and its political sponsors, Congress and the President," to go unnoticed.
Supreme Court Decides Against Private Property Owners
The Supreme Court ruled for state power and against landowners in a landmark decision that will allow a beach-widening project to go forward without compensation.
A New Direction for New Urbanists
At the 18th Annual Congress for New Urbanists, Andres Duany announced 'Agrarian Urbanism' as his new planning emphasis. He believes that the success of New Urbanism has stultified its progress and reduced its potential.
High Schoolers Propose Design Fixes for Neighborhood
The Miami Design District is an emerging urban neighborhood, but in need of some help. Students at the nearby Design and Architecture Senior High School are up to the task.
"Creative Village" Plan for Orlando's Amway Arena
The Amway Arena in Orlando is being torn down and rebuilt, but meanwhile another developer is proposing a "creative village" for 68 acres nearby, with housing, education, gaming, retail, office space, and a "signature central park."
Chickens Come Home To Urban Roost?
Another city, South Florida's Delray Beach, wrestles with whether chickens can co-exist with urban residents.
Building Boom In Land Of Foreclosures
It seems inconceivable - building new homes next to new, vacant homes, but with depressed prices for land and labor a new market for home-buyers who missed out on foreclosure sales has developed in states hit worst by the housing crisis.
Gainesville Tracks Drivers Yielding to Pedestrians
Police in Gainesville, Florida are trying to encourage drivers to be more cautious of pedestrians with a new sign and driver tracking program that tracks how many drivers are yielding to pedestrians.
Light Rail and High-Speed Rail Conflated and Confused
In Tampa, voters can't seem to untangle an upcoming one-cent sales tax to fund light rail with the Obama administration's recent $1.25 billion award for high-speed rail, though the funding is completely separate.
Mayors Say Abolish States
At a recent talk, former mayors Manny Diaz and Greg Nickels (of Miami and Seattle, respectively) talked about the frustration mayors face in having to go to the state to receive funding.
Miami: The Changing Face of America
The city of Miami is the setting of a forthcoming book by novelist Tom Wolfe, whose works have come to define eras in American culture. Some say his selection of Miami as a setting shows that the melting pot city is the face of a changing America.
Smart Parking
A comparison of Brainerd, Minnesota's downtown parking and that of the planned town of Celebration, Florida shows what a big difference a parking plan can make.
Disney's Secret Land Grab
A new book details how Walt Disney secretly secured the land for Walt Disney World in Florida, and created a special district of his own to give the company unprecedented control over the area.
Land Use Success and Failure in Two Florida Towns
This post from NRDC's Kaid benfield compares the two Florida cities of Lehigh Acres and Venice, where land use decisions created one city doomed to fail and another that's on a fast rise.
Florida's Fast Train Connects to Slow Buses
The NYT examines problems with Florida's high speed rail line that received $1.25 billion in HSR stimulus funds. In addition to weak transit connections at both ends, the 84-mile route has five stops, increasing the total trip time.
New Condos Finally Filling in Miami
Downtown Miami is on the upswing, with a new study showing that 74% of the condos built there since 2003 occupied. The market tanked in 2007 with the rest of the economy, but things are looking up.
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.
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