New York
Fracking Opponents in New York Achieve Landmark Legal Victory
In a huge victory for fracking opponents and a major blow to the shale gas drilling industry, the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest, ruled on June 30 that municipalities can use zoning laws to enact fracking bans or moratoria.
Redefining Affordability in the Most Expensive Neighborhoods
Ryan Hutchins reports on the details of a recent negotiation between Helen Rosenthal, Upper West Side City Council representative, and the developer of a 1,000-unit residential project in Hell's Kitchen.
Bill Could Change Street Sweeping, Parking Regulations in New York City
The singular urban dance, or traffic jam, of "alternate-side-of-the-street parking" could get a reprieve with a new bill before the New York City Council.
Transparency about Hazardous Oil Shipments Possible After All
After the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order on May 7 that Bakken information about oil shipments be shared with appropriate state agencies, question arose about whether that information could be shared with the public.
New York City's Suburbs Building More Housing than its Boroughs
John Petro analyzes American Community Survey data to find that suburban areas like Hudson and Suffolk County are adding housing units at a much faster pace than all of New York City except for Brooklyn.
App Maps the Unbuilt Potential of the New York City Skyline
The "Accidental Skyline" project puts a powerful visualization tool in the hands of citizens curious to know more about the possible development enabled by the land use regulations of New York City.
Friday Funny: 12 Signs that Bring Humor to the Brooklyn Streetscape
There are other ways to grab attention, even if you don't have the cash to spend on a giant sign that says T-R-U-M-P above the Chicago River.
Report Decries Slow Project Delivery by New York City Parks Department
New Yorkers for Parks released a study earlier this month finding that the Department of Parks and Recreation is one of the city's slowest when it comes to finishing projects on a reasonable timeframe.
'Urban Reviewer' Archives New York City's 155 Neighborhood Master Plans
The 596 Acres project to catalogue and improve vacant, publicly owned lots in New York City produced another great tool called the Urban Reviewer, which gathers all of New York's adopted neighborhood master plans in one place.
Board Passes on Rent Freeze Despite Mayor de Blasio's Intentions
The New York City Rent Guidelines Board is one of the few ways Mayor Bill de Blasio can influence the price of housing in the city. All sides came away wanting when the board approved a historically low increase.
Re-Evaluating the Dynamic Duo: Olmsted and Moses
Anthony Flint examines the commonalities—and disparities—in the historic legacies of Frederick Law Olmsted and Robert Moses.
The Limitations of Inclusionary Zoning Explained
Josh Barro examines the possible use of inclusionary zoning to generate affordable housing stock in the city of New York City finding that the only way to build more affordable units is by increasing density.
Vision Zero: New York to Lower Speed Limits
In a significant advancement in New York City mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to eliminate vehicle fatalities in the city, the New York State Assembly voted to allow a citywide change in the speed limit—from 30 to 25 miles per hour.
Friday Funny: How Automatic Toll Technology Could Have Saved Sonny Corleone
In a fake editorial on the satirical site The Onion, Charles J. Galvin, CEO, E-ZPass Group, pays homage to the alternative path the Corleone family would have taken in The Godfather if only Sonny Corleone had been driving a car equipped with E-ZPass.
Vacant Properties Linger Post-Sandy in Queens and Rockaway
Still plagued by home left vacant after Hurricane Sandy, a politician and local activists are pushing for greater action to clean up the blighted properties.
In the Era of Starchitecture, Whither 'Locatecture'?
Witold Rybczynski laments the globalization of architecture—especially the personal branding of the most famous architects onto the skylines of cities all over the world.
Buffalo Rebooting its Code
Buffalo is nearing the finish line in an efforts to draft a new form-based code.
Personal Air Quality Sensors Compare Pollution Levels
Ben Schiller reports on two new air quality sensors that show you pollution comparisons of the air you are breathing right now.
Artists Feel Gentrification Pressure in Bushwick
The Brooklyn Brief attended the recent eighth edition oft the Bushwick Open Studios annual art event. There the blog heard from artists concerned about the growing expenses of living in the neighborhood.
The End of 'Slackerdom' in Austin (or Pittsburgh Rich vs. New York Poor)
Yes, that's a lot of cities in one headline. But recent urbanism media has included a lot of writers lamenting the rising cost of living in formerly bohemian locales while noticing former bohemians moving to more affordable regions.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
