Land Use

Much to the chagrin of those who partake in the city's congested commute, cars dominate as Atlantans' prime means of mobility. The city's wildly ambitious BeltLine project seeks to change this, but can it be built fast enough to have an impact?

June 5, 2013 - ASLA The Dirt

What's the most productive way to utilize the fertile land that sits above California's vast Monterey Shale oil reserve? The environmental impacts of fracking on California's farmland could derail what promises to be an enormous oil boom.

June 5, 2013 - The New York Times

Jay Corbalis profiles NoMa (short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue”), Washington D.C.'s fastest growing neighborhood, where a building boom has been propelled by an innovative transit funding partnership between the public and private sectors.

June 4, 2013 - Smart Growth America

While conceding that suburbia, and home construction patterns, will change in the coming decades, a new report from Joel Kotkin argues that the "dream" of suburban American homeownership is alive and well and poised to remain relevant.

June 4, 2013 - New Geography

Toronto is undergoing a 'remarkable transformation', says Charles Birnbaum, and unlike most large scale redevelopment efforts, landscape architecture is leading the way. With abundant photos Birnbaum surveys the new works framing the city's growth.

June 4, 2013 - Huffington Post

Since the 1990s, Maryland has been at the forefront of Smart Growth planning at the statewide level. However, a new study shows that the state's incentive-based approach may not be adequate for inducing the changes envisioned by planners.

June 3, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

The protests that've gripped Istanbul, and several other Turkish cities in recent days, reflect tensions over the 'autocratic ambitions' of the country's government and the cultural transformations it has pushed through grand redevelopment projects.

June 3, 2013 - The New York Times

In two new exhibits on Los Angeles's modern architectural history - part of the sprawling Pacific Standard Time Presents initiative - the city's infamous infatuation with the automobile is examined and then left behind in the rear-view mirror.

June 3, 2013 - LA Weekly

Small business owners who drive themselves nuts arguing against the reuse of on-street parking with other balanced transportation solutions is a shame because there is so much good data to prove it's actually very good for business.

June 3, 2013 - Ian Sacs

If you only listened to the IBMs of the world, you'd think the path to building better cities was through high tech solutions. But old fashioned dialogue and discussion, facilitated by some low tech platforms, works best, argues Alec Appelbaum.

June 3, 2013 - The New York Times

The migrants that have swelled China's cities in recent decades still remain 'second-class citizens', unable to sell their rural land or have access to public services like schools or medical care. Will the country's new leaders change this?

June 2, 2013 - The Economist

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

Ben Austen traces how foreclosures, crime, and depopulation have decimated areas in the South and West Sides of Chicago, and the 'do-it-yourself empowerment zones' that are trying to make use of vacant properties and turn around these neighborhoods.

June 2, 2013 - The New York Times

City leaders from the Mayor on down recognize that infill development is necessary to create a more livable Los Angeles. So why does the public sector allow so many obstacles to stand in the way of small-scale development?

June 1, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Lauren Drell at Mashable has rounded up 19 (or is it 21?) 'dynamic, real-time and compelling visualizations of how we live and move.'

May 31, 2013 - Mashable

A student project to radically rethink housing projects on New York’s Lower East Side and a holistic approach to a Rwandan village took top honors at the 2013 CNU Charter Awards, announced this week at CNU 21 in Salt Lake City.

May 31, 2013 - CNU

What began as a peaceful gathering in central Instanbul erupted in violence Friday morning, as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands protesting the redevelopment of a treasured park as a shopping center.

May 31, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Michael Kimmelman looks at the wave of 'cheap, quick, temporary and D.I.Y.-style approaches' that are introducing a more successful means of creating public space than traditional trickle-down techniques.

May 31, 2013 - The New York Times

An innovative planning project engages Baltimore's youth in developing concepts for making the city's Inner Harbor an enjoyable place for tourists, shoppers, and teens.

May 31, 2013 - The Baltimore Sun

As suburban office parks struggle to lure tenants not decamping for more urban environments, some are investing princely sums to renovate their buildings in the hope of capturing a slice of the shrinking pie.

May 30, 2013 - The New York Times