Land Use
Gilbert Doubles Down on Downtown Detroit With Ambitious Placemaking Plan
Rather than succumb to the negative news surrounding Detroit's dire financial situation, businessman and booster Dan Gilbert is doubling down on his extensive investment in the city with an ambitious effort to enliven downtown's public spaces.
With Boston Mayor's Departure, Evaluating His Imprint on the City
With longtime Boston mayor Thomas Menino's announcement that he will not seek re-election, Paul McMorrow assesses the five-term mayor's impact on the shape of the city.
Sasaki Plan Seeks to Bring Life Back to Pittsburgh's Riverfront
Under a plan developed by Sasaki Associates, a 6.5-mile-long strip of vacant and derelict industrial land along the Allegheny riverfront would reconnect the surrounding neighborhood to the water with mixed use development and public open spaces.
Parks: An Antidote to 'Brain Fatigue'
Scientists have long theorized that natural settings can help us manage the stress induced by urban living. New research made possible by advances in EEG technology has confirmed the restorative effects of parks.
Massive Development Fulfills 30-Year Promise of Buffalo's 'Train to Nowhere'
The development of the $750M Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which will soon be home to 17,500 employees, is being seen as a catalyst for a culture change in the city towards urban lifestyles oriented around its heretofore underutilized rail system.
Examining L.A.'s Dirty Zoning Secrets
To celebrate its 50th post, Jeremy Rosenberg has handed over the reins of his "Laws That Shape L.A." column. The focus of this week's guest feature: the special overlays and site-specific designations that cover 60 percent of the city's geography.
Denver Densifies as Developers Anticipate Transit Expansion
Before the first line of the multi-billion dollar FasTracks regional transit expansion opens to the public, developers are clamoring to build near Denver area stations. In a city that was beset by sprawl for a half-century, the shift is good news.
The Power of Place: On Democracy and Public Participation in Planning
More thoughts on how public participation in the placemaking process can create better places and better functioning democracies.
Proposed 'Bike Freeway' in S.F. Faces Backlash
At a raucous community meeting held last week, the opposition to a proposal to replace curbside parking along Polk Street with bike lanes and parklets made their opinions known to city planners, reports Maria L. La Ganga.
New Study is First to Show that Traffic Pollution Causes Childhood Asthma
While pollution from vehicle exhausts has been known for some time to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal establishes for the first time the direct causal link between the two.
Healthy, or Unhealthy, by Design
We've engineered physical activity out of our daily lives but it need not be a chronic condition. Hazel Borys points to recent suburban retrofits for ways to get moving again.
When Are Big Buildings Too Big?
When the 807 ft. MetLife Building in Manhattan's Midtown opened half a century ago, it was viewed as an 'assault' on it's iconic neighbor, Grand Central Terminal. However, it was indicative of what the real estate market wanted in the 1960s.
Cycle Tracks and Bus Only Lanes Coming to Downtown L.A.
The updated designs for an ambitious project to remake car-clogged Figueroa Street as a transit-, pedestrian-, and bicycle-friendly complete street have been made public in advance of a community meeting next month.
The Prevalence of Play Deserts
A new study analyzing the amenities in 165 parks in the four-county Kansas City metro region found that low-income neighborhoods suffer from a lack of play spaces, despite having more parks per capita, reports Emily Badger.
Can Cities Help Solve Global Food Challenges?
With growing populations demanding more food and growing borders requiring more land, cities are one of the primary challenges to feeding the world's hunger problem. Can they also be the solution?
Examining L.A.'s Boulevard of Urban Dreams
Christopher Hawthorne continues his exploration of the changing face of Los Angeles, as seen along its boulevards, with an examination of the street where the city has perpetually "embraced and tested out the future" - Wilshire Boulevard.
Value of Homes Near Transit Fared Much Better During the Recession
A new study conducted by the Center for Neighborhood Technology shows that homes in close proximity to transit stations lost much less of their value during the collapse of the housing market, reports Tanya Snyder.
America's Largest Indoor Vertical Farm Opens in Chicago
Chicagoans sure take their urban agriculture seriously. While the city focuses on converting vacant land to farms in some of the city's struggling neighborhoods, entrepreneurs are doing the same indoors.
New Master Plan for L.A.'s Union Station Will Focus on Passengers, not Developers
If you paid attention to the visions unveiled a year ago by the teams competing to develop a master plan for the area around L.A.'s Union Station, you might expect to see a development-focused final product. Apparently, you'd be wrong.
What is the Worst Parking Crater in America?
The March Madness bug has bitten the staff of Streetsblog. Based on nominations submitted by readers, the website has organized a Parking Madness tournament to determine the "ugliest parking scar draining the life from [an American] downtown."
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
