Land Use
NYC Details Midtown Upzone; Will Critics be Quelled?
Just as the debate over the planned rezoning of the Midtown East neighborhood ossified into two strongly opposed camps, the city has provided more details on their recommendations and outlined an ambitious schedule for public review.
In Toronto, Urban Amenities Lag Behind Condo Boom
Since it began in 1999, Toronto's condo boom has added 120,000 units to the city and, in the process, transformed its urban landscape. City leaders are just now beginning to address how to accommodate these new residents.
With Mayoral Election Comes Hope for Fixing L.A.'s Broken Public Spaces
LAX, the LA River, Pershing Square; the list of Los Angeles' under-performing public spaces could sadly continue for a while. As the city votes for its next mayor, Christopher Hawthorne offers some "some straightforward ideas" about how to fix them.
Mapping New York's Informal Street Furniture
Street Plans Collaborative, a New York-based urban planning and design firm, has begun an ambitious project to map the city's informal sidewalk seating culture. The project is asking the pubic to submit entries from their own observations.
Houston's 'Last, Best, Chance' to Create a Walkable, Livable Downtown Neighborhood
In an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle, John Desmond discusses the findings of a ULI advisory panel tasked with developing recommendations for creating a mixed use 24-hour neighborhood in downtown's east side.
How Will New York's Landscape Change Once Mayor Mike Leaves Office?
Ryan Holeywell looks at the land use legacy of the Bloomberg Administration - perhaps his "signal achievement" - and wonders if his successor can continue the momentum.
Can Planning Help Heal the Site of the Trayvon Martin Shooting?
In the days following the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL, much was made of the influence the built environment had on the event. A year later, the city is developing a vision for how to shape its shared future.
Is this the Most Outrageous Example of Sprawl Madness in America?
Suburban Orlando is home to what might well be the best example of the absurd development patterns of post-war America. There you'll find two houses with adjoining backyards whose front doors are separated by seven miles of roads.
Essence of Sustainability
Challenges that strong and weak markets alike share
New Reports Stake out Ground in NYC Rezoning Debate
Two position papers out this week present the opposing viewpoints in the contentious debate around New York's Midtown East rezoning. Should historic building protections in the area be expanded or should developers be allowed to maximize density?
New Report Challenges 'Eyes on the Street' Concept
In the fifty years since Jane Jacobs introduced the "eyes on the street" theory, it's become a commonly accepted conceit that a mix of use reduces crime. A new study calls that theory into question.
Google Designs New Campus 'From the Inside Out'
Vanity Fair has published the first rendering of the design for the new "Googleplex", the first offices to be built by the tech giant from scratch.
What Will it Take to Transform Chicago's Riverfront?
With dozens of riverfront revitalization projects completed across the world in the past couple of decades, lessons abound for how Chicago can best integrate its waterfront and downtown. Whet Moser considers three examples.
The Importance of Making Cities Places of Belonging
Mumbai architect Pallavi Shrivastava reflects on the impact that the inaccessibility of the city has on the status of women in society and their ability to shape the future of the places in which they live.
A Plan To Shrink Detroit (Well)
Justin Hollander, PhD, AICP, looks closely at Detroit’s new Strategic Framework Plan and finds a compelling plan to manage depopulation. The plan takes a realistic view of what it would take to make Detroit a great city without growing.
Trend Alert: Church-Oriented Development
A mixed-use development being proposed for the First Baptist Church's property in downtown Silver Spring is just the latest in a series of similar projects across the D.C. suburbs that are pitting congregations against preservationists.
Should Architects Be Allowed to Assist in Disaster Recovery?
After Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of architects and engineers offered their services to assist an overwhelmed NYC Department of Buildings in assessing storm-damaged properties. So why were they turned away?
Making Density a Cornerstone for Successful City-Making
Density is a loaded term that brings with it many negative connotations. But it can help solve "our city's toughest challenges." Brent Toderian discusses lessons from Vancouver on how to turn "the third rail of municipal politics" into an asset.
Downtown L.A. Development: A Comprehensive Guide
From $100 million in upgrades to Dodger Stadium, to the decades-long effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River, to the construction of the tallest building west of the Mississippi, discover the status of 85 projects underway in downtown L.A.
The case against mixed-use: not proven
A recent study suggesting that mixed-use zoning increases crime is not as persuasive as it might seem at first glance.
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
