Land Use
Ramping Up Attacks on California's Planners
The Wall Street Journal's obsession with planning in California continued this past weekend, as they asked Joel Kotkin, demographer and "Truman Democrat", to discuss what he believes is driving "the great California exodus".
Mitt Romney: Smart Growth Champion?
Lisa Hymas has a fascinating look at the anti-sprawl effort championed by Mitt Romney during his time as Governor of Massachusetts, which became the model for a key Obama “smart growth” initiative — the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Zoning Children Out of a Good Education
Nate Berg examines new research linking restrictive land use regulations to academically stratified neighborhoods.
Are DC's Strict Height Limits and Arbitrary Planning Rules Hurting the City?
Two commentaries pick up on the recent push to loosen Washington D.C.'s notoriously conservative height limits, and argue that such controversial changes are overdue and, in fact, don't go far enough.
Examining Our Now-Fading Mania For Malls
On the sixty-year anniversary of the genesis of the country's first enclosed mall, Mark Hinshaw looks at America's foolish detour into shopping malls.
For Affordable Housing in NYC, a Bountiful Harvest
Alison Gregor highlights efforts by affordable housing developers to implement edible community gardens, bringing fresh food and neighborhood ties to inner-city tenants.
Is The Era Of Smart Growth Over?
Maybe not. But smart growth experts appearing at the APA in Los Angeles say it may be morphing into whatever the "next big thing" is.
Studying the Surprising Correlation Between Big-Box Stores and Hate Groups
Emily Badger reports on an intriguing new study that shows big-box stores may be even more closely correlated with the presence of hate groups than many of the factors that have long been used to explain them.
What is Gained When Sprawl Goes For Green Credentials?
Angie Schmitt looks at the greenwash being applied to new sprawl developments in Ohio, Indiana, and Texas as developers market to consumer preferences for more walkable urban environments.
Berlin to Open the Anti-Tivoli
An amusement park in East Berlin, abandoned for the past 11 years, will be reopened this year as a haven for public art, writes Julie Ma.
Push to Loosen D.C. Height Limits Gains Momentum
Tim Craig reports on a new push by federal and city officials to relax Washington D.C.'s building height restrictions, reopening decades-old debates about the look, feel and character of the city.
A Farm Grows in Brooklyn
Last week, plans were announced to create what may be the world's largest rooftop farm on 100,000 square feet of space atop a building on the Brooklyn waterfront. Lisa Foderaro has the details.
Refuting Claims to California's "War on Suburbia"
Josh Stephens takes aim at the provocative claims made by Wendell Cox, "the outspoken libertarian urban scholar" in a recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, titled "California Declares War on Suburbia".
Land Abundant Gives Rise to Gardens in Detroit
John Gallagher investigates a growing trend of unsanctioned urban agriculture in Detroit, where residents have had to take alternative land use into their own hands.
Phoenix Struggles to Fill Its Big Vacant Boxes
Phoenix has a sizable dilemma, how to fill the growing number of closed supermarkets, electronics superstores and mega bookstores that continue to weigh down the area's real-estate market, reports Max Jarman.
Do We Stand to Gain When We Lose a Highway?
Ben Welle discusses the benefits of freeway removal programs both at home and abroad, and explores what cities have done to fill the void they leave behind.
NYT Editorial Welcomes The End Of Sprawl
The NYT editorializes on the just-released April 2010-July 2011 census data that shows a notable slow-down in exurban growth as urban growth increased. Pointing to the problems that accompanied America's embrace of sprawl, they welcome the change.
Planners Driving Californians Out Of State
In this opinion piece, transportation consultant Wendell Cox explains why residents are fleeing CA in droves. By not providing single family homes Cox feels most want, residents must find their quarter-acre lots elsewhere. He blames regional plans.
As the Enclosed Mall Era Fades, Learning Lessons, Both Bad and Good
For all the bad press that the traditional enclosed mall receives today from planners, there are certainly retail strategies they excelled at that will be pertinent long into the future, argues Geoff Dyer.
CicLAvia: A Celebration of the Street, Minus the Roaring Engines
Hillel Aron unravels the long and arduous journey that community activists took to make LA's newest public tradition a reality.
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
