Land Use
APA Picks 10 Great American Streets for 2009
The American Planning Association has released its picks for Great Places in America for 2009, including their choices for Streets, Public Spaces and Neighborhoods. Skagway, Alaska's Broadway tops the list.
A Backyard Battle: Trials of a Garden-Variety NIMBY
Nandita Godbole advocates for parks and greenspaces around Atlanta. But when faced with a struggle over keeping her own quarter-acre backyard open and free, she found she was powerless.
Enabling Coexistence Through the Open City
The theme of this year's International Architecture Biennale is "Open City: Designing Coexistence". Places Journal talks with the biennale's chief curator about what that means to planners, designers and architects.
Tear It Down, Says Speck
Planner and author Jeff Speck pays a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts, and tells an audience to tear down their civic center. "If you don't tear it down now, it will become protected in 10 years," says Speck. "Tear it down now."
Jakartans Demand Public Space
Residents of the city of Penjaringan in North Jakarta brought a proposal to the government to convert the area underneath a toll road into a public space.
A Spokesman for Urbanity
A profile of Kevin Klinkenberg, Kansas City urban planner and architect, talking about his love for the city and the work he's done to make it a better place.
Demystifing the Development Process
The L.A. City Planning Commission president and architect, Bill Roschen, talks about how the commission is implementing clear and consistent policies toward their goal of "Doing Real Planning" in Los Angeles.
Why Rio Won the 2016 Olympics
Rio de Janeiro has been selected as the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. This analysis from NPR looks at why the Brazilian city was the obvious choice.
Wanted: Better Tools for Climate Modeling and Land Use
Anthony Flint makes the case for the great need for tools that can connect urban planning strategies and climate change effects.
Creating Neighborhood Capital from Strip Malls
Strip malls are in virtually every American city, but they're rarely an important part of those cities. Ava Bromberg says they can be. Her idea is to turn strip malls into community-owned hubs that generate capital within their neighborhood and keep it there.
Billboards: Problem, or Solution?
In San Francisco, the mid-Market St. area has struggled for decades with blighted conditions. An area property owner thinks that digital billboards could solve the problem, and has put a proposition on the local ballot to get them built.
Differences in City Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Different cities have different levels of greenhouse gas emissions. A new study looks at how they are different and why.
L.A. Supergraphics Ban Upheld
A federal judge has allowed a citywide ban on new digital billboards and building-sized supergraphics to continue.
Smoke Signals
Could smoke rising from a barbeque pit be considered a sign, and thus be controlled under sign regulations? Zoning officials in East Berlin, PA say yes.
Olympic Impact on Chicago Likely Modest
High hopes for city change are attached to Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Even if the city wins the bid this Friday, the impact is likely to be modest, according to Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin.
The End of the World
The World, the artificial islands being constructed off the coast of Dubai in the shape of a global map, has been officially canceled.
400 Miles of New Highways
That's what the Maricopa Association of Governments is proposing, to meet the needs of the millions projected to move into the Phoenix metro area by 2050, along with 320 miles of new rail transit. Some are questioning the population projections.
Combining Pavement and Reusable Materials to Make Urban Parks
Allison Arieff argues that cities should look to reversible parks modeled on the Pavement to Parks program to prevent blight, combat the practice of land banking, and model sustainable practices.
New Jersey Bills Called Threat to Planning and Environmental Protection
Environmental groups in New Jersey have warned that state legislators are planning to bring forth a series of bills that could negatively affect local planning powers and state environmental controls.
Living Past the Tipping Points
A new report in the journal Nature suggests that there are seven thresholds for determining planetary health -- and we're already past three of them.
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
