Land Use

East African Capital City Proposes Master Plan Project

Kenya's land surveyors, town and physical planners, engineers, and architects will target Nairobi's blighted areas and try to prevent future unplanned developments.

September 7, 2006 - The East African Standard (Nairobi), All Africa.com

An Australian Backlash Against Planning?

Australian urban planning critics are casting planning as the 'villain' in destroying the rapid suburbanization that has fueled a home-ownership dream. But this is a dangerous view, writes urban management professor Brendan Gleeson.

September 6, 2006 - The Australian

Duany Brings Charrette To Scotland

Scotland calls on Andres Duany and his firm to develop a housing plan for Inverness, which is facing rapid population growth. Duany plans to employ the charrette to hear the voice of the Scottish people, who have been engulfed in sprawl for decades.

September 6, 2006 - The Press and Journal

S.F. Buildings Rising Higher, Despite Terror Threat

High-rise developments are increasing across the country, refuting many critics who predicted the end of the high rise after September 11, 2001. In San Francisco, many planners and developers want to go up in a big way, despite the terror threat.

September 6, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Downsizing Cities To Reduce Global Warming Threat

A California architect is trying to recreate cities on a smaller scale in an effort to reduce the negative impacts of global warming facing the world's cities. He is called a 'visionary' by some, but criticized as unrealistic by others.

September 6, 2006 - The Contra Costa Times

Bush Forest Plan Halted By Strong Opposition

Bush administration proposals to sell public land face strong opposition even from allies such as the National Rifle Association.

September 6, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Ratcheting Down Density

Without a viable mass transit system and concentrated employment centers, Atlanta should reduce allowable density and build more roads, says one columnist.

September 5, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Australia's PM Says Sprawl Is The Price For Cheap Housing

Prime Minister John Howard says that a lack of residentially zoned land is to blame for Australia's growing affordable housing shortage.

September 5, 2006 - Melbourne Herald Sun

Bigger Incomes, Bigger Homes, Less Satisfaction

Americans are buying bigger homes and on average, to house fewer people. Ironically, their satisfaction in housing choice has eroded somewhat over the last twenty years.

September 5, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Transit Oriented Development On The Rise In Atlanta

After years of inactivity, new mixed-use developments are sprouting around MARTA transit stations.

September 3, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Is Vancouver, Canada The New Model For Urban Planning?

Having recently shown off its vibrant and dense downtown at the 2006 World Urban Forum, planners from around the world are looking to Vancouver as a model for sustainable urban planning.

September 1, 2006 - New Matilda

Malls: Old vs New

A fight over a new development in suburban L.A. accentuates not only the tenacity and bitterness of local politics, but also two radically different visions for 21st century retail: large enclosed shopping malls or smaller New Urbanist templates.

August 31, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

All Eyes On Air District's Sprawl Fee Litigation

California's Central Valley, where farms are rapidly being converted to tract housing, has the worst air quality in the state. A new "sprawl fee" on developments based on vehicle trips they would generate has spawned a legal challenge from builders.

August 31, 2006 - The New York Times

In Monterey California, It's Slow-Growth Advocates Versus Developers and Immigrants

What to do with an area that produces some 80 percent of the nation's lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach that lacks in housing for migrant workers? Why build more housing of course. Not so fast say "slow-growth" advocates.

August 31, 2006 - Wall Street Journal via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

UK Government Accused Of Violating 'Protective Planning' Laws

Environmentalists in England are charging local and central government officials with bending their own rules to allow various developments in scenic, rural areas and environmentally-sensitive lands.

August 31, 2006 - The Guardian

Growth Makes Town A City

The town of Columbia, Maryland, is on the verge of transforming into a full-blown city. Pushing a broad redevelopment plan, officials are trying to ease the transition while some residents resist.

August 30, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

The Cul-de-Sac Backlash

Some communities are limiting or outright banning cul-de-sacs, but residents still value the privacy and security they provide.

August 29, 2006 - The New York Times

Six Achievable Steps To Confront Global Warming

A new report from U.S. PIRG identifies achievable strategies for the United States to reduce global climate impacts by 20 percent.

August 29, 2006 - US Public Interest Research Group

Houston's Growing Pains

Planners are using public participation to overcome past haphazard development and create a vision for the city's transit corridors.

August 29, 2006 - The Houston Chronicle

Major Foundation Engaged In Land Conservation Effort

The Mellon family foundation has a land preservation conservation campaign that started in the late 1970's. It has saved 3.6 million acres of endangered or historically significant sites in all 50 states.

August 29, 2006 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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

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