Land Use
Small Urban Farms Show Success In Cuba
Small organic farms are scattered throughout Cuba that have been providing food for the country ever since the fall of the Soviet empire 20 years ago. The collaboration between the government and local farmers has benefited the whole country.
Jobs-Housing Balance: An Outdated Planning Concept?
A quick look at the Seattle metro area shows the term may be obsolete.
Stormwater Runoff -- A Community Amenity?
Dealing with stormwater runoff and the pollutants it carries has been the responsibility of civil engineers for decades. But it's been suggested that planners and architects elevate this infrastructural concern to the heights of community design.
Is Infill Development Just Vertical Sprawl?
Opponents of high density development argue that urban infill causes just as many problems as traditional sprawl.
Giving Teens A Say In Community Plans
Teenagers in Providence, Rhode Island, are getting a taste of classic planning issues.
Is 'Greenprint Denver' Plan Enough?
The mayor of Denver, Colorado, has a plan to make the city more environmentally healthy by setting goals of sustainable development. The authors of this editorial in the Denver Post argue that the mayor's plan doesn't go far enough.
Don't Fight Against Suburbs, Make Them Better
With the suburban lifestyle clearing entrenched in the American mainstream, planners should stop criticizing suburban living and help address the environmental and societal problems that face the nation's low-density communities.
Property Rights Votes Face Six States
Libertarians are pushing ballot initiatives in six Western states to vastly reduce the government's power to regulate land uses. The initiatives seek to limit regulatory takings of land by requiring the government to compensate owners for any losses.
Michigan County Hopes To Preserve Farmland
Rural Lapeer County, near Flint, Michigan, is proposing to use public money to compensate farmers in exchange for limiting new residential and commercial development.
Mining Companies Blast Mountaintops and Memories
Controversial technique by mining companies of dynamiting moutaintops to get at coal destroys more than the environment.
100,000 Visions For Portland
The City of Portland's mayor has undertaken an effort to get input from more than 100,000 residents about what they want Portland to be. The city's alternative weekly paper, The Mercury has outlined its own vision for Portland's future.
New Urbanism Hits The Mainstream In Britain
Backed by government support, Britain's land use laws are bringing new urbanism to the mainstream.
Toronto Project LEEDs City And Developer To Green
A new green project near Toronto is fostering a LEED-ing of the city. The 243-acre development will be Canada's largest LEED-certified project yet, and though the developer hadn't planned on going green, it turned out to be more profitable.
Growth Is Squeezing Out Rural Life In Arizona
Arizona's rural landscapes are being taken over and obstructed by huge housing booms and development projects. Residents are supporting a ballot initiative to preserve hundreds of thousands of acres of land, while legislators side with developers.
Officials Predict Gridlock After Army Base Realignment
State and local officials worry US Army plans to relocate 22,000 employees to Fort Belvoir may cause severe traffic problems.
Should Protected Federal Lands Be Sold To Fund Local Projects?
The auctioning of protected federal lands comes with a "troubling twist."
Central Florida Going From Suburban To Urban
High land prices in the Orlando area have helped encourage higher density development. Urban planners applaud the new trend, but some residents worry about the change in the region's character.
Bay Area Residents Will Vote On Urban Growth Boundry
After years of debate by local officials, Contra Costa County will be asked to approve an urban limit line intended to preserve farmland and open space.
Calthorpe Leads New Orleans Regional Planning Effort
A team of planners led by Peter Calthorpe hold their first workshops to develop a new regional planning effort in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
In The Heat Of The Night
Urbanized areas are becoming increasingly warm during night, a time most places experience a cool-down. According to climatologists, the more development there is in an urban area, the more heat it retains throughout the day -- and night.
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
