Land Use

Boston Housing

A Land Use and Development Playbook For Value-Capture and Creating Currency For Local Community Development

Larry Kosmont shares what cities need to do to meet escalating state requirements; add housing density; fix shopping centers; replace sales tax; pay for constituent services; plan for the future; and capture value created by economic restructuring.

March 28, 2022 - VerdeXchange News

Rural Texas

Smarter Planning for Rural Communities

Many rural communities face growing demographic and economic challenges. Smart planning can help anticipate and respond to these problems, allowing communities to take control of their destinies.

March 27, 2022 - Todd Litman

Housing Development

The Political Compass of Housing and Urbanism

The "political compass" idea can easily be applied to explain differing philosophies about urban development.

March 25, 2022 - Michael Lewyn

Al Fresco Streets

New York's Outdoor Dining Program Stays Controversial, Likely to Evolve

New York City's Open Restaurants Program, while here to stay, is going to see substantial changes, requiring new permits, as soon as next year.

March 23, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

A long exposure of Interstate 395 through downtown Washington D.C. on a busy night.

Car Commutes and Congestion Are Back in D.C.

Low transit ridership and a more dispersed daytime workforce are creating new headaches for car commuters in the D.C. area—in a story likely to be repeated all over the country as work returns to the office.

March 23, 2022 - The Washington Post

An aerial view of New Jersey suburbs, with Manhattan and New York City in the distant background.

The Rise of the Megaregion

A new book outlines the benefits of public investment at the regional scale.

March 23, 2022 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

The cover of the book "A Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander is shown next to a page from the booking--the latter shows "stair case steps."

Why Christopher Alexander Still Matters

The author of "A Pattern Language" and "Notes on the Synthesis of Form" had an outsize influence far beyond architecture and urbanism—and still does.

March 22, 2022 - Michael W. Mehaffy

Irrigiation Channel

Booming Arizona Must Confront its Water Problem

Even as more people and companies flock to the state for its climate and economic opportunities, Arizona's water supplies are facing historic shortages.

March 22, 2022 - Circle of Blue

Connecticut Capitol Building

Proposed 'Fair Share' Would Assess and Allocate Affordable Housing in Connecticut

The state of Connecticut is looking to take a more aggressive role in allocating affordable housing development requirements around the state.

March 21, 2022 - Hartford Courant

Drought

NOAA Expects U.S. Drought To Continue and Spread

Low rainfall and unusually high temperatures are contributing to worsening drought conditions in more than half of the continental United States.

March 21, 2022 - The New York Times

A children's play area is busy with kids and their parents in Downtown Dallas.

Urban Highway Removal: 4 Considerations for Reknitting a City’s Fabric

Making the right decisions to create a positive urban legacy.

March 20, 2022 - Margaret Newman

Downtown Austin with Lady Bird Lake in the foreground. Multiple bridges are crossing the lake and small personal water-crafts dot the water.

'Micro-Apartments' Break Ground in East Austin

Averaging less than 400 square feet per unit, the Sixth and Chicon development is a new take on urban density.

March 20, 2022 - Austin Towers

Map of proposed project area

Detroit Plans Freeway Removal To Spur Economic Development

City and state officials hope the proposal to turn part of I-375 into a walkable boulevard will help bring back businesses and economic vitality to the area.

March 20, 2022 - WDET

Paris Street

Christopher Alexander, Influential Author of "A Pattern Language," Passes Away at 85

Christopher Alexander died on March 17, leaving behind a towering legacy of influence on the fields of architecture, planning, and urban design.

March 20, 2022 - CNU Public Square

A typical American shopping center, with a thrift store at one end and a parking lot full of cars.

One Maryland Thrift Store: 40 Pages of Zoning Documentation

A writer for Strong Towns offers a case study of "the byzantine development process" of many municipalities in the United States.

March 17, 2022 - Strong Towns

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge

Mapping Biodiversity Risk

A partnership of researchers has created the most detailed map yet of the places where biodiversity is most at risk in the United States.

March 17, 2022 - The New York Times

California Wildfire

Housing Affordability and Worsening Wildfires: Twin Crises

As wildfires grow more destructive, how far should states go to protect homes located in high-risk areas?

March 17, 2022 - The Atlantic

gaslamp Quarter

'Homes for All of Us' Initiative Eases San Diego Building Restrictions

The ordinance, which allows lot splitting and eases permitting for accessory dwelling units, is an effort to boost housing affordability.

March 16, 2022 - CBS 8 San Diego

Wastewater California

What Is CEQA?

Designed to assess the environmental impacts of new projects and provide mitigation measures, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has a controversial history, sometimes serving as a convenient tool for groups intent on stopping or slowing development.

March 16, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Economic Recovery Plan

Portland Extends Pandemic Public Space Programs

PBOT will continue two highly successful COVID-era programs that allowed businesses and community groups to repurpose public spaces for pedestrian-oriented uses and engage with customers in safe, accessible outdoor settings.

March 16, 2022 - City of Portland

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.