Land Use
U.C. Berkeley To Reduce Enrollment by Thousands, Court Decides
The California Supreme Court ruled against the university in a battle over a proposed enrollment cap, forcing the school to reject thousands of potential new students.
Reno-Area Upzoning Stirs Concern Among Residents
A county plan to allow a zoning change that slightly increases allowable density in unincorporated parts of Washoe County is drawing criticism from locals.
How Cities Can Curb Climate Change and Protect Vulnerable Residents
A new U.N. report urges cities to upgrade their infrastructure to bolster climate resilience and build more sustainable, climate-friendly places.
'Monster Homes' Not the Desired Density Solution for Oahu
Questions of density, and how to add it to single-family neighborhoods, abound in this article focusing on Honolulu and other communities on Oahu.
How Cities Are Resisting State Efforts To Increase Density
Cities are attempting to wrest back local control over land use and zoning via some ingenious—and sometimes disingenuous—strategies.
Resilience Matters: Opportunities for Action to Strengthen Communities
In this hopeful and frustrating year, contributors to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project celebrate our collective progress and challenges in a new free book of short and sweet articles, op-eds, and interviews. Essential reading for planners!
L.A.'s Housing Element, Considered Among California's Most Ambitious, Rejected by State Regulators
The California Housing Department gave credit to Los Angeles for targeting so much growth before telling the city it needed to do more.
The Road Forward: Cost-Effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport
This new 165-page book, available free, is a resource for identifying practical, cost-effective policies for reducing passenger transport emissions on land, and especially in urban areas.
Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration
An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.
New York Legislature To Vote on Complete Streets Bills
A set of proposed laws would make streets safer for all road users in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.
Exclusionary Zoning and Poverty: A New Hampshire Case Study
A deep dive into the history of zoning and development in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Prince William County Upzoning Plan Causes Concern Among Rural Residents
Local officials want to ease concerns about a proposal to increase density in rural parts of Northern Virginia.
Conservatives, Progressives, and Cities
Are liberals more pro-urban than conservatives? On some issues, yes—but in other ways, reality is more complicated.
Judge Denies Proposed Development in Fire-Prone Area
The decision could signal a new reluctance to allow development in wildland areas at high risk for fires.
Residents Call for Highway Removal in Seattle Neighborhood
As more planners begin to question the value of urban freeways, communities that have long borne the negative impacts of highway construction are fighting back with data.
Bringing Rurality Back to Planning Culture
Michael Hibbard at the University of Oregon and Kathryn I. Frank at the University of Florida write about their recently published article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
What Is an Entitlement?
In the context of planning and development, an entitlement is the legal agreement between a government and a landowner to allow a proposed development.
Despite Covid, Planners Expect Return to 'Old Normal,' Survey Says
Although the survey collects data from a small sample, it looks like North American planners don't expect the pandemic to change much about the way cities are planned.
Industrial Zoning a Foothold for Amazon Distribution Centers in San Francisco
Locals aren't happy about Amazon's numerous new distribution facilities in San Francisco, but all of the new facilities are all perfectly legal under the city's zoning code—much more legal than housing, for example.
Separated Bike Lanes, Traffic Calming Coming to Decatur Street
Decatur's Church Street is set to undergo a transformation that will reduce traffic lanes, add cycletracks, and widen sidewalks in an effort to make the corridor more 'people-friendly.'
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
