Urban Development

Rethinking Los Angeles Landscapes: Balancing Iconic Trees and Fire Resilience
L.A. must balance fire resilience with ecological preservation by gradually replacing flammable non-native plants like eucalyptus and palm trees with native and fire-resistant species while rethinking urban landscapes and land management practices.

Study: Americans Spending Less Time Interacting in Public Space
American pedestrians are moving faster and spending less time connecting with other people when walking down city streets.

Can We Resist Displacement From Transit-Oriented Development?
Transit stations increase nearby jobs and populations, but they could also contribute to displacement. What can we do differently?

I Help Plan Cap Parks; Here’s What Austin Can Learn from Other Cities
How freeway capping projects can literally and metaphorically bridge urban divides.

What Has Measure ULA Achieved?
Los Angeles has imposed an additional tax on luxury home sales to generate millions for housing efforts in the city. Shelterforce checks in on where the money has gone, and what’s to come.

Chicago Latino Corridor Hollowed Out Amid Deportation Fears
Foot traffic and business in the largely Latino Little Village neighborhood declined by as much as 50 percent, with many businesses staying closed on Tuesday.

DC Announces ‘Office to Anything’ Adaptive Reuse Program
The program complements an existing residential conversion initiative and could yield up to 2.5 million square feet of new commercial space.

While California Fires Burn On, Residents Take on Rent Gouging
Residents have already seen online listings skyrocketing in price—despite laws against such hikes. With fires still raging, LA and Pasadena tenants are demanding protections against rent raises and eviction.

The Urban Heat Divide: Addressing LA’s Thermal Inequities
LA's thermal inequities leave low-income, minority neighborhoods disproportionately hotter and more vulnerable, prompting advocacy and policy efforts to address these disparities through green infrastructure and equitable climate investments.

The Ripple Effects of Remote Work
The number of Americans who work from home rose sharply during the pandemic and remains high, posing important questions about the future of transportation and housing.

America’s Housing Crisis: Lessons Ignored and Challenges Ahead
A recent study reveals how decades of policy missteps, demographic shifts, and economic forces fueled America’s housing crisis, leaving millions — especially millennials — struggling amid rising demand, racial disparities, and climate-driven emergencies.

How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Urban Planning
An analysis of potential changes in federal housing, transportation, and climate policies.

Midburbs: A New Definition of Suburbs
When the name “suburb” just doesn't quite fit.

Learning From Wildfire Evacuations
Researchers are working to understand how people behave during wildfire events and how to most effectively get people to safety during deadly fires.

Parking Reform Yields New Housing
As more cities eliminate or reduce their minimum parking requirements, the impact on housing supply is coming into focus.

Lost and Found: Fighting Loneliness With Parks and Third Places
To combat the epidemic of loneliness, Susan Henderson's evocative photos of “third places” reflect on how these spaces have evolved and their importance in fostering connection.

Noise as a Public Health Hazard
New ways of measuring the effects of sound on human health are helping communities fight back against noise pollution.

Post-Helene Reflections on Solastalgia and Community
Solastalgia is an increasingly relevant word that refers to the homesickness one feels when still at home, caused by distress due to environmental change in one’s home environment – for example, after a hurricane or wildfire.

Looking Back on 60 Years of Land Development in the Twin Cities
In 1960, about 12 percent of the Twin Cities metro's land was already developed. By 2020, about 34 percent had been developed. Many factors influenced how the region has changed since 1960.

New Haven Reaches for Reinvention Amidst Failures of Urban Renewal
Seeking recovery from decades of failed urban renewal projects, New Haven rings in the new year by continuing a series of small-scale urban planning initiatives to reinvent its municipal spaces.
Pagination
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