Urban Development

Airport-Adjacent Seattle Suburb Aims for a Transit-Oriented Overhaul
The challenges and opportunities of transforming from a car-centric to a transit-oriented, affordable built environment are on display in a Seattle suburb.

New Building Heights Approved for Austin
A zoning change has increase height limits from 308 feet to 420 feet for new buildings near the city’s MLS stadium.

How to Include Community Ideas in Urban Development
Urban planners are obligated to sensible and efficient development, but can also take community ideas into account. By prioritizing concerns and thoughts and keeping the future in mind, planners can develop optimal urban communities.

‘Reconnecting Communities’ Could Fund Highway Expansions
Applications to the program reveal a pattern of state agencies requesting funds for projects that perpetuate car-centric development with only nominal equity components.

Court Ruling a Setback for California’s ‘Builder’s Remedy’
A state court has ruled in favor of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ efforts to block a development project despite the state’s efforts to intervene.

D.C. Office of Planning Unveils Congress Heights Equitable Development Plan
The district’s small area plans (SAPs) are designed to ensure equitable economic and community development at the hyper-local level.

How to Recognize Gentrification
A new book digs into the politics and contradictions of the gentrification debate.

Why Cities Will Outlast the Pandemic Slump
A new report suggests that despite recent challenges, the ‘value proposition’ of urban activity centers remains as strong as ever.

Montgomery County Growth Plan Approved
The county council approved the much-debated long-range growth plan, preparing the region for a shift toward more mid-density housing and transit-oriented development.

Remembering a Titan: Mike Davis Dies at 76
Davis’ unflinching portrait of Los Angeles politics and power dynamics remains a penetrating analysis of modern city-building, who it benefits, and who it leaves behind.

Zoning Changes Intended to Spur Redevelopment in Haledon, New Jersey
The borough of Haledon is hoping that less restrictive zoning will spur a new wave of development and economic activity along one of the city's commercial corridors.

Parking Requirements Eliminated in Cambridge, Massachusetts
A major zoning amendment was approved by the Cambridge City Council on Monday, October 24, 2022.

How the 'Builder's Remedy' Is Disrupting Planning and Development in California
The state of California has long looked the other way while cities blocked growth. With the state now enforcing growth plans, more and more cities are faced with losing local control of zoning. Introducing the “Builder's Remedy."

Montgomery County Divided Over Long-Range Plan
In the wake of mass resignations at the county’s planning board, the county council will vote to update their growth plan to reflect the region’s changing economy and demographics.

A New Vision for Dallas’ Dealey Plaza
After decades of neglect, a team of designers reimagines the infamous plaza as a safe, vibrant, multimodal public space.

The Right to a Healthy Environment: Not as Healthy as One Might Think
Some state constitutions provide that citizens have the right to a healthy environment. But these seemingly innocuous provisions may lead to counterproductive results.

Why the City Can’t 'Just Put a Trader Joe’s There'
The flawed logic behind an all-too-common planning misconception.

How Office Conversions Could Benefit San Francisco
The city could emulate Calgary, New York, and other cities in supporting office conversions as a way to boost floundering downtown economies and provide much-needed additional housing.

The Consequences of Sprawl: Overcrowded Housing and Covid Deaths
Los Angeles is the nation's capital of both crowding and sprawl. A feature published by the Los Angeles Times provides the history of how the metropolis achieved this contradiction.

Visualizing Columbus Before Freeways
A new project uses historical records to reconstruct what Columbus neighborhoods looked like before freeways displaced them.
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