Urban Development

Talking Placemaking with Fred Kent

Michelle Bruch talks with placemaking expert Fred Kent about the makeover he helped orchestrate of Detroit's Campus Martius Park.

October 24, 2011 - YongeStreet

The Second Coming of Marked-Down Detroit

The 2010 Census reveals that Detroit's population is approaching the 1910's level. Of the City's 714,000 residents, 83% are black and nearly 40% live in poverty. With virtually every statistic going against its favor, can Motown make a comeback?

October 23, 2011 - The Economist

In Northern Manhattan, Community Board Nixes High-Rise Apartments

Community board members, representing a traditionally Dominican neighborhood with six- to 10-story buildings, recently rejected one developer's plans for a mixed-income project of 800+ apartments, fearing gentrification and non-contextual development

October 22, 2011 - The New York Times

In Praise of Orenco Station

Michael Mehaffy worked on Orenco Station in Portland, and says criticism that says it fails because most commuters drive to work misses the point of the forward-thinking development.

October 21, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Could Gentrification Sometimes Be A Good Thing?

Kaid Benfield bravely tackles the topic of gentrification, suggesting that while all attempts should be made to avoid displacing current residents, revitalizing neighborhoods is still a good thing.

October 21, 2011 - NRDC Blog

A Call to Revamp POPS

New York City's privately-owned public spaces are back on the radar since protesters took over Zuccotti Park last month. Remnants of good-intentioned zoning that didn't quite do enough, the spaces are often far more lackluster than occupier-worthy.

October 21, 2011 - The New York Times

In Seattle, Feelings are Mixed on Extra Perks for "Ultra-Green" Building Standards

Under the "living building" pilot program, a handful of developments get to bypass the usual zoning for sticking to some of the most stringent building standards in the world. But one developer wants an additional 10 feet of height for it.

October 21, 2011 - The Seattle Times

How Would You Change the Zoning Code?

At last week's Municipal Art Society Summmit in New York City, one panel of experts attempted to answer just that. Neither overbearing zoning rules, contextual zoning, or the current environmental review process was left untouched.

October 19, 2011 - Streetsblog

New Documentary Film Shows How to be "Urbanized"

In this interview with Gary Hustwit, the director of the new documentary film "Urbanized", Charlotte West asks about the film-making process, social media and how the profiled cities were selected.

October 19, 2011 - Salon.com

World's Most Expensive Home Goes Mostly Unused

Mukesh Ambani found himself the center of a lot of controversy with the 27-story residence he built last year in Mumbai, overlooking a sea of poverty. Vikas Bajaj reports that now that it is completed, the Ambani's hardly even use it.

October 19, 2011 - The New York Times

Developers in Downtown, Cleveland are Turning to the Slots to Appeal to a New Crowd

Executives of Rock Gaming LLC and its partner, Caesars Entertainment Corp, are hoping to revitalize Cleveland's downtown nightlife and create connections with nearby businesses by building Horseshoe Casino Cleveland.

October 18, 2011 - The Plain Dealer

Dept. Store Blocks Use of Easement to Stifle Competition

A Sears Shopping Center in Lincoln Park, Michigan has found a novel way to kill their competitor - close the easement the developer is using to access the property.

October 18, 2011 - The News-Herald

New Planning Law Will Protect Istanbul's Historic Views And Lines Of Sight

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has announced a plan aimed at protecting the city's views by preventing construction of tall buildings in lines of sight and preventing illegal building construction.

October 17, 2011 - Hurriet Daily News

Plan to Revitalize Public Housing Stymied by NYC Parking Requirements

New York City Housing Authority Chairman John Rhea says that the city's own parking minimums are making it difficult to make public housing sites more mixed-use, mixed-income and financially sustainable.

October 17, 2011 - Streetsblog

São Paulo's "Big Worm" Needs to Flatten

At least, according to the city's urban planners. The two-mile elevated highway is a hindrance, reports Juan Forero, to the city's modernization.

October 14, 2011 - The Washington Post

Exploring Serenbe

Terrain.org's newest "UnSprawl" case study explores the new Serenbe development, a mixed-use community of three hamlets anchored by an organic farm and striving to be an Atlanta-region destination for its restaurants, inn, and more.

October 13, 2011 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

New Cycling Initiatives in Ukraine

The city of Lviv in western Ukraine has begun a 9-year initiative to build 168 miles of bicycling infrastructure to the region.

October 13, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Richard Florida on the Importance of Place

Richard Florida, interviewed by blogger Dave Copeland, says that quality of place is going to be of growing importance in the coming era to keep cities vibrant and attracting talent and the "creative class."

October 12, 2011 - MyCityWay Blog

Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World

From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.

October 12, 2011 - New York Magazine

The Science Behind Bike-Share Placement In NYC

The Atlantic examines the factors that create a successfully implemented bike sharing program, based on current plans scheduled to be implemented on New York streets by next summer.

October 11, 2011 - The Atlantic

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.