Urban Development

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

Gas Pump

Easing the Burden of High Gas and Housing Costs for Low-Income Households

Low-income families suffer most from dramatic spikes in housing and transportation costs, but governments can soften the impact through a series of actions.

March 22, 2022 - Urban Institute

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

Everett, WA - houses

'Proptech' Companies Target Single-Family Rental Market

Startups aimed at streamlining the house-flipping process are seeking out rental property owners as the popularity of single-family rentals continues to grow.

March 21, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

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

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

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

Domino Park

Reimagining Public Space in the Post-COVID Era

The pandemic forced a large-scale reexamination of how public spaces and urban form impact public health and equity. Now, policymakers can learn from those innovations to plan for the future of cities.

March 16, 2022 - Next City

The skyline of downtown Worcester, Massachusetts reveals urban densities and variety of building types.

Citywide Master Planning Process Launched in Worcester

The Massachusetts college town, with 200,000 residents, is kicking off the Worcester Now / Next long-range plan with a series of public engagement activities.

March 16, 2022 - Mass Live

Winter City

Detroit Launches Website To Track Spending of Federal Dollars

A new web portal allows Detroiters to see how the city is spending hundreds of millions in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

March 15, 2022 - Detroit Free Press

Green Building

Industry Continues to Push Back Against Carbon-Slashing Building Codes

The battle over the efficiencies and infrastructure required in building codes continues.

March 15, 2022 - Huffpost

Mountain Lion

Opinion: Conservation and Affordable Housing Can Coexist

Encouraging denser development in urbanized areas is an effective way to protect sensitive flora and fauna from human encroachment.

March 15, 2022 - Ventura County Star

British Columbia

Vancouver Set To Finalize Broadway Rezoning Plan

A plan to increase density along the city's 'Second Downtown' promises to bring badly needed housing to the corridor as the Broadway subway line nears completion.

March 15, 2022 - Vancouver Sun

UC Berkeley and North Berkeley

Berkeley's Black Churches To Build Affordable Housing

Historically Black churches will use their property to build affordable housing aimed at seniors and other residents being priced out of their neighborhoods.

March 15, 2022 - Berkeleyside

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.