Urban Development
New London, Four Years After Kelo
The 2005 Supreme Court decision on Kelo v. New London was a landmark in eminent domain law, paving the way for Pfizer to develop there. Four years later, Pfizer is pulling up stakes.
Time Shares Go Urban
Urban time shares get a boost as Hilton gets in on the action. A new NYC property is gaining attention and, surprisingly enough, selling units.
Walkable Las Vegas?
Developers and locals in Las Vegas are pinning hopes onto the new CityCenter development to bring walkability to the desert city.
Beautiful Beirut
A former Beirut resident returns to the Lebanese city to find a vibrant and emerging tourist destination, but with many of the quirks of a developing country.
ULI Advises 'Buy or Hold Multifamily' Developments
Kaid Benfield reads ULI's latest 'Emerging Trends' report, and finds, amidst the doom and gloom, significant support for infill and smart growth.
Beijing Getting Bigger, Clearing Thousands of Homes
Chinese officials have decided to expand Beijing's Central Business District, clearing out nearly four square kilometers with 10,000 homes on it in the process.
A Sea of Infrastructure
An ex-pat American returns home to Milwaukee, and is overwhelmed by the extensive auto-oriented infrastructure needed to support the U.S. lifestyle, very different from his life in Almeria, Spain.
There Are Planners, And There Are Politicians
Put the chief planners of seven of North America's most progressive cities in a room and ask about their challenges, they inevitably point to the overriding role of the political leaders they serve. Expanding public open space also was raised.
Types of Development for the Creative Class
Cool Town Studios offers this list of 19 development types for the creative class.
Land and Water Unite in Waterfront Redevelopments
Cities across the globe are rediscovering their waterfronts. As this piece from Places discusses, revitalization of these former industrial areas includes more than just green space.
Finding A Sustainabe Path for Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia is the world's sixth most populated metropolitan area, and it's on track to move up in ranks within the next decade. Some planners are trying to figure out how to guide this developing megacity onto a sustainable path.
The History of the Parking Lot
An exhibit currently at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. explains how the architecture and design of parking lots evolved, and why. Meanwhile, the Parking Show of Shows conference takes place nearby with a different take.
When The Auto Columnist Gives Up His Car
What's this? The Wall Street Journal's 'car guy' - the reporter who writes about cars and roads, is .....without a car? As difficult as it may be to believe, Joseph White is now a carless urbanite in DC. Here is his first column in his new lifestyle.
Smaller May Be Better in Developer Biz
While a number of mega retail developers crashed and burned during the recession, some smaller developers have thrived.
Boom in Utah Town
Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.
An American Piazza
Developer Bart Blatstein reimagined an old brewery in the outskirts of Philadelphia into an adapted Italian piazza. Locals worried it would be be too theme park-y, but community leaders are pleased with the results.
Great Brownfield Redevelopments
The Canadian Urban Institute presented its yearly 'Brownie' awards last week, honoring the best brownfield redevelopment projects in the nation.
Olympics Lost, But Demolition of Gropius Building Goes Ahead
The Architect's Newspaper reports on the first demolition of a historic building on the Walter Gropius-designed Michael Reese hospital campus in Chicago, the proposed site of now-ditched plans for an Olympic Village.
Measuring the Health Impact of Land Use
Officials in Oakland, CA are pioneering a new method of measuring the health impact of development, going beyond EIRs to get a more fully-fleshed assessment.
Naming a Nonexistent Neighborhood
"Greenwich South" is a proposed re-branding of an area near the World Trade Center site, driven by The Alliance for Downtown New York and re-envisioned by ten different architectural firms.
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
