Urban Development
The Best Housing Markets for 2009... and the Worst
Builder Magazine selects 15 picks for the best housing markets to be in in the U.S. in 2009. Houston, Texas comes out on top, and, predictably, Detroit scrapes the bottom.
L.A. Football Stadium Unanimously Approved
The Los Angeles suburb of Industry has approved plans to build a stadium in the city in hopes of luring a football team back to the L.A. area.
Denver Gets TOD Fund
The City of Denver plans to spend more than $15 million over the next decade to purchase real estate near mass transit.
Growth and Un-Growth in Arizona
A boomtown in the desert that was expected to grow in population to more than 350,000 by 2020 is going bust, and putting things in perspective as the economy dives and foreclosures spread.
New York City to Reclaim Broadway For Pedestrians
Mayor Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan have unveiled plans to turn a large segment of midtown into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. The bold move is being applauded by livable street advocates across the United States.
Is Mayor Bloomberg Feeling Squeezed?
Starting with a tony 5-floor, 7,500 square foot townhouse on the Upper East Side, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has quietly bought 4 of the 6 neighboring townhouse apartments and combined them into what is now a 12,500 square foot mansion.
Cape Town CBD Flourishing
Major office and retail projects are adding new life to Cape Town's central business district. Though much investment centers around South Africa's 2010 World Cup, many expect the CBD investments to continue for years.
Thinking Twice About Growth
Although denser is inherently greener, cities whose populations boom have their own set of challenges regarding sustainability. According to this article, achieving a balance between urban and rural growth is the most sustainable way to go.
A Better Transit-Oriented Design
Kent Kammerer asserts that by jumping too quickly on a TOD bandwagon that stresses density, local municipalities may leave out elements of social infrastructure and adequate services--the real driving forces behind successful, walkable areas.
The Masdar Model For New Cities
Masdar City, the elaborate and ambitious planned green development in Abu Dhabi, is slowing coming into shape. This piece from Technology Review looks at how the city's development could inform the future of citybuilding.
Building Green For the Low-Income
New green building projects aimed at low-income residents are popping up across the country, and federal stimulus money is helping.
Emptiness in Beijing After Olympic Building Boom
The 2008 Summer Olympics brought a boom of construction to host city Beijing. But now, six months later, much of the office space built in the lead up to the games sits empty -- and likely will for years.
Toronto Better Off As Recession Slows Growth
The recession and the end of the age of fast-growth will be a good thing for Toronto, argues Christopher Hume.
The Dying Malls of Pittsburgh
Word from Pittsburgh that malls in the greater metro area are failing, from Frazer to Monroeville to West Mifflin.
Top 10 Cities for Economic Upheaval
Forbes releases its first ever list of "America's Fastest-Changing Cities", documenting the cities that have undergone the most drastic economic shifts.
Urban Design Principles for LA
In 2006, the Los Angeles Planning Dept. launched an urban design studio to turn Los Angeles into a more pedestrian-friendly city. The studio has gone on to create a set of walkability guidelines, and has more ambitious goals ahead.
Seattle TOD Bill Needs Work, Critics Say
An ambitious bill encouraging dense, transit-oriented development in the Seattle area has drawn negative responses from residents who criticize its "one-size-fits-all" approach.
Building a Sustainable Suburb
In Rohnert Park, CA, developers are turning a former industrial site into a green community that is almost completely energy independent. But can a project like this fit into an auto-oriented suburb?
Could Retired Oil Rigs Become Luxury Resorts?
Morris Architects seems to think so, taking first prize in a contest for hospitality design with their proposal to turn Gulf of Mexico drilling platforms into vacation destinations.
Stop Building Homes, Stop Suburban Poverty
America's suburbs are no longer impervious to "slumming," as low income earners are forced into places that were once firmly middle class. Therefore, researchers say, anti-poverty measures should go beyond mere suburb relocation.
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
