Urban Development

What Mistaken Urban Design Assumptions Can Teach Us
When writing city plans, past planners in San Francisco got some things just right—and some very wrong.

Progressive Political Support Sought for Parking Reforms
Despite mounting evidence that parking requirements subsidize cars, raise the cost of housing, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, few policymakers have strongly advocated to end them.

Austin Mayor Proposes New Bond To Address Housing Crisis
Mayor Steve Adler is developing a proposal to sell up to $500 million in bonds for affordable housing as the city's housing costs continue to soar and demand for housing remains at a historic high.

How to Transform the Humble Strip Mall
One Northern Virginia shopping center illustrates how the auto-centric strip mall can be repurposed to better serve its community.

Local Resistance Hinders Transit-Oriented Development
As states move to boost housing production near transit, opposition from neighborhood groups frustrates efforts to build new developments.

Office Landlords Luring Tenants Back With Incentives
Landlords are offering generous incentives in an effort to prop up the struggling U.S. office market.

What Is Walkability?
Walkability refers to the ability to safely walk to services and amenities within a reasonable distance, usually defined as a walk of 30 minutes or less.

Opinion: One Solution to Manhattan's Land Shortage: Just Build It
A New York Times op-ed calls on the city to add landfill development on Manhattan's southern shoreline, claiming it would increase affordability and protect the city from rising sea levels.

Houston Area's Center of Gravity Shifts Outside the Loop
The population center of Harris County is now outside central Houston, a shift that occurred over the last two decades as the region's suburbs blossomed.

Zoning Reform and Tax Abatements Drive Cincinnati's New Housing Equity Agenda
New political leadership in Cincinnati is centering housing equity in a proposal that would ease zoning restrictions and streamline Low Income Housing Tax Credits, among other measures.

Infrastructure Investment for Public Safety: Lessons from Medellín
A natural experiment in Medellín indicates that infrastructural investments can reduce crime and improve perceptions of public safety.

California Governor's Budget Supports Infill Development
Governor Newsom's new budget proposes incentives for developers to build housing in existing urban areas away from fire-prone zones to reduce fire risk and add to the state's insufficient housing stock.

It's Time to Get Serious About the Metaverse
The metaverse is expected to revolutionize the remote and hybrid workplace. But for cities whose municipal services rely on property and sales taxes, and even urban transit revenue, remote work could spell potentially long-term trouble.

'15-Minute City' To Be Built in Utah
A community that focuses on reducing the need for car ownership and providing effective multimodal transportation and diverse land uses will be built from scratch on the site of the decommissioned Utah State Prison.

L.A. Wildlife Crossing To Break Ground This Spring
The planned wildlife bridge spanning an eight-lane freeway will be the world's largest and most ambitious project of its kind.

600 Demolished Housing Units and a Development Controversy in Downtown Reno
A developer with a pattern of tearing down affordable housing units in Reno is attracting negative public attention in Reno, Nevada.

More Colorado Suburbs at Risk for Wildfires
Experts warn that more intense fires fueled by a warming climate are threatening an increasing number of Colorado's suburban communities.

Opinion: New Construction Is Safer, Better for the Environment
The emotional attachment to old homes can obscure the benefits of new buildings, which consume less energy and provide more amenities for residents.

The Built Environment in 2022: Challenges and Opportunities
As climate change, the pandemic, and a historic housing crisis continue to impact the nation, experts weigh in on the issues that could shape the future of the built environment in 2022.

San Francisco's 1971 Urban Design Plan Echoes Today's Concerns
A 1971 effort to quantify the city's values and design goals reflects many of the same priorities that planners and residents face today.
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