Urban Development
10 Things to Remember as Philadelphia Rewrites Zoning Code
Philadelphia has appointed a Zoning Reform Commission to rewrite its 1962 Code. Two leaders who advocated for the rewrite share what they learned from other cities.
Poll Shows Maryland Residents Frustrated With Growth
Residents say the state's smart growth policies have done little to reign in sprawl, though questions remain about what action to take.
Europe's Sustainable City Planning Trends
Emerging trends in five European cities suggest what could be ahead for the U.S. development environment, observes author Michael Mehaffy.
Is Los Angeles Ready To Adopt Inclusionary Zoning?
Two years after a prior proposal failed to pass, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has once again challenged the city's developers to help solve L.A.'s affordable housing crisis by including lower-cost units in new projects.
Greening Toronto's Waterfront Development
Toronto is positioning itself to become a world model for sustainable waterfront development and has now completed the design phase of a 30 year effort. Urban planner Mary Vogel sets out to explore whether they are meeting their mark.
Planners Could Learn From Toronto's Messy Urbanism
While other cities may be perfect examples of textbook urbanism, Toronto's diversity and rough edges makes it an especially useful model for 21st century cities, observes one planner.
Boise Reconsiders Landlord Status
City officials in Boise, Idaho, are considering a liquidation of properties the city owns and operates as affordable housing. The costs of keeping the housing available is becoming unaffordable for the city.
TDR Not As Easy As It Sounds
A new report finds that the transfer of development rights from one area to another is simple in concept, but difficult in implementation.
Condos Popping Up Around Baseball Stadiums
Condos and luxury high-rise residential buildings are sprouting up next to a number of the country's pro baseball stadiums.
Open Season In The City
Spreading urbanization is eating up green spaces, bringing wildlife -- and hunters -- into closer contact with urban dwellers.
The Middle East's 'Biggest Civil Engineering Project'
Developers have announced plans for a 75-kilometer canal to run through Dubai, with waterfront cities and developments all along its banks.
Miami's Botched Foreign Trade Zone Development
What could have been an economic development homerun for Miami's Wynwood neighborhood has turned out to be a miserable failure. Nonetheless, hope remains that new ownership can restore the site's promising potential.
New Orleans Recovery Plan Scaled Back
Officials in New Orleans have released a scaled-back version of the recovery plan the city council approved earlier this spring. This lighter version of the plan focuses on removing blight, and building affordable apartments.
Truly Off-Street Parking In New York's 'En Suite Sky Garage'
A planned 19-story residential building on Manhattan's west side features New York City's first personal "sky garages." A video animation shows how they work.
Vancouver's 'EcoDensity' Plans Stumble
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan's highly-touted push for "EcoDensity" in the city has fallen apart lately, according to columnist Trevor Boddy.
Friday Funny: Building Industry Safety Blunders Hall Of Shame
The Building website invites readers to send in pictures of construction safety blunders.
Hudson Yards Development Will Bring Big Things To New York
As design proposals come in for the Hudson Yards development site in Manhattan, Peter Slatin writes that this project more than any other has the potential to bolster the economic power of New York City in a huge way.
Japan's Development Pace Threatens Environment
Rapid building and public works projects are destroying much of the natural environment in Japan, a country that lays 25 to 30 times more concrete than the U.S.
Locals Displaced By Tourism In Mayan Riviera
The tourism industry is booming along the Mayan Riviera on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Many are worried that the ever-increasing supply of hotels and the flood of tourists will displace most of the area's local residents and hurt the environment.
Freeways Hard To Avoid As L.A. Builds Schools
This report form NPR looks at the threats associated with building schools near freeways, and how those threats are not easy to avoid in Los Angeles.
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
