Urban Development

Planned TOD Beats Long-Range Predictions

Planners didn't think it would happen for 10 years, but transit-oriented development looks to be brewing near new light rail stations in Charlotte, North Carolina.

September 5, 2007 - Charlotte Business Journal

The Future Of St. Louis' Gateway Arch

In a bid to revive the city's downtown and riverfront, some St. Louis officials want to reclaim some of the 91 pastoral acres now dedicated for the Gateway Arch National Park.

September 4, 2007 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Changing The Car Culture Of Los Angeles

City planners -- hoping to get reluctant Angelenos out of their cars -- have put forth a proposal that would waive all parking requirements for developers whose buildings offered suitable transportation alternatives.

September 4, 2007 - LA Weekly

Has Smart Growth Made A Difference In Maryland?

Though former Governor Perris Glendening lead the charge for smart growth in Maryland, its hard to tell if the state's policies have curbed sprawl significantly.

September 4, 2007 - The Hartford Courant

Dublin Bounces Back

The "Celtic Tiger" of Dublin has experienced a quick turnaround from one of the poorest European countries to one of the most successful.

September 2, 2007 - Der Spiegel

Protesters Seek Equity As Development Threatens Slum

With developers readying to move in on the centrally-located Mumbai slum of Dharavi, residents are organizing protests to try to ensure that displaced residents are adequately compensated.

September 1, 2007 - BBC

Friday Funny: Planning At Its Worst In Kauai?

"ViralKauai" posts a self-made video on YouTube pointing out the problems from overdevelopment of the beautiful island of Kauai.

August 31, 2007 - YouTube

Redevelopment Claims One Of Colorado's Last Drive-Ins

In a trend being seen across the country, a 316-unit apartment complex will soon replace one of the last remaining drive-in movie theaters in the state of Colorado.

August 31, 2007 - The Denver Post

Many Hurdles Exist In Redeveloping Mumbai

Mumbai is on the verge of becoming the second-biggest city in the world. But to get there, redevelopment will require the displacement of thousands, if not millions.

August 31, 2007 - The Economist

Sprawl And Development Threaten Historic Battlefields

Sprawling housing developments and shopping center parking lots threaten many historic battlefields, such as the site of Abraham Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address.

August 31, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

Got Sustainability?

When it comes to reducing carbon footprints and living sustainably, urban residents perform the best.

August 30, 2007 - MSN

Creative Ideas Usher New Age For New Orleans

From floating homes to green building to a public housing country club, the city of New Orleans has been pushed to take creative measures towards rebuilding and recovering after Hurricane Katrina.

August 30, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Major Projects Propose Ambitious Vision For New Orleans

Two planned projects in New Orleans -- a jazz center and a mixed-use park -- reveal ambitious visions for the future of a city still in the process of recovering. But the scale of the projects would require extensive state and federal support.

August 29, 2007 - The New York Times

Parkspace And Preservation In Plans For Downtown Houston Revival

Billions have been invested in redeveloping Houston's downtown. Now, civic boosters are looking to revive a waterfront section of the city by creating active parkspace and increasing preservation efforts for a nearby historic building.

August 28, 2007 - The Houston Chronicle

L.A.'s Development Has Many Centers

A trend of dense downtown development in Los Angeles has some calling the city's new urban growth pattern a move towards "Manhattanization".

August 27, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Increasing Density Not So Easy In Queens

A major rezoning in Jamaica, Queens, to allow more jobs and housing, up to six stories, is cautiously supported by some community boards, and opposed outright by others.

August 27, 2007 - The New York Times

Chicago's Northwest Suburbs Working To Promote TODs

Leaders of suburban cities and villages in northeastern Illinois are coming together to promote transit oriented development around commuter rail lines leading into Chicago.

August 25, 2007 - PioneerLocal (Sun-Times News Group)

Portland Suburbs May Increase Density To Handle Growth

The Portland area's population is expected to gain more than a million people by 2030, and the suburbs ringing the city are looking to handle the growth by increasing density, building higher, and developing more vibrant suburban town centers.

August 24, 2007 - The Oregonian

The Manhattanization Of L.A.

In this piece from the Los Angeles Times, Joel Kotkin writes about how L.A. politicians are blindly following the lead of developers in densifying the city without adequately debating the consequences.

August 24, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Reinventing A Downtown Civic Plaza

City leaders in Raleigh, North Carolina, are planning to transform a underutilized downtown plaza into a new public square.

August 24, 2007 - The Independent Weekly

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.