Urban Development
Austin Grapples With Downtown Height Limits
Developers in the city's booming downtown are pushing to change the rules originally enacted to preserve view corridors to the Texas State Capitol Dome.
New Vision For D.C. Avenue Down On Its Luck
A wave of new development has finally come to gritty Georgia Avenue, and though many are pleased with the sorely needed investment, gentrification worries abound.
New York's Queen Of Urban Planning
With her patrician manner and focused attention to the quality of buildings and public space, New York City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden has become a controversial figure in the city's planning and development circles.
Urban Village To Rise On Stadium Grounds
Forest City Enterprises has put forth a proposal to bring a major mixed-use urban infill community to Dallas-Ft. Worth on the grounds of Texas Stadium.
New Street Furniture Debuts In New York
A new wave of public street furniture has rolled out in New York City, including bus shelters, newsstands, and automatic public toilets. Some are unsure whether the new designs will be accepted by a city already overwhelmed with visual individualism.
Waterfront Art Park To Open In Seattle
A public park and art space is set to open next week along Seattle's waterfront, replacing a former brownfield site. The new Olympic Sculpture Park was created by the Seattle Art Museum, an expansion of which is set to open in May.
Historic City Tangoes With Development
The historic city of Isfahan, Iran, has destroyed scores of 400-year old buildings to make way for new roads and shopping centers.
Think Global, Act Urban
Despite all the problems associated with urban sprawl and city growth, Christopher Flavin of the environmental research group Worldwatch Institute says they hold the key to solving climate change in this audio report from Marketplace.
Arkansas Developers Concerned Over Design Standards
Proposed design standards in Fayetteville, Arkansas, have developers concerned about rising costs and requirements. Many in the state's third most populous city fear the standards will hamper new development, especially smaller projects.
Friday Funny: Albuquerque's New Castle
A local businesswoman is building her 8,000 square foot dream home, modeled after a European castle, in the midsts of the city's downtown.
Homestead Preservation District Could Soften The Blow Of Gentrification
With its downtown booming, Austin, Texas is trying to help homeowners who are feeling the squeeze from rising property values -- by buying their land.
Downtown L.A.'s Revitalization To Spread Southward
Redevelopment officials are looking at the southern frontier of downtown as the next potential neighborhood for revitalization and new transit-oriented development, but some locals are worried about the area's gentrification.
Want Affordable Housing? Stop Overregulating Development
An editorial in the New York Sun scoffs at Mayor Bloomberg's desire to see more affordable housing built when the zoning code is as thick as a phone book and developers are nickel and dimed every step of the way.
Planning Report Interviews Ed Blakely About New Orleans Recovery
Noted L.A.-area scholar Ed Blakely helped Oakland and L.A. rebound from earthquakes; now he's turning to the resurrection of New Orleans. The Planinng Report features an interview.
Dublin Planner Has Big Plans For Irish Capital
City Planner Dick Gleeson has his sights set high for the city of Dublin, Ireland, proposing a remodeling of the city by 2016. His plans include everything from increased open space and bike paths to continued economic development to curb sprawl.
Atlanta's Core Builds 'Up' Instead Of 'Out'
A host of multi-million dollar intown mega-developments -- all mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented -- promise to remake Atlanta into a more walkable, urban city. However, the suburbs are in "no danger of emptying."
Can Existing Buildings Be Renovated 'Green'?
While using green building practices has become popular in new construction, the same is not true for renovation projects.
Undaunted Developer Pursues Air Rights Over Boston's Turnpike
In a third and perhaps final attempt, developer John Rosenthal submitted plans to locate 668 housing units, 57,000 square feet of retail, 1,200 parking spaces, and a redeveloped transit station in Boston's Kenmore Square neighborhood.
Historic Streetcars : Urban Investment And A Smart Transit Choice
Historic streetcars are on a comeback in the USA. Cheaper than light rail, they also are an asset in encouraging reinvestment in older parts of downtowns as illustrated by Tampa's 2.5 mile line that connects neighborhoods.
Downtown Raleigh Debates Relaxing Parking Requirements
The city council is considering letting developers decide for themselves how many parking spaces to build, though many worry the change could harm downtown.
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
