Urban Development

Looking up at black multi-story building with Industry City neon sign on corner.

‘Emergent City’ Documentary Highlights Rare Anti-Gentrification Victory

The film charts the saga of a Brooklyn site called Industry City.

June 17, 2024 - Next City

Pythian Building in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Permanent Affordability That Wasn't: Lessons from the Pythian Building

A high-stakes, high-profile community land trust project once hailed as a triumph in New Orleans ended in disaster for its residents, but it’s important to draw the right lessons about why.

June 12, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Coyote resting (and yawning) on top of wall covered in morning glories, Huntington Beach, Orange County, California.

California Bill Would Make Wildlife Connectivity Part of General Plans

The ‘Room to Roam Act’ would require cities and counties to consider local habitats and the impact of development on wildlife corridors and connectivity.

June 11, 2024 - Nossaman LLP

Aerial view of downtown Seattle, Washington.

Top 5 US Cities for Office-to-Residential Conversions

As more and more cities look to adapt vacant office buildings into homes, a new analysis from Urban Institute says some cities will benefit more than others.

June 7, 2024 - Urban Wire

Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City at night.

Tallest Building in US Proposed for OKC

The building would stand 1,907 feet high, twice as tall as any other building in the Oklahoma City skyline.

June 3, 2024 - NPR

Sunset view of downtown Nashville, Tennessee skyline from across a river.

Plans for Nashville’s First Chinatown Underway

Developers are working on a new cultural commercial development that will offer unique Asian architecture, culture, shopping, restaurant, and retail services to Nashvillians and visitors from surrounding cities and states.

June 3, 2024 - Nashville Post

Busy subway station with people walking on platform and train stopped.

Analyzing Accessibility Disparities

With better planning we can reduce disparities between drivers and non-drivers in their ability to access services and jobs, improving fairness and economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups.

May 28, 2024 - Todd Litman

Aerial view of Oceanwide Plaza skyscrapers covered with graffiti tags.

LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”

Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.

May 21, 2024 - The Architect's Newspaper

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis 2040 Plan Could Proceed Under New Law

A state law awaiting the governor’s signature could exempt comprehensive plans from environmental review, freeing the plan from recent lawsuits.

May 21, 2024 - Minnesota Reformer

Rolling green hills in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles

Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks

Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

May 20, 2024 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

A city council meeting.

Is 'Hacking' a Planning Commission a Good Idea?

Does giving short shrift to grassroots tradition cut against the dynamics of community-based decision-making?

May 20, 2024 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Rendering of aerial view of greenbelt separating farmland and residential area for California Forever development.

Two and a Half Cheers for the Tech Billionaires

For all of California Forever's flaws, it is a litmus test: are California’s public officials and housing advocates really serious about trying to meet the Bay Area’s housing needs, or is housing for them just another series of performative gestures?

May 19, 2024 - Alan Mallach

Skyline of Phoenix, Arizona with mountains in background at dawn or dusk.

City Profile: Phoenix

A modern city with an ancient history, Phoenix became a booming desert oasis in the late 20th century. Now, extreme heat and dwindling water supplies require a new path forward.

May 15, 2024 - Diana Ionescu

A small town in the U.S. Midwest at dusk, with cars parked on a street lined with historic buildings and a water tower in the distance.

Small Towns Grow Faster Than Cities for First Time in Decades

Cities of 4 million or more people lost 600,000 residents to domestic migration.

May 15, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Aerial view of dense housing in San Francisco Bay Area.

Is California's Housing Situation Turning Around?

Population is stagnant. But housing supply is growing. Is this the beginning of a Great Correction?

May 14, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of homes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with brick university buildings in distance.

A Look at Milwaukee’s Proposed Zoning Reform

The proposed changes would permit more flexible housing development while limiting changes in historic neighborhoods and on smaller streets.

May 10, 2024 - Urban Milwaukee

Row of colorful 'Painted Ladies' Victorian homes in San Francisco, California.

Two Cheers For the Planners’ Pledge

A “Planners’ Pledge” created by some of the leading authorities on planning sets forth a bold urbanist agenda- even if not every idea in the pledge is equally useful in all cities.

May 8, 2024 - Michael Lewyn

Google street view of vacant, boarded-up brick high school building in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis School Gets New Life as Housing, Library

The project pays homage to the building’s role in the community’s history.

May 8, 2024 - Fast Company

Walkable Urban Commercial District

Op-Ed: How ‘Useful’ Businesses Boost Walkability

When mixed-use development isn’t enough to create vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.

May 5, 2024 - Next City

Rendering of Culdesac Tempe development

Tempe’s ‘Car-Free’ Planned Community: Miracle or Mirage?

Can a car-free community in an auto-oriented society truly achieve its goals?

May 3, 2024 - Strong Towns

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Planning apps for a brave new world.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.