Land Use
Religion and Neighborliness
Ben Brown reads Robert Putnam's new book, which explores the ways in which religion in the U.S. causes greater intolerance but simultaneously a greater civic engagement and likelihood of helping others through charitable acts.
Dear Uncle Sam: Transit Design Really Does Matter
Over the past decade more than $75 billion in public dollars has been invested in rail transit. Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver alone are investing an additional $65 billion to expand their systems and enhance the livability of their communities. The federal government will be asked to play a major role in funding each of those systems. Up until now the federal role in major transit investments has largely avoided the question of how we ought to design our transit systems to be good neighbors and leverage livable communities.
Whither City Planning In Los Angeles?
With the retirement of City Planning Director Gail Goldberg and ongoing budget problems gutting the department, a group of planners, developers, politicians, and advocates add their voices to the discussion on the future of planning in L.A.
A Prescription for TOD
Renata Simril, regional VP for national developer Forest City, describes the financing and policy mechanisms she sees as necessary to bring TOD to cities.
'The Valley' Gets Place-Making Power
A new joint powers authority comprised of cities and county supervisorial districts will help planning efforts in the San Fernando Valley--a sub-region often lost in the shuffle of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolis.
Could 'Farming Pods' Be The Water Towers of the Future?
Artist Natalie Jeremijenko's farming pods could be perched atop skylines in the future as a sustainable method of rooftop farming. They will grow fruits and vegetables in hydroponic chambers, allowing sunlight through a clear plastic skin.
Is My City Shrinking?
Justin B. Hollander at Tufts University looks at the increasing shrinkage of cities like Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio and the myriad strategies these cities are taking to shrink effectively.
Planners are Key to Fixing Food Systems
Due to complexity of the issues related to our food system, altering the food system requires the type of interdisciplinary, comprehensive thinking at which urban planners excel.
Rethinking Sixty Years of Sprawl
There's no looking back now in the shift away from suburbs to a more sustainable urban model, writes Andre Shashaty, president of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Boom in Utah Town
Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.
Shift in Consumer Housing Preferences Favors Smart Growth
Consumer preference surveys indicate that total U.S. demand for large-lot, exurban housing will not increase, while demand for small-lot and attached housing in accessible, multi-modal locations will double during the next two decades.
The Road to Damascus, OR
The Portland, Oregon area is well known for preserving agricultural land separate from urban areas. In the new town of Damascus on the border of the growth boundary, landowners are seeking a way to mix the two.
Smart Growth Program Vetoed
Texas Governor Rick Perry recently vetoed a bill that would have created a state level "smart growth" program.
Rising Costs of Farmland Affecting Suburban Growth
As farmland prices skyrocketed, so did the cost of growing a suburb.
Reductions in Vehicle Miles Traveled a Slow, Difficult Process
Two representatives of a committee charged with implementing reductions in VMT to meet California's SB 375 goals discuss the challenges.
More Nature in the City? Maybe, Via Public Art
San Francisco, Houston, and Indianapolis are featuring public art installations that mimic and highlight nature in urban areas.
Innovative Regional Government
Envisioning a form of government more efficient to strategically invest scarce local, state and federal dollars is at the heart of such a proposal.
So Where Should We Plan on People Living in the Future?
Having become something of a junkie who overdoses on political and economic news, it is only natural that I try to help justify that time investment by scouring the news for tidbits that have professional relevance. Just this past week several things have come across my monitor that have made me reflect.
Three Cheers for the Automobile
Former Congressman Ernest Istook discusses why the automobile is the ultimate manifestation of freedom, mobility, and personal choice, and argues for a re-allocation of public spending away from mass transit and other alternatives.
California City Considers Banning Billboards
Following the example set by Sao Paulo, Brazil, the city of Encinitas, California is considering a plan to ban new billboard advertisements within the city.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
