Miami
$36 Million Affordable Housing Scam Exposed in Miami
Two prominent developers have plead guilty to federal fraud charges for stealing millions of tax-payer dollars intended for low-income housing developments.
Commuter Rail Service Between Miami and Palm Beach County Moving Forward
New service connecting Miami and Palm Beach is expected to add 2,000 riders to the Tri-Rail system.
All Aboard Florida Receives Crucial State Backing for $1.75 Billion Loan
The Florida Development Finance Commission voted 3-0 at a contentious meeting to approve the 125 mph, Orlando-Miami privately funded train's request for tax-exempt status. It does not put the state at risk in terms of repaying the loan though.
Miami-Dade Could Overhaul Governance of Transportation Projects
Recent controversies have inspired county and city officials in Miami-Dade County looking to overhaul the process by which transportation projects are planned, approved, and funded.

Downtown Miami's Lack of Height Limits Credited with Affordability Improvements
An article in Governing argues that increased housing supply in Bricknell has helped keep down the costs of housing in adjacent neighborhoods like Overtown and Little Havana.
Meet the Woman Inspiring Climate Resilience in Miami Beach
If the Miami region manages to weather the climate change storm, it will be thanks to effective collaboration between government, the public, and private interests. Meet the woman tasked with starting that process in Miami Beach.
Movement on the Walk Score Leaderboard
The newest rankings of the most walkable cities in the United States, courtesy of Walk Score, contains a few surprises along with its standard annual recognition of New York City.

Florida Backs Miami Complete Streets Initiative
The Florida DOT has approved Miami's plan to rework busy Biscayne Boulevard. In the spirit of Complete Streets, vehicle lanes will be reduced and pedestrian/bike spaces expanded.

Miami's High-Rise Orthodoxy Hides a Better Way
Alastair Gordon lambasts Miami's high-end architectural extremes. A horizontal, nature-inspired urbanism might better address contradictions between breezy luxury and inland poverty.
Renters Predominate in Low-Cost and High-Cost Cities
A report by New York University’s Furman Center found that renters made up the majority of households in nine of the 11 largest cities in the U.S. in 2013, up from five in 2006. The demand is straining the supply of rental housing.
Rising Seas Create a Catch-22 for Miami Development
Miami is in a race against time to build defenses against climate change and rising sea levels—resilience projects that require property tax revenue generated from luxury developments built in the areas most at risk.
Florida High Speed Rail to Remain Privately Funded
Apparently some in Florida were uncomfortable with the much touted "privately funded railroad" using a $1.6 billion Federal Railroad Administration loan, so All Aboard Florida applied for tax exempt bonds to supplement or replace the loan.

How Cities are Overcoming Federal Roadblocks for Transportation Improvements
Tanya Snyder provides a thorough survey of the talking points of five U.S. mayors from a recent Washington Post forum on transportation.
Miami Considers Ending Parking Minimums on Transit Corridors
Notoriously car dependent Miami will consider a zoning code amendment exempting small multi-family developments within a quarter mile of transit corridors from parking minimums.

Report: Transit Oriented Development Leads the Market in Major Metros
A report released last week by Cushman & Wakefield has won a lot of attention from media outlets covering large-scale development market trends. Among the report's findings: growing cities need to better support transit-oriented development.
Massive MiamiCentral Train Station Arriving Soon for All Aboard Florida
Part infrastructure, part urban development—MiamiCentral is moving ahead quickly as an urban hub on the south end of the All Aboard Florida high-speed rail project.
Miami Moving Forward with Showy, $1.5 Billion Worldcenter Development
Last minute changes allowed the $1.5 billion Worldcenter development to move forward into the planning stage.
Florida Pilots Bike Lanes on Highway Bridges
In an effort to create safer walking and biking environments, Miami-Dade counties have built bike lanes along two highways connecting the Miami with its eastern island beaches, reducing travel distances by 75 percent for cyclists.
Miami Planning for a Ten-Mile Linear Park along Metrorail Tracks
With support from local governments and bureaucrats, a proposal to transform the existing "M-Path" rail line into a ten-mile linear park is gaining traction in Miami. Next up: an economic impact study.

University of Miami Sells Endangered Forest Land to Developer with Strip Mall Plans
Despite its commitment to protect forests in South Florida, the University of Miami sold 88 acres of endangered pine rockland to a developer with plans for a Walmart, an LA Fitness Center, and a Chik-fil-A, among other non-endangered retail uses.
Pagination
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research