Sprawl
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That
The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.
What Is a Planned Unit Development?
A Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a specific type of plan or development commonly associated with master planned communities and sprawl. The specific definitions of a PUD vary by jurisdiction, but the term generally refers to a flexible approach to the planning of a variety of housing types and land uses on a relatively large portion of land.
How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion
Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.
Different Approaches to Fast Growth in Idaho's Treasure Valley
Three cities on the periphery of the fast-growing Treasure Valley showcase different approaches to a sudden influx of newcomers.
Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion
What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).
Resilience Planning for Suburban Growth
Whether or not the suburban shift accelerated by the pandemic continues, policymakers can implement climate resilience strategies and guide sustainable growth in both cities and exurbs.
Why California Should Not, Cannot Solve Its Housing Crisis By Building New Cities
A recent essay advocates for the development of a new city in California to alleviate the state's housing crisis. The argument needs a few tweaks.
Opinion: Conservation and Affordable Housing Can Coexist
Encouraging denser development in urbanized areas is an effective way to protect sensitive flora and fauna from human encroachment.
Recent Greenfield Developments Build Car Dependency in England, Report Says
The promises of politicians and developers to build more sustainably in the U.K. are going unfulfilled, according to a recent report.
Single-Family Homes Appearing Faster Than Any Year Since 2006
The housing construction market is responding to strong demand with a glut of new single-family homes.
One-Third of Homes for Sale Are New, Report Says
New data from Redfin shows strong demand, and an increasing share of the supply, in new homes.
Zoning Reform: Lessons From New Zealand
The island nation is mandating mid-density zoning requirements and transit-oriented development in an effort to increase housing affordability and encourage compact development.
The Path to Hyperdensity
The federal government has an opportunity to make a generational investment in the country's infrastructure that could fundamentally shift the way we live and move around cities.
Blanket Upzoning: A Solution to Housing Pressures?
Mass upzoning could give developers and homeowners the flexibility to build new housing where it's most needed.
Houston Area's Center of Gravity Shifts Outside the Loop
The population center of Harris County is now outside central Houston, a shift that occurred over the last two decades as the region's suburbs blossomed.
How Remote Work Could Reshape American Cities
If projections about remote work hold true, the resulting migration could shift economic centers, disperse housing market pressures, and transform the politics of small communities.
How COVID-19 and Skyrocketing Housing Costs Accelerated Sprawl
In search of space and affordability, American families are increasingly moving to suburbs and exurbs.
Snowstorm That Stranded Thousands Prompts Questions About Auto-Centric Development
After thousands of motorists spent over a day on a snowbound Virginia highway, experts are warning that auto-centric sprawl will worsen the impacts of extreme weather events.
Nowhere to Build but Up
An old way of doing municipal business—generating development fees by opening farmland to development—is no longer paying dividends. Mississauga, Ontario serves as a cautionary tale for the bottom line of sprawl.
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
