Urban Growth

Urban Development in African Cities
Rising populations and political challenges complicate the future development of Africa's major metropolitan centers.

Texas, the Bellwether State
With its rapid economic growth, dynamic cities, and increasingly diverse population, Texas could offer a model for the future of the United States.

Building on Jacobs: The City Emergent; Beyond Streets and Buildings
A science of cities reveals the way cities grow, and why.

Can Houston Rein In Its Famous Sprawl?
The city's unabated growth has made it a bustling hub of industry and commerce, but can it sustain its unmitigated outward sprawl?

Opinion: Regional Growth Requires Regional Planning
To avoid the pitfalls of disconnected, car-centric suburbs, local governments must proactively plan for sustainable development in growing areas.

Six States Want Colorado River Pipeline Slowed
The seven states of the Colorado River Compact usually stay out of each other's business once the water is divvied up, but in a surprising move, six of the compact states have signed a letter to raise concerns about Utah's pipeline plans.

Environmental Impact Statement for Lake Powell-to-Utah Water Pipeline Released
Paiute Indians in Arizona oppose a plan to pipe Colorado River water from Lake Powell in Arizona to St. George in Utah, according to documents released by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

A New Transportation Vision for Texas Not Focused on Cars?
Governor Greg Abbott recently described a possible shift in state transportation infrastructure priorities—one that doesn’t involve funding road projects.

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs
More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

Understanding North Carolina's Urban-Rural Divide
North Carolina cities are thriving, but rural counties are not experiencing the same level of growth. Still, residents in rural areas say the numbers do not necessarily capture the whole picture.

Understanding Cities Through Their Life Cycles
Cities go through ups and downs over time, and where a city is in its longer history can reveal the reasons behind population changes.

Boise Faces Growing Pains From West Coast Migration
As more people head to Idaho to escape cities they cannot afford, Boise is encouraging growth and also grappling with the consequences.

Arizona Struggles to Balance Demand for Water
Two case studies exemplify the extreme economic and legal pressures surrounding water supply in the state of Arizona.

Chart Your City's Street Network to Understand its Logic
The roads in your city might conform to a grid, or they might divert around natural resources or landmarks. A new tool aims to help you visualize the "hidden logic" behind urban growth.

Minorities Have Dominated Millennial Urban Growth
Despite the impression that young white people have reshaped cities' demographics, research shows that non-white Millennials account for the greater part of that growth.

Detroit's Future
By 2040, Detroit will be bigger, more urban, older, and whiter predicts a report from the New Urban Institute that looks at trends, challenges, and assets of the Michigan city.

Conceptual Shift: New York's Growing Again
For decades, New York City's boom times lay deep in the past. Now that the city's growing again, Aaron Renn says New York may need to take cues from the Sun Belt, of all places.

Visualizing Global Urban Growth Through 2030
Geographer Duncan Smith mapped the predicted trajectory of worldwide urban growth from 1950 through 2030. Concentric circles of different shades show where and when growth was (or will be) the most dramatic.

Census Data: City Growth Strong, but Limited
Rates of growth in America's largest cities increased dramatically in 2010 but have leveled off. Suburbs are growing at nearly identical rates to center cities.

More on the Cost of Anti-Growth Policies
As urban centers start making better sense for a digital economy, NIMBY policies might be worth re-examining. In addition to driving up the cost of housing, they may compound inefficiencies and slow down the economy.
Pagination
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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