Urban Infill
Support for Shrinking the Nation's Oldest Growth Boundary
Lexington, Kentucky's growth boundary survived a comprehensive plan update in 2019, after years of controversy. A housing crisis, a growing city, and a broken land use system are rearranging the political arithmetic behind the greenbelt.
From McMansion to McMain Street
In attempt to design buildings that convey the complexity and scale of the traditional Main Street, we frequently end up with buildings that are a cartoon version of the real thing. Perhaps we are trying too hard?
Growth Plan Debate Heats Up in Toronto
The question of how and where to grow is causing controversy in Toronto. A recent op-ed picks a side.
Two Cities That Reduced Driving Over a Decade
Minneapolis and Seattle bucked national trends by increasing active transportation and use of public transit in recent years.
Matching Urban Infill With Tree Infill
Seattle shows how new buildings and new trees can be added to a city simultaneously—in fact, neighborhoods adding new buildings are maintaining its urban tree canopy while static single-family neighborhoods are losing trees.
$5 Billion Redevelopment Proposal Tabled in Atlanta
The redevelopment plan for the "Gulch" site could have created a potential Amazon headquarters location, but it's been tabled over concern about the return on the city's investment.
Des Moines Mega-Development Likened to a 'City Within a City'
New details of an ambitious infill project in Des Moines were released at the end of 2017.
Sacramento Rising: Mayor-Elect Darrell Steinberg's Vision for Sustainable Communities
Mayor-Elect Steinberg enters City Hall as a leader with a unique opportunity to enact sustainable infill policies he championed in the California Legislature.
Finding Middle Ground in the Density Debate
Writer Alex Marshall looks to Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighborhood, for urban infill done right. Skyscrapers and mid-rise developments aren't always necessary to achieve more people per square foot.
Another California Columnist Rails Against CEQA Abuse by NIMBYs
With the help of housing experts, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson points to abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act by NIMBYs as one of the main reasons for the Bay Area's housing crisis. Ethan Elkind offers an opposing view.
How One Developer Is Delivering Urban Infill
Doug Bauer, CEO of one of the nation's largest homebuilders, describes the political and design decisions that contributed to the success of urban infill projects in four unique case studies.
Charlotte Grows Weary of the Bland Cookie-Cutter Apartment Buildings
Designers and architects in Charlotte, North Carolina are asking the city to raise the bar when approving new apartment buildings to prevent more of the repetitive wood-frame design that has swept the city.
Affordable Housing Becomes More Affordable in California Due to Parking Reform
AB 744, a bill which requires no more than one parking space be provided for every two units of affordable and senior housing proximate to transit, was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 9.
Comparing Naperville and Joliet: the Underappreciated Importance of Legacy
Pete Saunders compares the disparate experiences of two Chicago suburbs, Naperville and Joliet, who took different approaches to legacy.
To Stretch Strained Municipal Budgets, Build Smart
Utilizing 17 case studies, a new report from Smart Growth America examines the costs and benefits of competing development strategies. Any way you slice it, smart growth strategies are more financially prudent than building sprawl.
Walkable Infill Proves Its Worth
A study of three different development types in Nashville shows that mixed-use infill projects deliver an exponentially greater return on investment than traditional suburban, or even New Urbanist-style, greenfield development.
The Housing Market Revolution
Haya El Nasser describes the housing market's fundamental structural changes as the housing industry rethinks what type of housing to build and where to build it.
After the Death of Redevelopment, Utilizing the Tools at Hand
In an editorial for The Sacramento Bee, William Fulton outlines the multitude of resources and strategies currently available to assist Californian cities in proceeding with redevelopment.
Density in the Backyard
Vancouver is working to incorporate more density in traditional single-family neighborhoods by allowing additional dwellings in the backyard, adjacent to alleys.
Suburbs Get Taller, But Send Mixed Signals
Chicago's suburbs are growing taller, adding density and height like never before. Blair Kamin argues that these small towns are facing an identity crisis, stuck uncomfortably between city and suburb.
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
