Urban Development

Man sitting on wooden bench under tall streetlight at night.

Elevating the ‘Small Stuff’ in Urban Design

Chuck Wolfe recaps arguments in favor of increased attention to incidentals — from benches to bollards — in urban development practices.

April 4, 2024 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Rural community qith quaint homes and white steepled church against forest with fall colors and German shepherd dog in foreground.

Rural Communities See Population Growth Two Years Running

Once bleeding population, rural areas gained population once again in 2023.

April 3, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

View from back of two women in winter clothing walking down street in European city.

Shifting the Male Perspective on City Planning

Urban spaces and transportation system are largely designed and managed by men, but cities are starting to recognize the unique challenges women and children face.

April 3, 2024 - Forbes

Suburban outdoor mall in muted colors with decorative tower.

Is the City Moving to the Suburbs?

Is the recent trend to build more walkable suburbs a sign of sustainable change?

April 2, 2024 - Governing

View of Chicago street with vacant lot and brick building, snow on the ground, at night.

Report: One-Third of Vacant Lots in Chicago Near Transit

Vacant lots pose challenges for the city’s goals of promoting transit-oriented development.

April 2, 2024 - Chicago Tribune

Close-up of blue sign with white text reading PARKING CLOSED with urban glass buildings in background.

Opinion: Cities Must Take Action on Blighted Downtown Parking Lots

Surface parking lots take up as much as a third of downtown land in some cities, dragging down tax revenue and redevelopment prospects.

March 31, 2024 - The Washington Post

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.

March 28, 2024 - Minneapolis Post

Major League Baseball Stadium

Lawsuit Aims to Stop Dodger Stadium Gondola

A proposed aerial tram project that would shuttle visitors to L.A.’s Dodger Stadium faces backlash from environmental and community groups.

March 27, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

View down Pennsylvania Avenue from above with Capitol dome in background.

Draft Plan Takes Aim at Downtown DC Revitalization

The plan calls for policies that support adaptive reuse, new housing construction, and improved public parks and facilities.

March 25, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Mature jacaranda trees full of purple blooms on street in Los Angeles, California.

Expanding LA's Urban Forest

The County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office is leading the effort to prepare the county's first Urban Forest Management Plan.

March 19, 2024 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Green lawn and walkway in downtonw Houston park with skyline in background.

Promoting Infill Development for a Denser Houston

An advocacy group is calling for ‘sustainable, vertical’ mixed-use urbanism in the famously sprawling city.

March 19, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin at sunset

Milwaukee Considers Zoning Reform

The city is looking for ways to boost housing production, anticipating a growing population.

March 17, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Close-up on dozens of anti-climate change signs at protest with people not visible.

Resilience Matters: Building Sustainable Futures

A new e-book highlights the work of people and organizations planning more resilient cities.

March 14, 2024 - Island Press

Aerial view of 238 freeway in Oakland, California cutting through neighborhood with small houses

Federal Government Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants

States and cities received over $3 billion in grant funding aimed at redressing the damage caused by freeways.

March 14, 2024 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Aerial view of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with dense, low-rise housing in foreground.

A Better Understanding of Smart Growth Benefits

Smart Growth creates compact, multimodal communities where residents consume less land, drive less, and rely more on non-auto modes. Planners have important stories to tell about the benefits of Smart Growth.

March 14, 2024 - Todd Litman

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Pink light art installation above public plaza in Singapore by Janet Echelman.

Celebrating Women Urbanists

This International Women’s Month, we look back on our list of Most Influential Urbanists to highlight the contributions of women in urban planning and urban design.

March 12, 2024 - Planetizen

Vacant lot with overgrown concrete foundation

Carson to Host California Land Recycling Conference

In September 2024, the Center for Creative Land Recycling will hold its annual conference in Carson, California, offerings opportunities to learn about the reuse of underutilized and contaminated properties.

March 11, 2024 - Center for Creative Land Recycling

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.