Urban Development

A crowd of people cross the street with a sign for the entrance of Disneyland in the background

Disneyland Is Too Crowded. Is More Capacity Needed?

Disneyland has a plan to create more supply to meet contemporary demand, a strategy reminiscent of contemporary debates surrounding housing and transportation.

September 29, 2022 - James Brasuell

Victorian two-story buildings with retail shops in downtown Nashvile, Tennessee

How Adaptive Retailers Contribute to Positive Urbanization

Retailers must respond to changes to stay successful, and urbanization is one of the major factors influencing changing circumstances. Retail representatives that react with care and thoughtfulness contribute to positive urbanization.

September 29, 2022 - Devin Partida

Downtown Houston and Buffalo Bayou

$100 Million to Help Fund Buffalo Bayou Expansion in Houston

Originally proposed in 2019, the Buffalo Park East Master Plan, which would extend Buffalo Bayou Park to the East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods, is suddenly in high gear.

September 27, 2022 - Buffalo Bayou Partnership

View of Houston freeway with bus, cars, and downtown skyline in background

Houston Metro Seeks Proposals for Transit-Oriented Development

The agency will assess ways to more effectively use its surface parking lots and encourage more mixed-use development near transit hubs.

September 27, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

A view of Downtown Cleveland and the Cuyahoga River as pictured from a downtown high-rise building.

Cleveland Launches New Master Plan to Connect Downtown to Lake Erie

Dual, cooperating studies are underway in Cleveland to reimagine the connections between the city's downtown and lakefront.

September 27, 2022 - Cleveland.com

Building Heights and Step-Backs

When Taller Buildings Don’t Mean More Density

Some New York City developers are building low-density luxury high-rises that, in some cases, have fewer units than the buildings they replaced.

September 27, 2022 - The New York Times

A photo of the former Heinz factory in Pennsylvania, renovated as condominiums and apartments.

Zoning Changes, Federal Funds Enable Adaptive Reuse Program in Pittsburgh

Funding and zoning changes are likely necessary but insufficient on their own, to borrow a phrase from Nolan Gray. Pittsburgh hopes to deploy both to spur adaptive reuse in the city.

September 26, 2022 - Trib Live

A rendering of a proposed development, with apartment buildings and neighborhood-serving retail.

Tempe’s Car-Free Developers Headed to Atlanta

Culdesac, developer of a massive no-parking multi-family development in Arizona, is headed to Georgia.

September 25, 2022 - Reporter Newspapers

California State Capital

California Continues its Housing Policy Reinvention

It’s no longer business as usual in California when it comes to planning and developing housing.

September 22, 2022 - The New York Times

A map highlights Cutler Bay, located in South Florida along the Atlantic coast.

$1 Billion Redevelopment Planned for a Former Mall in Cutler Bay, Florida

Mall not making money like it used to? How would a $1 billion redevelopment sound?

September 22, 2022 - Globe St

Denver Region

A New Urban Growth Boundary for Metro Denver

Douglas County’s master plan indicates that areas south of current development will likely remain preserved through conservation initiatives, but the metro area’s booming population indicates that growth will continue to happen, somewhere.

September 21, 2022 - The Denver Post

Orange Line train pulling into station with one woman waiting to board in Boston, Massachusetts

When Transit-Oriented Development Is Missing the ‘Transit’

Cities, residents, and developers have a renewed interest in building more housing near transit stations—when they actually provide safe, reliable transit.

September 21, 2022 - Boston Globe

Outdoor Dining

Revamped Curb Management Strategies Among Pandemic Changes Likely to Stick in Cities

With so many more people working from home, ordering delivery, and moving around the public realm in new ways, advanced curb management strategies are among the pandemic-era innovations likely to stick long into the future.

September 21, 2022 - David Thom

View of green lawn and Buncombe County courthouse in Asheville, North Carolina

How Tax Assessments in a Supposedly Progressive County Are Reinforcing Racism

Buncombe County in North Carolina was one of the first places in the U.S. to support reparations for Black residents. So why is the county not doing a better job of addressing property tax inequities that directly impact residents of color?

September 20, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green Healthy Community

Making Healthy Places

The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.

September 18, 2022 - Laurie Mazur

BART Train

Inclusive Prosperity: No Displacement Necessary

Recent analysis identifies nearly 200 U.S. neighborhoods that have achieved the highly-sought-after goal of increasing the prosperity of residents without displacing the existing community.

September 15, 2022 - Brookings

Miami

Miami-Dade Moves to Make Zoning Changes to Boost Housing Supply

The county hopes proposals to legalize accessory rental units and encourage transit-oriented development will mitigate the region’s housing crisis.

September 15, 2022 - WLRN

Aerial view of Flagstaff, Arizona at sunset

Where Floods Follow Wildfires

Neighborhoods not previously at risk of flooding face new challenges as burn scars from recent fires leave them vulnerable to floods.

September 14, 2022 - Arizona Public Radio

Mega-Developments

Revisiting New York’s Massive Sunnyside Yard Master Plan

You might have lost track of the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan—a proposal for 12,000 new housing units in Queens—because it was announced to the public in March 2020 and has since been shelved.

September 14, 2022 - Gotham Gazette

Driver reaching for chagne at drive-through window

Faster Food

Responding to pandemic-era shifts in customer demand, fast food and fast-casual chains are stripping away dining rooms, restrooms, and human cashiers in favor of drive-through and automated pickup options.

September 13, 2022 - Slate

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.