Urban Development

Nagin Tells Senate He Doesn't See Federal Will To Rebuild

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin testified to a Senate committee recently that a lack of local control over federal funding is severely limiting the Gulf Coast recovery. He says he doesn't see the federal government's will to rebuild New Orleans.

January 31, 2007 - CNN

Highway Pollution Health Risks May Change Building Patterns

A new study about the effects of local highway pollution on children's health has determined that living near highways can cause lifelong health risks. The results may cause many planners to reconsider where new housing and schools are developed.

January 31, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Detroit Rising

A cadre of architects, planners, and designers descended upon Detroit for the 9th annual University of Michigan Detroit design charrette. The focus: a more livable and inhabited downtown for the country's most maligned, but up-and-coming cities.

January 31, 2007 - The Detroit News

A Vision Of Dubai's Future

Wired presents this slideshow of some of the extravagant and futuristic buildings planned for Dubai.

January 30, 2007 - Wired

Using 'Urban Acupuncture' To Begin Healing Cities

By focusing on certain "pressure points" in urban areas, a city can dramatically increase its quality of life, argues Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil.

January 30, 2007 - WorldChanging

Study Finds Many Wanting Walkability In Atlanta

A broad study of the travel habits and neighborhood choices of more than 18,000 Atlanta residents has found that a third of the people living in suburbs would have preferred a more walkable neighborhood.

January 30, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hooray For Hollywood's Urban Renaissance

After decades of being victim to urban blight and decay, the world famous locale is experiencing a wave of redevelopment aimed at wooing back tourists and attracting new residents.

January 29, 2007 - International Herald Tribune

Scraping Sky In Honolulu

Officials in Honolulu is considering increasing the height limitations that dictate how tall buildings can rise in the beachside city. The mayor and city council hope that an increase in density will bring sustainable growth to the city.

January 28, 2007 - Honolulu Star Bulletin

Big-Box Costco Goes Downtown, Mixed-Use

Costco is the anchor tenant in a new Downtown Vancouver mixed-used development that partially opened November 2006. Besides going mixed-use, Costco also added underground parking to adapt to its new urban environment.

January 27, 2007 - Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce

Two Big Retailers Drop Plans for Two Big Manhattan Stores

Home Depot and Apple are dropping plans for two big Manhattan stores. The Slatin Report offers the insider's view on the deals.

January 26, 2007 - The Slatin Report

A Smart Growth 'Rent Belt'?

Wendell Cox and Ronald Utt suggest that smart growth abuses are creating a "Rent Belt" of high-Cost areas.

January 25, 2007 - The Heritage Foundation

Regional Plan Causes Infrastructure Concerns In Reno

A proposed regional plan in Reno, Nevada, is looking to make big steps towards increasing the area's density and environmental friendliness. But opponents are worried that a rise in density will create major infrastructure problems.

January 25, 2007 - Reno Gazette-Journal

A New LEED Hub In Las Vegas

An 18 million square-foot hotel and commercial resort in Las Vegas is set to become the largest LEED-certified project in the U.S. when it opens in 2009. Other builders are expected to follow the green path in Nevada, where tax breaks are generous.

January 25, 2007 - Las Vegas Sun

Spanish Harlem Losing Its Accent

A wave of gentrification is threatening Manhattan's Puerto Rican enclave.

January 24, 2007 - The New York Times

Developer Bringing Panama City's Old Quarter Back To Life

A former New York corporate lawyer turned developer is pouring his love for historic and human scaled urbanism into the city's neglected core.

January 24, 2007 - The Boston Globe

Expansion And Growth 'Reserve' Land Rejected In Kentucky

Planning officials in Fayette County, Kentucky, have approved a plan that will not expand its boundary of growth. The planning commission also unanimously rejected the establishment of an 'urban reserve', in case minds changed about expansion.

January 24, 2007 - Lexington Herald-Leader

Coastal Town Gives Developer A Major Challenge

After a $1.3 million campaign, residents of Pacifica, California rejected a developer's proposal for a new hotel, shopping center, and residential community master planned by Duany Plater-Zyberk. But the developer's not giving up yet.

January 23, 2007 - Las Vegas Business Press

Will Scotland's First New Urbanist Town Be Built?

Despite support for the plan and the amenities it provides for Inverness, some fear that Andres Duany's planned town of Tornagrain is not needed.

January 23, 2007 - The Inverness Courier

City Hall Is Best Left In The Center Of The City

Mayor Tom Menino's proposal to move Boston City Hall to the south waterfront ignores the importance of the building's location, and the recent developments in downtown.

January 23, 2007 - The Hartford Courant

Unified New Orleans Plan Gets Green Light

Recovery czar Ed Blakely lays out his five-point plan for the city's comeback as residents endorsed a plan for rebuilding the city's neighborhoods.

January 23, 2007 - The Times Picayune

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.