Urban Development

A Green Grassy Lawn: Love It Or Leave It?

Researchers at Arizona State University investigate landscape design and human-landscape interaction.

August 22, 2006 - Central Arizona - Phoenix Long Term Ecological Restoration

NIMBY Meets Maxwell Smart

Tips on how to keep projects from getting 86'd by getting smarter than Maxwell Smart.

August 22, 2006 - Principal Broker Online

Cities Use New Technology For Property Tax Assesments

Cities are using cutting edge software combined with aerial photos to survey and assess property quickly and accurately.

August 21, 2006 - The New York Times

Learning From Portland: Linking Land Use And Transportation

A film documenting Portland's success in moving people from cars to public transportation is airing on British television.

August 20, 2006 - BBC

Brad Pitt And Green Roofs

The Hollywood actor lends his celebrity status to promote sustainable architecture.

August 20, 2006 - The Washington Post

Immigration Has Growing Impact On New York's Suburbs

Immigration and gentrification is changing the composition of New York and its suburbs in a trend that reverses long-standing patterns of white flight from the city replaced by immigrant infill.

August 19, 2006 - The New York Times

Those Pesky Parking Meters

The public's reaction was mixed when the first parking meters in downtown Boise, Idaho, in 1940.

August 19, 2006 - The Idaho Statesman

Major Economic And Demographic Shifts From Hurricane Katrina

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina reveals significant population shifts, huge losses for insurance companies, and a collapse in real estate values.

August 18, 2006 - Tom Paine Common Sense

Will Chicago's New Living Wage Law Hurt The City?

Recent announcements from big box retailers withdrawing or delaying plans to build stores in the city have given pause to supporters of controversial living wage ordinance, with some considering withdrawing their support.

August 18, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Residents Revitalize Their Main Streets

Residents in Passaic County, New Jersey, have assumed the power of urban re-design, as community charrettes from early 2006 have resulted in county grants of $164,000 to revitalize numerous main streets in the county.

August 18, 2006 - The North Jersey Record

The Garvin Report: A Secret Plan For New York City?

A blog releases a document it claims is a secret "new urban planning vision for New York City" developed by the consulting firm of Alex Garvin and Associates.

August 17, 2006 - Streetsblog

The Condo Bubble Pops

With 2,053 downtown units under construction, the Minneapolis condominium market begins to deflate.

August 17, 2006 - Star Tribune

City Plans By Designers, Not Developers

This Times of London opinion piece calls for planners and architects with a true vision to get back in control of city planning. The author argues that "it is the developers who produce the master plans, and the city that responds to them."

August 17, 2006 - Times of London

Developing A New Vision For Seattle's Green Infrastructure

A recent column calls on the city’s residents to come together to develop a 100-year plan to keep the 'Emerald City' green and livable.

August 16, 2006 - The Seattle Times

The Beginning Of The End For Suburbia?

With high gas prices here to stay, many experts believe suburbia as we know it will be replaced by more dense and urban settlement patterns.

August 16, 2006 - MSN.com

San Francisco Seeing A Shift To The Suburbs

A new census survey offers a startling look at the de-population of older cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially among African Americans, as the flight to the more affordable, outer East Bay communities continues.

August 16, 2006 - San Francisco Chronicle

Legal Battle Set For Maine's Largest Development

The nation's largest landowner, Plum Creek Timber Co., is entering a legal battle with environmental groups over its proposal to create the largest development in Maine's history.

August 15, 2006 - Portland Press Herald

Green Building Brings Profits In NYC

As environmentally-conscious renters and buyers snatch up the eco-friendly properties in Manhattan, developers are finding that building green is good for the earth and for business.

August 15, 2006 - The New York Times

Chicago Is San Francisco's Kind Of Town

Mayor Gavin Newsom wants more for the City of San Francisco. After a recent trip to Chicago, the mayor has hopes of bringing some of that city's character out to the West coast. He says Chicago should be the model for what San Francisco could be.

August 15, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

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.