Urban Planning
30 articles
Walkable Neighborhoods Boom Amidst Mixed-Use Zoning Shifts
Utah's Vineyard area exploded from 150 residents in 2012 to 23,000, a testament to the rapid appeal of new urban developments.
What Are Zoning Laws and How Do They Affect Property Values?
Each decade of exclusionary zoning is associated with an average increase in monthly median rent of $24-27 in impoverished neighborhoods, according to Eviction Lab .
What Are Historic Preservation Districts and Why Do They Matter for Tourism?
In Florida, historic preservation generates an estimated $4.
What Are the Top Challenges for Urban Green Spaces?
In a study of 28 North American and European cities, urban greening was a leading or contributing factor in citywide gentrification in 17 places between 1990 and 2016, according to the Lincoln Institu
What Factors Shape Neighborhood Identity and Character?
The number of U.S. census tracts showing signs of gentrification skyrocketed from just 246 in the 1970s to 1,807 by the 2010s, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) . This
How Evolving City Maps Use Digital Tools to Optimize Urban Planning
A city planner in 2026 can now generate a high-fidelity 3D urban scene from a simple text prompt, or design a building that adapts its structure in real-time to environmental changes.
Local bureaucracy creates hurdles for affordable housing
A Tallahassee property owner recently saw rehab costs jump a staggering 30%.
What factors preserve neighborhood character and identity in 2026?
In New York City, residents directly allocate funds for local improvements—from public art to cultural events—actively shaping their neighborhood's identity block by block.
What Is the Role of Community Centers in Neighborhood Development?
91 percent of Americans agree that easy access to low-/no-cost fitness and educational opportunities at their local recreation or community center enhances their community, according to NRPA .
What Determines Neighborhood Walkability and Quality of Life?
A neighborhood's 'walkability' score, calculated by algorithms that award maximum points for amenities within a mere five-minute stroll, can predict everything from local air quality to residents' rat
How Neighborhood Rezoning Impacts Residents and Their Participation
At a City Council Public Hearing, residents advocating for their neighborhood's future are often given just three minutes to speak , a brief window that can feel inadequate for expressing complex conc
What Is the Historical Significance of Local Landmarks?
Rehabilitation projects create 186 jobs elsewhere in the economy for every 100 jobs generated by new construction, according to the Preservation Society.
Damen Silos owner violated city code with unauthorized parking lot
On June 18, city inspectors discovered the historic 23-acre Damen Silos site had been paved over, now operating as an unauthorized parking lot.
What Are Zoning Laws and Why Do They Affect Property Values?
Zoning regulations, which dictate what can be built where, have deeply rooted racist and classist origins that continue to shape housing costs and segregation patterns today.
Planning Cultural Festivals: Engagement & Mitigating Risks
Some communities report a significant increase in undesirable activities as a direct result of their cultural festivals, creating unforeseen challenges for local residents.
Historic Preservation Districts: Economic Value & How They Work
Properties located within Baltimore's designated local historic districts currently hold an average value more than twice that of properties situated in other parts of the city.
Resilient infrastructure for inland flood mitigation is vital by 2026.
In Montego Bay, rainfall exceeded 350 millimeters in just 24 hours, causing the Montego River to swell to a 500-year return period flow, according to the Jamaica Information Service .
How to Participate in Local Development Planning for 2026
A small municipality, by adopting a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process, found its previously siloed departments—from urban planning to social services—suddenly collaborating on shared sustainability
What is zoning and how does it impact community development?
In many communities, the very laws designed to protect property values and ensure orderly development are simultaneously making homes unaffordable and reinforcing historical patterns of segregation.
Downtown's Future: Charm vs. Development's Contentious Path
In Chico, California, a city council meeting on a downtown revitalization project drew around 200 people.
How to Rezone a Property or Neighborhood: A Complete Guide
To change a property's zoning classification, applicants must personally invite owners and tenants of all parcels within 500 feet to a neighborhood meeting, a single step in a process that can
What Are Zoning Laws and How Do They Impact Neighborhoods?
In the New York City metro region, current residential zoning allows for less than half (45%) of the housing needed by 2040, creating a deficit of approximately 680,000 units, according to Zoning Atla
How to Form a Neighborhood Association: A Complete Guide
To effectively form a neighborhood association, residents should recruit at least 25 people for initial support, according to Santa Ana city recommendations.
What Are Local Zoning Laws and How Can Citizens Influence Them?
Despite countless public meetings and petitions, local residents cannot directly write, change, or expand the zoning laws dictating their neighborhoods’ development.
The Stark Divide in Urban Green Space Access
In some cities, residents have access to urban green spaces at a rate 27,813 times greater than those in the least accessible cities, revealing a stark divide in quality of life.
Community Housing: Designing for Senior Well-being
In Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, a $27 million, 61-unit apartment building is rising, marking the first major development by the city's housing authority in an area often overlooked.
How to Use Infill Development: A Guide for Local Governments
In Toronto, the 69-acre Regent Park site transformed into a high-density, mixed-income community.
West Side Project breaks ground on music hall and retail
Chicago's City Council recently approved a $55 million tax break for the 1901 Project, a $7 billion development now breaking ground on the Near West Side.
How to Engage With Local Community Initiatives
Most factors influencing community engagement relate to project organization, not community engagement itself, according to a study published in PMC .
What Are Local Zoning Ordinances and How Do They Impact Property Development?
Between 2000 and 2019, 1,136 cities across eight metropolitan regions implemented 180 distinct land-use reforms.