Mixed-Use
Bring Back the Corner Store
‘Accessory commercial units’ were once common across U.S. towns and cities. Now, zoning regulations make them illegal in many places.
Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.
Looking Beyond the 'Sidewalk Ballet:' Jane Jacobs in the 21st Century
While The Death and Life of Great American Cities remains an urban planning classic, today's planners must contend with challenges that Jacobs couldn't have anticipated.
In Planning, Reality Can Be Worse Than Fiction
The Showtime Series Penny Dreadful portrays a bleak vision of 1940s Los Angeles. But, unencumbered by regulations and zoning laws, it also displays what great urban neighborhoods can look like.
What Is Mixed-Use Development?
Long an urban norm, mixed-use neighborhoods fell out of favor in the United States in the automobile age as single-use zoning became common. These days, mixed-use development is back in vogue, but implementation remains a challenge.
'Huge' Office Campus Redevelopment Near Sears Headquarters Set to Go Forward
A sizable former AT&T campus in suburban Chicago will be redeveloped into mixed-use, despite "sluggish" local leasing activity and the potential closure of Sears' nearby headquarters.
The Sidewalk to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
When the vision's all right but the outcomes are all wrong, zoning's often the problem. And the public realm is left holding the bag.
Ground-Level Grocery Stores Proliferate in Boston
Being able to get groceries without a car can be a big draw in walkable, mixed use neighborhoods. Many Boston grocers and developers are taking that to heart.
Can Urbanist Islands Make a Difference Where Sprawl Reigns?
The product of a single developer, San Jose's Santana Row is a pocket of urbanism in a sea of sprawl. But can it influence development patterns beyond its bounds, and should it?
How Aging Urban Churches Can Be Saved
Churchgoing in Washington, D.C. is on the decline, and neighborhood churches are finding it hard to pay the bills. One solution is to go mixed-use and share space with new development.
Shifting Attitudes Toward Walkable Urbanism in Houston
According to this survey, many Houston residents increasingly prefer mixed-use areas over single-family suburbia. But there's only so much downtown available.
St. Louis Finally Has a Developer for Long-Sought Redevelopment Project
The St. Louis City Council recently approved the initial steps for 1,800 acres of Maryland Heights floodplain. Plenty of hurdles remain, such as coming up with the money the developer wants to see the project through.
Poll: Utah Residents Strongly Support Mixed-Use, Transit, and Walkability
Density isn't always a dirty word, apparently—as residents of Utah have voiced their support of more urban typologies to support its expected population growth over the next several decades.
Philadelphia's Open Data Reveals Land Use Trends
A trove of data from the Office of Property Assessment has been released to the public. It's like Christmas day for zoning wonks in the City of Brotherly Love.
Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts
Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.
New Large-Scale Mixed-Use Development A Sign of the Times in Washington D.C.
A new development that will "emphasize the urban setting" is on the way in Washington D.C. along a Capitol Riverfront with a lot of projects in the development pipeline.
On the Creative Neighborhood's Two Basic Forms
Richard Florida discusses a study comparing the neighborhoods that house "creative" industries. Science and tech tends to favor low-density office parks, while arts and cultural industries prefer mixed-use urban districts.
Boise Finding Infill Solutions
An article by Sven Borg for the Idaho Statesmen introduces the concept of infill while also detailing some of the challenges facing a wave of development in Downtown Boise.
Planning and Design: North Pole Edition
In the realm of supply chains and distribution logistics, Santa’s the guy. So you’d presumably be safe in assuming that the planning and design of his village at the North Pole would reflect a similar insistence on best practices. But is it so?
The Human Dimension of the Physical City
In his latest two contributions from the south of France, Chuck Wolfe reminds urbanists of the backdrop of the human dimension of affinity, conversation and daily rituals that stand behind the physical, human scale.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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.
