Articles and posts that include a focus on issues facing suburbs, new and old.
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Orenco Station is both an actual light-rail station and the name of a 209 acre “transit-oriented” development adjacent to the station. They’re both in Hillsboro, Oregon, a fast growing suburb of Portland, and home to the state’s “Silicon Forest.”
One of the most remarkable aspects of Oregon planning law is the “urban growth boundary” (UGB). A look at how it works.
Hillsboro, Oregon — a fast-growing western suburb of Portland — is seeking to revive its downtown “main street” district by focusing on arts and culture.
A recently published Brookings Institute study, Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, reports that poverty in suburban America grew by a startling 64 percent over the past decade (to 16.4 million people).
As a follow up to her previous column on approaches to bringing commercial uses closer to residential neighborhoods, Wendy Grey outlines some basic development standards for neighborhood commercial zoning districts.
Residents in established neighborhoods will often be very concerned about zoning proposals to allow new commercial uses close to their neighborhood. The question planners and planning commissioners must be able to answer is how the creation of a commercial district near a neighborhood will be a positive change.
How did Blue Back Square get developed? West Hartford Community Services Director Rob Rowlson takes us on a tour of the development, and explains why the Town’s developer-friendly approach led to positive results.
Rob Rowlson, the Town of West Hartford’s Director of Community Services, makes no bones about it: too often planning can be an obstacle to private investment and development. In Part I of this post, Rowlson talks about efforts to strengthen the core of the town’s downtown: West Hartford Center.
The practice of bulldozing modest-size homes and replacing them with “McMansions” has alarmed many planners, neighborhood groups, and preservationists. How can communities respond?
Long-time Planning Commissioners Journal columnist Ed McMahon on why the era of strip commercial development may be nearing an end.
How urban growth boundaries work, and why a growing number of metropolitan areas are using them.
Retail development has major impacts on communities and regions. Planners can stay ahead of the curve by understanding the regional retail market and helping shape where retail will best fit.
Robert Parry, Director of the Westlake, Ohio, Department of Planning & Economic Development on his city’s limitations on cul-de-sacs.
