Land Lines
This issue explores how to make cities more sustainable without causing displacement, introduces a Colorado artist who draws inspiration from watershed health, and investigates how planners can use augmented reality to increase public engagement.
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Equitable Urban Greening
By Jon Gorey, July 22, 2025 -
Understanding Heirs Property
By Jon Gorey, July 11, 2025
July 2015
This issue highlights eco-friendly and affordable manufactured homes of the 21st century; burgeoning yet illicit residential development in China; and the evolution of community land trusts from grassroots groups. It also looks at WalkYourCity.org, a digital tool intended to boost communities’ walkability; and sheds light on the impacts of land use regulations in Latin America from the perspective of an Argentinian-based urban economist.
April 2015
This issue looks at the ubiquity of informal settlements in Peru and the corresponding risk of property titles; revitalization and stakeholder engagement efforts in Detroit; and the first comprehensive study of property tax credits and residential tax exemptions in the U.S. It also features a new digital tool created to track blighted properties.
February 2015
This issue looks at community development strategies involving anchor institutions; the policy challenges and legal issues of homeowner associations; and a national workshop focused on large landscape conservation.
October 2014
This issue explores the dynamics of Beijing’s low-income rental housing market; a vision to revitalize Detroit by reclaiming vacant, blighted parcels for public use and open space; and the critical need for investments in functioning sewage systems and other basic infrastructure to manage Brazil’s rapid population growth.
July 2014
This issue looks at walkability-focused revitalization strategies for lifeless suburban areas; winning projects—based in Manhattan, New Jersey, and elsewhere—of a federally-sponsored competition that promotes climate resilience and urban livability through innovative planning and design; and a two-day workshop on infrastructure for journalists at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
April 2014
This issue explores the support that Community Land Trusts can provide urban farmers as they grapple with land use, zoning, and property tax regulations; the financially burdensome British “window tax” of the 1600s; and the challenges of public land acquisitions in Latin America from the perspective of a socio-legal expert.