Images for Planners: More Resources

Some time ago I noted a number of terrific image resources for urban planners. This blog highlights some additional sources.

2 minute read

February 1, 2010, 4:25 PM PST

By Ann Forsyth


Some time ago I noted a number of terrific image resources
for urban planners.
This blog highlights some additional sources.

First of all, last year some of the undergraduate students in my class on Global Cities collaborated in
finding sources for images on that subject. The links to web sites are online
but a bit buried under "Student Links" halfway down this page.
The students found sites of well known organizations such as National
Geographic and the World Bank (for photos, not just charts),
and others you may not have heard of like Saudi
Aramco World
.

Also worth a look is Visualizing Economics, a site with thought-provoking graphs and charts. The "most popular" links on
the right side navigation bar are typically worth a look. Charts are also classsifed by topic-for
instance resources about the very wealthy.

In a similar vein with a focus on international development,
health, and globalization, Gapminder shows what it
is possible for Swedish statisticans to to do with flash animations and time on their hands on long cold nights. You can see founder, Hans Rosling, in action on video and then
try it yourself with online and downloadable animations. His most famous video
is at now a few years old. You might want to check out what he said at the U.S State Department in Washington DC
last year.

YouTube is coming to be
better source for planning information so if you don't want to burn fossil fuels
to see some important planning places you can visit virtually. Type "Kibera," the
name of one of the largest squatter settlements in Africa
and toward the top is a compelling video, "The Women of Kibera," produced by
Amnesty International. Type "Poundbury," the name of a mixed-income development
sponsored by Britain's
Prince Charles, and several quite well-produced
videos appear. I've had much more luck searching YouTubewith specific personal and place names
than merely putting in more general terms like city or planning.

Finally, in terms of my previous list of image resources, while all the entries contain really interesting items, I do find myself returning to the blog Strange Maps, a site that can be relied on to provoke.


Ann Forsyth

Trained in planning and architecture, Ann Forsyth is a professor of urban planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. From 2007-2012 she was a professor of city and regional planning at Cornell. She taught previously at at the University of Minnesota, directing the Metropolitan Design Center (2002-2007), Harvard (1999-2002), and the University of Massachusetts (1993-1999) where she was co-director of a small community design center, the Urban Places Project. She has held short-term positions at Columbia, Macquarie, and Sydney Universities.

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Write for Planetizen

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.