North America

Students at a graduation ceremony

Planning Education: Striking a Better Balance

Planning education and practice fail to recognize the importance of physical design and spatial planning. Randall Arendt diagnoses the root of the disorder and suggests some treatments for returning urban planning to good health.

October 31, 2012 - Randall Arendt

Paved walkways with wood benches in green city park with large trees.

Considering Mindfulness as an Urban Planner's Tool

A recent blog post in Substack considers the appropriation of mindfulness to urban observation and, implicitly, urban planning today.

February 26, 2024 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

People riding bikes on a paved bike trail.

Promoting Cycling as Public Health Measure

An argument for better bike infrastructure from a healthcare perspective.

February 9, 2024 - Healthy Debate

Close-up of subway station elevator sign.

How Cities Still Fail People With Disabilities

Even when accessibility is taken into account, transit stations and pedestrian infrastructure often still fail to make appropriate accommodations.

February 8, 2024 - The Conversation

Cyclists in bike lane with red streetcar in background on urban street.

Peak Car? Check Your Data

There is evidence that automobile travel is peaking while demand for non-auto modes is growing, but double-check your data sources to be sure.

January 1, 2024 - Bad Data: Not a Decline in Travel

Four-story gray apartment building in suburban area

Upzoning Affordability Impacts: The Latest Research

There are new controversies concerning how upzoning affects housing supply and affordability, and new research to help planners understand these issues.

December 26, 2023 - Supply Skepticism Revisited

White round pillars in empty office building with windows across all walls and white floors and ceiling.

Study: Office Conversions One-Third More Affordable Than New Housing

Where conditions are right for office-to-residential adaptive reuse, projects can be completed faster and at a significantly lower cost than new construction.

November 21, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Downtown Seattle street with high-rise buildings.

Could an ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ Spur Downtown Revitalization?

In his fifth article for GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe asks whether an onsite “living lab” could spur more entrepreneurship and impact downtown regeneration in Seattle.

October 1, 2023 - GeekWire

Construction Industry

The Materials Movement: Advancing Low-Carbon, Healthy Materials for Sustainable Communities

Every component of a building, from the concrete foundation to the paint on the walls, has an impact on human health, the climate, and ecosystems around the globe. Building materials—once overlooked in real estate’s sustainability efforts—are now bei

September 1, 2023 - Urban Land Magazine

Black and white photo of Pike Place Market entrance in Seattle with "PUBLIC MARKET" and "Meet the producer" signs

Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool

In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.

June 22, 2023 - GeekWire

A vacant lot between two one-story brick buildings with graffiti in Detroit, Michigan

Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.

June 2, 2023 - The Detroit News

View of cars stuck in gridlocked traffic with traffic lights in background

Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws

‘Free’ employee parking increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.

May 28, 2023 - An Assessment of the Expected Impacts of City-Level Parking Cash-Out and Commuter Benefits Ordinances

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

Three-story apartment buildings in Takoma Village, a cohousing complex in Washington, D.C.

Building Community With Cohousing

Developers and buyers create new models for housing that hold the promise of a more environmentally friendly, connected, and multigenerational way of living.

May 10, 2023 - Urban Land Online

View from below of row of parked trucks in lot

Carzilla: How Huge SUVs and Trucks Hurt Pedestrians and Walkable Communities

Ever wonder where the supersizing of cars is going to end? Kaid Benfield dives deep into the subject and suggests five actions we can take to get to a safer spot in the road.

May 8, 2023 - PlaceShakers

Seattle, Washington

The City Beyond Amazon's ‘Great Return’

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe explains how, as the Amazon (and other) “Great Returns” to the office unfold, it's essential to dig deeper.

May 2, 2023 - GeekWire

Close-up of row of electric car charging stations in a covered garage structure

Dramatic Decline in New EV Models to Qualify for Federal Tax Credit

The Treasury Department released long-awaited rules required by the historic Inflation Reduction Action on March 31 that will determine which electric vehicle models purchased after April 17 will qualify for a federal credit up to $7,500.

April 7, 2023 - The Verge

Stockton Foreclosure

The Shifting Boomer Bulge: Major Short Sell Risk

Policy makers dealing with housing issues aren't fully absorbing the numbers. In the second of a series on the subject, Ben Brown and Dr. Arthur C. Nelson help clarify what's going on and what we can do about it.

March 21, 2023 - PlaceShakers and NewsMakers

babyt Boomer Homeowners

The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?

In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.

March 12, 2023 - PlaceShakers and NewsMakers

Police officer with POLICE on the back of their vest with police car in the background

Help! Not Police! Crisis Responses That Avert Police Calls

Cities, court systems, citizen groups, and affordable housing operators are crafting ways of responding to emergencies that reduce the risk of negative police interactions.

July 5, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

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

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.