Op-Ed

As part of our effort to slow global warming, we should be correcting one of the great errors in the history of American city planning: the post-war binge of urban freeway building.

It's not so easy to measure urban density -- either by sight or calculation -- but thoughtful analysis of development intensity can illustrate useful insights into our cities and regions.

With the Latino population growing tremendously, it's time to begin addressing the shortcomings in the practice of planning regarding this key demographic.

With positive effects on public health, safety, and environmental quality -- walkability has become the new buzz word in planning.

Sustainability is often defined as a balance of the three E's: the environment, the economy, and social equity. But as planners embrace the concept, the sustainability "balance" heavily favors one E: the economy. Michael Gunder warns that planners risk sacrificing the environment and social equity in the name of sustainable economic development.

Sustainability must become a primary goal of public policy if we want to ensure the long-term health of communities.

With new bilateral accreditation agreements on the horizon, planners have a whole world of professional opportunities before them. But new training programs are needed to help planners learn the social and cultural context present in a different country.

Airports connect us to the world, generate enormous economic benefits, and provide an important first impression of a city. It's high time the airports shed their bad rap and are planned not as nuisances, but assets.

While the benefits of cheap consumer goods from global manufacturing and trade are widespread, the environmental costs are dumped on a few communities. Some tiny fraction of the benefits need to be redistributed to effectively mitigate the human and ecological health costs of the globalized goods movement system.

Though the program has good intentions, APA's proposal for mandatory continuing education could just encourage more planners to attend the National Planning Conference than to actually get more training.

Keeping track of the weird things that occur in the planning and government world -- from Barry Manilow to brothels -- isn't really necessary. But someone should do it anyways.

This year, the first data from the new annual American Community Survey rolled out to complement the decennial Census. But planners should recognize that while the data is more up-to-date, the margin of error is much wider, according to Census researcher and planning professor Heather MacDonald.

Disaster recovery expert Robert B. Olshansky reports on the latest planning effort in New Orleans.

A resident of a touted New Urbanist development in San Diego, California, comments on its failure as a walkable community.

Steven E. Polzin presents some lighthearted observations on Americans' heavyset figures, while examining the relationship between our increasing waistlines and the nation's demand for energy.

With its emphasis on good food, sustainable living, and local community, the Slow City movement is spreading across Europe. But what potential is there for the movement to make the jump across the Atlantic?

In many ways, a successful urban planner is first and foremost a leader, yet far too many professionals lack the ability to lead, and ignore the importance of cultivating good leadership skills.

While the public and the media like to bring attention to a few controversial cases, rarely does anyone recognize the all the good that has come from the sound use of eminent domain by local officials, says David M. Lewis.

Planners who have a hard time persuading elected officials or the public at large should take a cue from the late attorney Johnnie Cochran and come up with a phrase that will stick in the minds of citizens.

New Urbanists and pro-property rights advocates have made good use of both allegory and myth to capture the attention of planners and the public.