Sprawl

Rural road in Central Ohio

Opinion: Ohio Needs Public Transit

A new Intel facility is set to bring thousands of workers to rural Ohio. Will the state embrace mass transit or give in to auto-centric sprawl?

May 25, 2022 - Columbus Alive

Fringe Development

Public Perceptions of Sprawl and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Urban density has a bad reputation.

May 23, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Multi-Family Development

Density and Driving: A Second Look

A common argument against more compact housing is that increased population density will only reduce vehicle miles traveled at moderate levels of density, as opposed to very low-density and very high-density areas. But this might not be so.

May 22, 2022 - Michael Lewyn

Chicago Commute

Planning for Congestion Relief

The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

May 12, 2022 - James Brasuell

Sprawl

How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That

The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.

May 4, 2022 - Popular Science

Master-Planned Community

What Is a Planned Unit Development?

A Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a specific type of plan or development commonly associated with master planned communities and sprawl. The specific definitions of a PUD vary by jurisdiction, but the term generally refers to a flexible approach to the planning of a variety of housing types and land uses on a relatively large portion of land.

May 2, 2022 - James Brasuell

Congestion versus mobility

How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion

Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.

April 20, 2022 - James Brasuell

Treasure Valley

Different Approaches to Fast Growth in Idaho's Treasure Valley

Three cities on the periphery of the fast-growing Treasure Valley showcase different approaches to a sudden influx of newcomers.

April 18, 2022 - Idaho Press

Congestion

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion

What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

April 13, 2022 - James Brasuell

Suburban Neighborhood

Resilience Planning for Suburban Growth

Whether or not the suburban shift accelerated by the pandemic continues, policymakers can implement climate resilience strategies and guide sustainable growth in both cities and exurbs.

April 12, 2022 - Brookings

Master-Planned Cittes

Why California Should Not, Cannot Solve Its Housing Crisis By Building New Cities

A recent essay advocates for the development of a new city in California to alleviate the state's housing crisis. The argument needs a few tweaks.

April 4, 2022 - Josh Stephens

Mountain Lion

Opinion: Conservation and Affordable Housing Can Coexist

Encouraging denser development in urbanized areas is an effective way to protect sensitive flora and fauna from human encroachment.

March 15, 2022 - Ventura County Star

A suburban street in England, shown directly from above, with lush, green yards and driveways with cars parked in front.

Recent Greenfield Developments Build Car Dependency in England, Report Says

The promises of politicians and developers to build more sustainably in the U.K. are going unfulfilled, according to a recent report.

February 9, 2022 - Transport for New Homes

Single-Family Housing Construction

Single-Family Homes Appearing Faster Than Any Year Since 2006

The housing construction market is responding to strong demand with a glut of new single-family homes.

February 2, 2022 - National Association of Home Builders

Exurban Construction

One-Third of Homes for Sale Are New, Report Says

New data from Redfin shows strong demand, and an increasing share of the supply, in new homes.

February 1, 2022 - Globe St

New Zealand

Zoning Reform: Lessons From New Zealand

The island nation is mandating mid-density zoning requirements and transit-oriented development in an effort to increase housing affordability and encourage compact development.

January 27, 2022 - The Brookings Institution

Downtown Philadelphia

The Path to Hyperdensity

The federal government has an opportunity to make a generational investment in the country's infrastructure that could fundamentally shift the way we live and move around cities.

January 26, 2022 - Governing

Texas Townhomes

Blanket Upzoning: A Solution to Housing Pressures?

Mass upzoning could give developers and homeowners the flexibility to build new housing where it's most needed.

January 25, 2022 - Strong Towns

Houston Sprawl

Houston Area's Center of Gravity Shifts Outside the Loop

The population center of Harris County is now outside central Houston, a shift that occurred over the last two decades as the region's suburbs blossomed.

January 21, 2022 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

A man working from home works on his laptop from bed.

How Remote Work Could Reshape American Cities

If projections about remote work hold true, the resulting migration could shift economic centers, disperse housing market pressures, and transform the politics of small communities.

January 10, 2022 - Vox

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.