A community of planning intelligence.

A community of planning intelligence.

Planetizen is a fiercely independent platform that creates, curates, and amplifies stories and resources to inform planning and people passionate about planning.

Planning is the professional practice and academic study of the future of built and natural environments—from the smallest towns to the largest cities and everything in between.

Plan-et-iz-en combines Plan, as in planning, and Netizen, as in a citizen of the Internet, to produce “Planetizen.” The Planetizen team pronounces the name like plan-NET-a-zen. Planetizen isn't found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, so feel free to pronounce the name however it suits you.

Our Values

Independent

Planetizen is the independent voice of the planning community, free from institutional or financial interests.

Foster Innovation

We continuously innovate. We encourage and reward experimentation to discover the best ideas, content, and technology.

Advance Planning

We advance the field of planning by increasing awareness and improving practice and research.

Embrace Diversity

We recognize increased diversity results in a stronger community and advances planning.

Editorial

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Editorial manager Mary Hammon headshot
Mary Hammon
Editorial Manager
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Diana Ionescu headshot
Diana Ionescu
Editor

History

Founders Chris Steins and Abhijeet Chavan created Planetizen in 2000 in Los Angeles as a project to explore technology and track the field of planning in Los Angeles, CA. Planetizen published its first story, by Anthony Downs, on August 1, 2000. The first Planetizen server ran on a used desktop computer connected to a telephone line in Chris’s house, and the site published 3-4 stories a day.

Within months, thousands were reading, and Planetizen expanded to cover news throughout California. By 2003, Planetizen contributors were submitting news from across the country, capturing the growing interest in the Internet and the need for an online community interested in planning.

Today, Planetizen reaches 90% of the U.S. urban planning community through news, editorial, job postings, online courses, books, and product sales. But one thing hasn’t changed: We are always looking for new ways to advance the field and work for healthier, more prosperous communities.

Contributors

Team

  • Josh Skelly, CEO and Editor-in-Chief
  • Maria Vaza-Kaczynski, Customer Support
  • Olga Serhijchuk, Director, Product & Operations
  • Jake Johnson, Planetizen Courses
  • Victor Castillo, Sales
  • Cate Miller, Project Manager
  • Ki Kim, Director, Engineering
  • Gergely Lekli, Director, Infrastructure
  • Camilo Escobar, Web Developer
  • Ron Golan, System Administrator
  • Chris Steins, Founding Editor

 

Emeritus Editors

  • Abhijeet Chavan (2000)
  • Chris Steins (2000)
  • David Gest (2005)
  • Christian Peralta Madera (2006)
  • Tim Halbur (2008)
  • Jonathan Nettler, AICP (2012)
  • James Brasuell, AICP (2023)