December Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Making room for more housing, fixing broken sidewalks, and our favorite books of the year.

2 minute read

January 2, 2025, 5:00 AM PST

Child looking up at Christmas lights in city at night.

As the year came to an end, lawmakers scrambled to pass legislation ahead a new administration, think pieces opined on the reasons for the continued housing crisis, and New York City approved its long-awaited congestion pricing plan, a plan that could still be in jeopardy due to a bevy of legal challenges. Turning his attention from parking to accessibility, Donald Shoup offers an innovative approach for how Los Angeles could fix its broken sidewalks ahead of the Olympics. Meanwhile, Seattle legalized co-living arrangements, which could create more diverse and affordable housing types in the city. Here at Planetizen, we published our annual list of favorite urban planning reads.

The full list of December’s most-read stories:

1. Seattle Legalizes Co-Living

A new law eliminates restrictions on housing facilities that include shared kitchens and other amenities.

2. NYC Congestion Pricing Plan Threatened by Legal Challenges

Finally approved by New York Gov. Hochul and the MTA board, the city’s congestion pricing plan still faces multiple legal hurdles before it can go into effect.

3. The City of Broken Sidewalks

Parking guru Donald Shoup explains how Los Angeles could fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics.

4. To Build More Housing, Cities Must Be Smarter in How They Use Land

More evidence that zoning and land use reform could alleviate the housing crisis.

5. NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project

The city will create a pedestrian and bike-oriented space over two blocks of the famous street.

6. Is Crime More Concentrated in Spread-out Cities?

Does sprawl create a false sense of security?

7. Planetizen’s Top Urban Planning Books of 2024

Our top literary picks of the year.

8. Shifts in Shopping: Transforming Malls Into Parks

How vacant commercial spaces can be repurposed to create badly needed green space.

9. The Glass City’s Riverfront Sparkles with Promise

A massive redevelopment project in Toledo, Ohio is bringing new life to the city’s formerly industrial waterfront.

10. Chicago Allocates $500K to Sidewalk Clearing Pilot

The city is moving ahead with a pilot program that will keep sidewalks clear of snow, but implementing it citywide will cost much more than the half million allocated in next year’s budget.

Community / Economic Development Government / Politics Housing Land Use Urban Development Housing Crisis Co-Living co-housing Accessibility Sidewalks Top Books Congestion Pricing Sprawl Adaptive Reuse View More

Diana Ionescu

Diana is a writer and urbanist passionate about public space, historical memory, and transportation equity. Prior to joining Planetizen, she started and managed a farmers' market and worked as a transportation planner in the bike share industry. She is Planetizen's editor as of January 2022.

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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