Education & Careers

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.

Inspirational Leadership: Interview with Los Angeles County Parks Director
In a recent interview with the National Recreation and Park Association, L.A. County Parks Director Norma Edith García-Gonzalez shared about her career and the equity-focused work being carried out by the L.A. County Parks Department.

Election 2024: Red vs. Blue States
In a speech on Sunday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, likely Republican presidential contender Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said that the pandemic was “a great test in governing philosophies."

Oregon Could Let Schools Fund ‘Bike Buses,’ Transit
A proposed bill would pave the way for school districts to use their transportation budgets to support chaperones for biking or walking, public transit passes, or other modes.

The 65th Birthday of the Lego Brick
The Lego brick is 65 years old this year. Learn more about its history and impacts on both children and adults.

How to Build an Urban Planning Consulting Business
Urban planners seeking independence through consultancy have an equal likelihood of success as a longstanding business. Here's how to get started.

Almost Half of Michigan Community Colleges Not Transit-Accessible
Access to transportation is a major hurdle for many community college students, but local transit systems often fail to serve them.

The Top Planning Courses of 2022
A list of the top planning education resources, according to the users of Planetizen Courses.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2022
An annual list of the must-read books related to urban planning and its intersecting fields.

How Remote Work is Changing the Playing Field for Workers With Disabilities
The more widespread acceptance of working from home is helping millions of Americans with disabilities get back into the workforce and find better job opportunities.

Los Angeles Parents Demand Greener Schoolyards
With asphalt temperatures reaching as much as 150 degrees, parents and advocates are asking the city’s school district to provide more shade, trees, and other heat mitigation features on its schoolyards and playgrounds.

Urbanist TikTok Takes Aim at the Suburbs
Planners are using the popular video platform to explain how car dependence and single-family zoning deepen suburban isolation and affect affordability and sustainability.

Twitter for Planners in 2022
Twitter is changing, not in the way Elon Musk wants it to, but it’s still perhaps the most useful social media platform for planners looking for education and engagement.

Day Two of the National Planning Conference: Staying on the Cutting Edge
The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance. Here is some of what we saw on the second day of the conference.

Day One of the National Planning Conference—Reunions, Pandemic Planning, Equity, and VMT
The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance, and here is some of what we saw on the first day of the conference.

The New Breed of Super Commuters
After two years of remote work, many workers reluctant to return to the office are compromising with less frequent, longer ‘super commutes.’

Tech Jobs Could Be Dispersing Away From 'Superstar' Cities
The rise of remote work and a need for new talent may be pushing tech companies away from their traditional hubs, but 'superstar' cities continue to lead the way.

'Greening' L.A.'s Schoolyards
Advocates for increasing green space on school campuses say giving students a more healthy outdoor environment can also reduce the urban heat island effect and improve public health in historically underserved communities.

29 Resources for Onboarding New Planning Employees
New hires are the focus of the Great Reshuffle. While it's tempting to focus on tasks, a balanced onboarding program should also explain how a planning agency's values and policies align with theory and practice. Here are 29 conversation starters.

School District Takes on Traffic Safety
A school district in North Carolina is leading an effort to improve road safety for students and school staff who walk or bike to school.
Pagination
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Kingsville
Princeton Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.