Community / Economic Development

Seattle Gasworks Park

Seattle's 'Electrification Blueprint' Sets Ambitious Goals

The city's new transportation plan focuses on eliminating carbon emissions in its transportation sector, reducing congestion, and boosting public transit.

March 25, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Homeless Encampment

The Homelessness Crisis Deepened, Even Before the Pandemic

New numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show "devastating" growth in the number of unhoused people in the United States in January 2020.

March 24, 2021 - NPR

Mass Shooting Protest

'Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste' and Planning in the Pandemic

The latest in a series of compendia collecting news and commentary focusing on the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on communities.

March 23, 2021 - James Brasuell

Florida

Case Study: Florida Road Diet Reduces Crashes, Adds Minimal Congestion

A controversial road diet has faced disapproval from local business owners, but data shows a significant reduction in crashes and a minimal increase in congestion.

March 23, 2021 - WFLA

Airbnb

Atlanta Passes New Short-Term Rental Rules

Under the new regulations, homeowners must register for a license and collect city hotel taxes for short-term rental properties.

March 23, 2021 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

View of New York City from Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Waterfront Development Unveils Revised Design

The massive River Ring Waterfront Master Plan includes two towers containing 1,050 residential units, a three-acre beach, and 5,000 square feet of community kiosks.

March 23, 2021 - Urbanize New York

Anti homeless bench

Philadelphia Park Designed for, not Against, People Experiencing Homelessness

In an effort to make public spaces more inclusive, a new pocket park in the Callowhill neighborhood will seek input from people experiencing homelessness on how to make the space more welcoming and functional.

March 22, 2021 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

University of Chicago

The Miseducation of Cities

A review of the provocative new book by Davarian L. Baldwin, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower.

March 22, 2021 - Josh Stephens

Small Lot Townhouses

Opinion: Western Towns Need More Density, Not More Sprawl

To fix the housing crisis, cities should focus on "missing middle housing" and multi-family development.

March 22, 2021 - In These Times

Trees on Street

Research Shows Urban Trees Stave off Depression

A new study shows that regular exposure to trees and green spaces has a powerful impact on depression and mental health.

March 22, 2021 - The Guardian

Duplex

Tacoma Plan Would Eliminate Single-Family Zoning in Favor of 'Missing Middle' Housing

If implemented, Home in Tacoma would create new housing categories to encourage more multi-family buildings.

March 21, 2021 - MyNorthwest

Ohio Creek Watershed Project

Norfolk Plans for Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

The Ohio Creek Watershed Project aims to protect the city's coastline and prepare for future sea level rise.

March 21, 2021 - Bloomberg Green

Atlanta BeltLine

New Beltline Tax Quickly Wins Council Support

The BeltLine Special Services District, first proposed in January 2021, already has a green light from the Atlanta City Council.

March 19, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

Multi-Modalism

Feds to the Rescue, but the Peril Remains: Preventing the Next Fiscal Apocalypse

Former Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole talks about the implications of the fiscal reset on city budget, policy, and service priorities going forward.

March 18, 2021 - The Planning Report

Portland Cycling

Oregon DOT Studies Impact of Race and Income on Road Safety

The findings of a recent memo highlight the disproportionate effects of unsafe road conditions on low-income people and BIPOC communities.

March 17, 2021 - Bike Portland

Grocery Stores

Supermarkets Closing in Response to 'Hero Pay' Requirements in Southern California

The cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles are dealing with the fallout from controversial decisions to require extra compensation for grocery store workers during the pandemic.

March 16, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Construction

Lessons to Guide Future Equitable Development Planning

How did recent projects in Baton Rouge, Dallas, and South Florida fare?

March 16, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Coronavirus

Two Judges Rule Against CDC's Eviction Moratorium

Two separate U.S. district court judges have rule that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not have the authority to issue an eviction moratorium.

March 16, 2021 - Spectrum News 1

Vancouver Skyline

Density, Affordability, and the 'Hungry Dogs' of Land Price Speculation

Patrick Condon argues that increasing density without affordability inflates urban land values, resulting in nearly all of the value of labor and creative enterprise of entrepreneurs in regional economies being absorbed as land wealth.

March 15, 2021 - The Planning Report

Social Distancing

Mask Order Standoff in Texas: Attorney General vs. Austin and Travis County

It's pandemic déjà vu in the Lone Star State, with local governments wanting to protect their constituents from an increase in viral transmission, a power preempted by Gov. Abbott's executive order. Attorney General Ken Paxton lost the first round.

March 15, 2021 - Austin American-Statesman

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.