Europe

Coronavirus Protest

Pandemic Watch: We've Been Here Before (but at Lower Case Levels)

The White House COVID-19 Response Team explains why governors are wrong to lift mask mandates and ease restrictions by putting the current level of coronavirus infections in the country in perspective, i.e., comparing it to the two prior surges.

March 8, 2021 - The White House

Champs-Elysees

'The World's Most Beautiful Avenue' Getting A Green Makeover

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo approved a new plan to revitalize the Champs Élysées ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

January 21, 2021 - The Guardian

Social Distancing

Pandemic Update: Sea Change in Sweden

The European outlier of Sweden was embraced by American conservatives as an example of a government relying not on heavy-handed business and social restrictions but voluntary compliance by individuals to reduce viral spread. No longer.

January 14, 2021 - The Washington Post

Stockholm Complete Street

Sweden's 'One-Minute City' Reimagines the Street at a Hyper-Local Level

Rather than trying to meet all of a community's needs within a one-minute radius, Sweden's Street Moves pilot program gives residents the power to decide how street space gets used.

January 8, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

GE's Massive Offshore Wind Turbine Makes Waves in the Industry

With a diameter longer than two football fields, a new wind turbine design promises to revolutionize the wind energy industry.

January 6, 2021 - The New York Times

Car-Free Cities

Watch: The Car-Free City Becomes Reality

The latest City Beautiful video shows off the fruits of car-free initiatives in European cities.

December 25, 2020 - City Beautiful

Düsseldorf Stadtbahn

Germany Locks Down to Protect Healthcare System

Beginning Dec. 16, all of Germany will be subject to stricter coronavirus restrictions to reduce infections following a meeting with the chancellor and the 16 state governors. Schools will close and restaurants will be confined to take-out service.

December 15, 2020 - Associated Press

Building Trades

New Market-Rate Housing Lowers Rents for Everyone, According to New Research

A study published by a German researcher adds ammunition to the cause of improving housing affordability by legalizing and building new supply.

December 15, 2020 - City Observatory

Coronavirus and Urbanism

Barcelona's Long-Term, Pedestrian-First Plan Continues with the 'Barcelona Superblock'

Mayor Ada Colau announced the next step in Barcelona's plan to convert the city center into a "new city for the present and the future."

November 15, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Conference Hall

Uncertain Times for Trade Shows and Conferences

Expecting a dark winter, conferences are being canceled worldwide, putting millions of jobs at risk.

November 10, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Queen Elizabeth

England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service

The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.

November 8, 2020 - The Independent

Spain

Abandoned Rural Spain Rebounds With People Fleeing Cities

COVID-19 is leading an exodus to rural areas, according to this article. The shift could hurt the economies of cities, but it also presents opportunities for younger residents and people looking for a more sustainable lifestyle.

October 23, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Coronavirus

North Dakota Physicians Plead for State and Local Leaders to Mandate Masks

The medical community is sounding the alarm in North Dakota, where hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients. With the governor opposed to issuing a statewide mask mandate, physicians are asking local governments and the public for help.

October 21, 2020 - Grand Forks Herald

Two friends sit and talk at a social distance in Fletcher Moss park, Manchester, UK

Planning Age-Friendly Cities

Manchester researchers are part of a network of European cities collaborating on strategies to support the aging population in cities worldwide.

October 9, 2020 - City Monitor

European Day Of Action: Protests In Dublin - September 29th.

European Cities Pledge €14 Billion to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion

The city pledges, part of Eurocities Inclusive Cities 4 All initiative, focus on real actions on key social issues for cities, such as housing, childcare, skills training, active support to employment, healthcare, long-term care and equal opportuniti

October 4, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Coronavirus and Urbanism

Tourism-Based Urban Economies Will Have to Innovate to Survive the Pandemic

It is time to make bold, disruptive changes to Barcelona's economy, according to this article, by fueling innovation, sustainability, and policies to improve residents' quality of life.

September 15, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Kids Crossing the Street

Debunking Traffic Safety Myths as Pedestrian Fatalities Increase

Angie Schmitt, former editor at Streetsblog USA, has written a new book about pedestrian fatalities, which works to dispel some of the myths about traffic safety in the United States.

September 9, 2020 - Curbed

Metro Paris

Students Under 18 Ride for Free on Paris Buses and Trains

The city of Paris is taking another step to entice more people out of cars and onto transit.

September 7, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

City Sounds

The Sounds of Cities: Three Aural Vignettes

Monocle's The Urbanist podcast explores urban acoustic ecology to unveil the sonic signature of the coronavirus pandemic, the Greek island of Corfu, and Vienna streetscapes.

August 25, 2020 - Monocle/The Urbanist

SoMa San Francisco

Madrid Has the Bike Infrastructure Model the U.S. Needs

A happy accident, Madrid may have stumbled onto a bike infrastructure program with great results. Only time will tell if "slow" lanes yield long-term positive results.

August 20, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

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.