Exclusives
FEATURE
River Scenes: How Rivers Contribute to More Vibrant Urban Communities
The role of rivers in urban areas shifted in recent years from production to consumption. Now, access to a river's waterfront has become a highly valued amenity within cities.
BLOG POST
How Democratic Is Zoning?
One common argument against pro-housing zoning reform is that local or neighborhood control of housing policy is more democratic than the alternatives. This theory, if taken seriously, leads to absurd results.
BLOG POST
Why California Should Not, Cannot Solve Its Housing Crisis By Building New Cities
A recent essay advocates for the development of a new city in California to alleviate the state's housing crisis. The argument needs a few tweaks.
PLANOPEDIA
What is Vision Zero?
First adopted by the Swedish parliament in 1997, Vision Zero is a strategy aimed at eliminating pedestrian deaths by improving road design and infrastructure with a focus on safety.
BLOG POST
Smarter Planning for Rural Communities
Many rural communities face growing demographic and economic challenges. Smart planning can help anticipate and respond to these problems, allowing communities to take control of their destinies.
BLOG POST
The Political Compass of Housing and Urbanism
The "political compass" idea can easily be applied to explain differing philosophies about urban development.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Density Bonus?
A density bonus offers development permissions beyond what's allowed by a zoning code as an incentive for developers to contribute to desired policy goals. Density bonus programs can offer numerous forms of incentives, and can be used as an incentive to address a variety of policy goals.
BLOG POST
Five Ways to Build a Sustainable Community through Volunteering
Practicing sustainability can improve communities and the lives of those living there. One of the best ways to encourage sustainable living is through volunteering.
FEATURE
Why Christopher Alexander Still Matters
The author of "A Pattern Language" and "Notes on the Synthesis of Form" had an outsize influence far beyond architecture and urbanism—and still does.
BLOG POST
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.
FEATURE
Urban Highway Removal: 4 Considerations for Reknitting a City’s Fabric
Making the right decisions to create a positive urban legacy.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is CEQA?
Designed to assess the environmental impacts of new projects and provide mitigation measures, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has a controversial history, sometimes serving as a convenient tool for groups intent on stopping or slowing development.
BLOG POST
Traffic Deaths in Cities and Suburbs, a 2020s Update
Traditionally, many cities have had lower car crash death rates than suburbs. But is this still the case?
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a NIMBY?
One of the most politically charged and controversial terms in planning, the acronym NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.
FEATURE
Want Less Polarization? Stop Talking and Start Building
The simple acts of building and playing offer an antidote for today's polarized debates.
BLOG POST
Could High Gas Prices Push Riders Back to Public Transit?
The quick ascent of gas prices, at a time of economic uncertainty for many, could be just the boost public transit needs to get back to pre-pandemic levels of ridership. Or not.
BLOG POST
Planning For Ukrainian Refugees
Millions of Ukrainian refugees are flowing into European cities. This begs the question: how can cities like Przemysl, Poland, and many others, successfully integrate displaced Ukrainians as active members of local politics, economies, and society?
FEATURE
Vital Communities: Housing Quality for Social Equality
Transit-rich, “inner ring” neighborhoods with multi-family, mid- and high-rise housing (going beyond the limits of missing middle housing) will be necessary to deliver access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing.
FEATURE
Toward Better 'Rural Places and Planning'
The authors of the new book "Rural Places and Planning" expand beyond stereotypes of the rural to describe a more supportive approach to rural planning.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is VMT?
A measure of the demand for vehicle travel on public roadways, VMT provides a metric for evaluating the potential impact of road projects and developments and could become an increasingly useful tool for assessing road usage taxes.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
