Exclusives
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Çatalhöyük?
Thought to be one of the first major urban centers in human civilization, Çatalhöyük was a Neolithic settlement that, at its height, reached a population of close to 10,000 at a time when most humans still lived in small hunter-gatherer bands of several hundred people.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Upzoning?
Upzoning is a term used to describe changes to a zoning code made to increase the amount of development allowed in the future.
BLOG POST
'American Jobs Plan': Potential Sea Change for Federal Infrastructure Spending
After a week of speculation and rumor, the Biden administration today revealed its promised infrastructure plan.
BLOG POST
Anticipation, Costs Rise as Details of Biden's Infrastructure Plan Emerge
The Biden administration's highly anticipated infrastructure spending plan is expected to go public this week. After weeks of speculation about the size and focus of the plan, recent reports reveal a growing package and new revenue streams.
BLOG POST
The Surprising Ways Cities Work to Clean the Environment
Municipal programs and urban design offer cities multiple, perhaps surprising ways, to clean the environment.
BLOG POST
A Critical Review of "Sick City: Disease, Race, Inequality and Urban Land"
Patrick Condon's new book, "Sick City: Disease, Race, Inequality and Urban Land" recommends tax reforms and housing subsidies to create more affordable and inclusive communities. It is attractive propaganda that deserves critical analysis.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Floor Area Ratio?
Floor area ratio (FAR) is a critical measurement to the field of planning. FAR defines development intensity and determines numerous other regulations and development outcomes.
BLOG POST
'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.
FEATURE
The Miseducation of Cities
A review of the provocative new book by Davarian L. Baldwin, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower.
FEATURE
Next Up for Statewide Zoning Reform: Connecticut
A proposed package of reforms working through the Connecticut Legislature would loosen zoning codes in a state traditionally committed to single-family zoning.
FEATURE
Zero Traffic Deaths Isn't as Far Fetched as It Sounds
Even supporters of Vision Zero—a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities from roadways adopted by cities and states all over the United States—doubt that such lofty ambitions are possible. But there are plenty of reasons to believe in the cause.
BLOG POST
A Complete Community Is All Mixed Up
A complete community includes an optimal mix of people, activities, and transport modes in each neighborhood. Like a chef, planners need the right ingredients. Here is the recipe.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Inclusionary Zoning?
Inclusionary zoning refers to a range of policies and practices that mandate or provide incentives for the inclusion of affordable housing units in new developments to encourage mixed-income neighborhoods and increase the supply of affordable housing.
BLOG POST
Unlocking the City with Context Keys
The human memory is so powerful that a place on pavement suddenly can trigger a stream of imagery from the distant past, or a meaningful story of something that once happened there. We should champion such keys to the context of a place.
BLOG POST
Electric Cars Won't Solve Climate Change
Electric cars might look great in your driveway, but they're a symbol of a systemic problem: an ineffective, car-based approach to addressing transportation's climate impacts.
BLOG POST
Against Victim Blaming
One common scapegoat for rising pedestrian death rates is "distracted walking." But there is little reason to believe that smartphone-wielding pedestrians are a major cause of roadway carnage.
FEATURE
The Surprisingly Important Role of Symmetry in Healthy Places
New research suggests there might be a "symmetry deficit disorder" in today's built environments, with significant impacts on health, well-being, and even sustainability.
BLOG POST
ST 2040: Envisioning a World-Class Transit System in Washington State
In February, climate candidate for Seattle Mayor Andrew Grant Houston and I laid out a vision for the Puget Sound region's transportation future in The Urbanist.
BLOG POST
Mars Perseverance Rover and the Future Colonization of Mars
The 2020s is the decade of Mars. Last week NASA's Perseverance rover became the sixth American robot to land on the red planet, and the third visitor this month. Where are we going with Mars, who will get us there, and what is the ultimate goal?
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Redlining?
Redlining is the practice of restricting investment in areas deemed high-risk by banks. The term refers to the red color used to denote undesirable areas on maps used by lending institutions to determine loan eligibility.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
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.
