Exclusives

TTC Subway

BLOG POST

Reactions to Ontario's Subway Takeover Plan

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a plan to replace Toronto's subway expansion plans with a vision of his own. Reactions have been pouring in ever since.

April 17 - James Brasuell

2019 National Planning Conference

FEATURE

Searching for the Essence of Planning at the National Planning Conference

With so many applications and intersections, planning can be hard to define. Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell is in San Francisco searching for meaning.

April 14 - James Brasuell

Phoenix Freeway Interchange

BLOG POST

The Economic Defense of Sprawl (And What's Wrong With It)

Defenders of suburban expansion argue that government should build more roads in order to open up more land for housing. What's wrong with that argument?

April 14 - Michael Lewyn

San Francisco Bike Lane

BLOG POST

Scooter Media Brief: Electric Scooters Emerge Victorious in the Dockless Bike Share Game

At the beginning of 2017, few people in the United States could have predicted the quick rise to prominence of dockless bike share companies. Even fewer could have predicted what would happen next.

April 10 - James Brasuell

Young Apartment Residents

FEATURE

In This New Co-Living Partnership, Friendships Are the Ultimate Amenity

Kin, a new partnership between the real estate company Tishman Speyer and the co-living company Common, bets that residents will accept smaller living spaces in exchange for a community borne out of in-house sharing-economy amenities.

April 8 - Lev Kushner


Radio Tower

BLOG POST

2019 Already a Big Year For 'Smart City' Evolution

While 2019 doesn’t scream smart city revolution, we are seeing signs of significant smart city evolution.

April 2 - Robert Fischer

Sprawl

BLOG POST

Order Without Design: Pro-Housing, Pro-Infrastructure

In Order Without Design, Alain Bertaud takes a middle position between consistent supporters of suburbia and sprawl critics.

March 27 - Michael Lewyn


Electric Scooter Share

FEATURE

Asking for Forgiveness

In the age of new technology, is it better to ask for forgiveness, or beg for permission? Austin Brown and Kelly Fleming of UC Davis explore why companies have taken this approach and how policymakers and business leaders can improve the situation.

March 25 - Austin Brown

Wall Slogan

BLOG POST

How the Rise of Travel Apps Helps Local Economies

There are so many more ways to access local culture as a tourist or an urban explorer than ever before.

March 22 - Kayla Matthews

Port-au-Prince Earthquake Damage

FEATURE

Many Norms, Few Plans: Urban Rubble Clearance in the Cities of the Global South

Michael Hooper of Harvard University writes about the complexity of urban rubble clearance, a growing challenge for cities.

March 18 - Michael Hooper

Scooter Citations

BLOG POST

Scooter Media Brief: Safety, Security, and Business Models Raise Concerns

Recent news has revealed some cracks in the pavement below the speedy wheels of electric scooter share.

March 13 - James Brasuell

New York City, New York

FEATURE

Preventing Crime, One Park at a Time

Deborah Marton, executive director of the New York Restoration Project, connects parks and open space to improved public safety.

March 11 - Deborah Marton

Queens Boulevard

BLOG POST

The Negligence Law Revolution That Wasn't

In 2017, New York's highest court held that cities could be held liable for failure to adopt traffic calming policies. Why hasn't this ruling led to safer streets?

March 3 - Michael Lewyn

Writing

BLOG POST

Autobiographical Writing: Fostering Critical Self-Reflection, Empathy, and Courage

Courtney Knapp of the Pratt Institute writes about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research

February 28 - JPER

New York Department of Sanitation

BLOG POST

Waste Management Best Practices (And Their Impact on Urban Planning)

Urban planners can play a role in ensuring the best possible waste management practices are implemented whenever possible.

February 27 - Kayla Matthews

Broadway Downtown

FEATURE

A Sprinkle of Stores: Wrestling With Jacobs's Uncertainty

Jane Jacobs used vague terms to describe the number of stores necessary for a safe and vibrant streetscape. Here, author Fanis Grammenos attempts to discover a more specific number to attach to this prescription.

February 27 - Fanis Grammenos

Transit Oriented Development

FEATURE

Everywhere, Signs of Demise for the Planning Status Quo

The plans, they are a-changin.

February 25 - James Brasuell

Los Angeles Downtown Historic Core

BLOG POST

The 'Failure' of Gentrification?

Urban scholar Joel Kotkin says that gentrification has "failed" in Los Angeles. It's a curious notion, since gentrification is generally considered a bad thing. The reality is much more complex than Kotkin suggests.

February 24 - Josh Stephens

Pioneer Square, Seattle

BLOG POST

Seeing the Urban Forest for the Trees

It is important to focus on forests rather than individual trees when evaluating trade-offs between infill and sprawled development.

February 20 - Todd Litman

Los Angeles High Rise Construction

BLOG POST

More Evidence That New Housing Lowers Rents (Maybe)

Even if new housing reduces rents regionwide, scholars are divided as to when and whether new market-rate apartments reduce rents in nearby blocks. A new study seeks to answer this question.

February 18 - Michael Lewyn

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.

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.

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