Exclusives
BLOG POST
We Are (Sort of) Less Polarized Than in 2016
After moving toward Democrats for decades, central cities moved toward Republicans in 2020.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is New Urbanism?
New Urbanism is one of the most influential planning and urban design reform movements of recent decades.
FEATURE
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020
The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.
BLOG POST
Smarter Transportation Pricing, Please! Responding to Criticisms of Road Tolls and Parking Fees.
Many transportation problems are virtually unsolvable without efficient road and parking pricing. When people say "I oppose road tolls," they are really saying "I support traffic congestion." Here are responses to common objections.
BLOG POST
U.S. Transportation Department Key to Biden Meeting Paris Agreement Targets
Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S, making President-elect Biden’s choice for Transportation Secretary—and the department’s policies on emissions, electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles—critical.
BLOG POST
Holiday Travel Expected to Slow in 2020, With Economic Impacts for Cities
As the holiday season approaches and the pandemic continues, cities face an uncertain future.
FEATURE
What Biden's Win Could Mean for Land Use, Transportation, and Climate
Campaign in poetry and govern in prose, the saying goes. Now that the reality of a Biden presidency is settling in, what does it mean for how the United States plans its future?
BLOG POST
Republicans, Democrats, and Transit
Depending on how the issue is phrased, support for public transit can be bipartisan.
FEATURE
Winter Is Coming—Capitalize on It
Outdoor dining programs have provided relief for local restaurants and retailers, while offering an oasis of social life for residents. The winter months will challenge that momentum, but creative, flexible approaches can save the day again.
FEATURE
2020 Election Results for Transportation and Land Use
Thinking beyond the presidency: Here's an Election Day 2020 roundup of election issues related to planning, urban design, and the built and natural environments.
BLOG POST
Coronavirus and the Future of Cities: A Final Pre-Election Tour of the Issues
This is Planetizen's seventh collection of articles on the subject of the future of cities in the wake of the pandemic, and how cities and communities are changing plans to respond to the many changes that world has experienced in 2020.
FEATURE
Searching for the 'Urban Mystique'
An excerpt from a new book by Josh Stephens, "The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond," published by Solimar Books.
BLOG POST
From Eco-Districts to Green Justice Zones
A great challenge facing urban planning in the short- and long-term future is how to complete green infrastructure and development without spurring gentrification and displacement.
FEATURE
'The Affordable City' Offers Solutions for the U.S. Housing Affordability Crisis
An excerpt from the new book by Shane Phillips, "The Affordable City," published by Island Press.
BLOG POST
Are Pedestrians Moving to Danger?
Over the past decade, pedestrian and auto collisions have become more lethal for pedestrians. Could this be caused by carless households moving to pedestrian-hostile places?
BLOG POST
A Bipartisan Case for Mass Timber—Combating Wildfires and Developing Local Economies
What’s good for our forests and planet can also be good for our jobs, communities, and the economy. That’s why we’re writing this together—an ex-Democratic political operative and an ex-Republican staff member who want to see mass timber flourish.
FEATURE
Seeing the Street
A San Francisco-based design studio describes the thought process behind an effort to push outdoor lighting design beyond the lowest common denominator allowed by bureaucracy and status quo thinking.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Specific Plan?
Specific Plans are unique to the state of California, but come up frequently in media coverage of planning. Understanding the purpose of Specific Plans can also open a window to understanding of how planning works all over the country.
BLOG POST
3 Cities That Will Thrive Post-Pandemic—and 2 That Might Struggle
The most promising cities after COVID won't necessarily be the same that were ideal before.
PLANOPEDIA
What Are Complete Streets?
Complete Streets prioritize the safety and mobility of all users instead of the speed of cars and flow of traffic. After a century of prioritizing automobile travel, the concept of complete streets offer a chance to make streets a place to be used and enjoyed rather than glimpsed through a windshield.
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.
