Exclusives
FEATURE
2017's Best Songs About Places
Our favorite genre of music is the one that celebrates places.
FEATURE
Forget 'Smart'—We Need 'Context Cities'
Frequent Planetizen contributor Charles R. Wolfe reflects on reconciling global forces and local context in cities across three continents.
BLOG POST
3M Co. and Others Sued in Tennessee River Pollution Case
Another large corporation is accused of misleading the public about its impacts on the environment. This time, drinking water is at stake.
BLOG POST
No Place to Call Home: A Review of 'Homeless: Poverty and Place in Urban America'
In a history of the skid rows in American cities from the late 19th century until the urban renewal era of the 1960s, Ella Howard tells of the impoverished people who inhabited them and the policy choices that supported their existence.
BLOG POST
A Sermon for the Homeless
A recent conference hosted by the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles shined a light on efforts to reduce homelessness in Los Angeles—and demonstrated just how much work must be done nationwide to solve this humanitarian crisis.
BLOG POST
No, Your City Is Not Overcrowded
One common argument against new housing (especially in Manhattan) is that the city is "overcrowded."
FEATURE
Planetizen's Top Ten Books of 2017
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the best books published in 2017 on the subjects of planning, design, and development.
BLOG POST
All I Want for Christmas Is a New Transportation Planning Process
I put my Christmas wish in a little early this year—wanted to give Santa time to deliver, and it's not an easy wish to grant. No data, no graphs, no citations, just some thoughts to share.
BLOG POST
Unfortunate Lessons for City Planners From the Grenfell Tower Fire
The Grenfell Tower Fire in London took the lives of 71 people, and investigators are still searching for lessons from the tragedy. American planners shouldn't neglect these lessons, either.
FEATURE
The Block Fallacy, or How Not to Build a Circulation System
An examination of the Block Ordinance as a panacea for the ailments of modern cities.
BLOG POST
The Truth About Creating Policy: It Can't Be Evidence-Based
Research in cognitive sciences is dictating that we can no longer rely on the presentation of scientific facts when building policy.
FEATURE
Could Autonomous Vehicles Save Lives in Disasters?
Autonomous vehicles could provide life-saving assistance in the event of a large-scale evacuation, if a shared fleet of autonomous vehicles is built with this purpose in mind.
BLOG POST
High Rents: Are Construction Costs the Culprit?
Rejecting the common argument that cities can never be affordable because of high construction costs.
BLOG POST
Planners for Climate Action to Launch at COP-23 Bonn
As part of Human Settlements Day at COP-23 on November 11, Planners for Climate Action will feature representatives of professional planners associations and planning school associations worldwide.
BLOG POST
Urban Planning Helps to Control Air Quality for Chinese Cities
Yuan Man guest blogs about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
FEATURE
Houston Planning Director Dispels Myths About the Effects of Harvey
An interview with Houston Planning Director Patrick Walsh, conducted after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the city and reduced its planning and infrastructure to a talking point for pundits. It's time to let the locals do the talking.
BLOG POST
The Great Transportation Wormhole: Are We Ready for Autonomous Vehicles?
Transportation planners are on to something big and, for the most part, they are keeping it to themselves. The future is a relatively small fleet of shared, electric, self driving vehicles, and it's coming fast. Are we ready?
FEATURE
Top Planning Websites - 2017
The annual list of best websites by and for planners (and anyone else interested in planning).
BLOG POST
These Countries Have the Highest Rate of Pollution-Related Deaths
Pollution poses a significant public health threat all over the planet, and good planning can help.
BLOG POST
Do Bus-Only Cities Have More Bus Riders?
Does light rail increase or decrease transit ridership? This article compares "bus only" metro areas to those which have recently built light rail lines.
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.
