Exclusives
BLOG POST
Unmanned Aircraft Systems—Coming to Your Planning Department Soon
Transformative technologies like unmanned aircraft systems (drones) are identifying and creating new applications in planning every day, for both research and practical applications.
BLOG POST
So Much for Peak VMT
Many observers and planners had hoped 2007 was the peak of vehicle miles travelled in the United States. After record-breaking increases in driving and auto sales, what are we to make of the present and future of driving in the United States?
FEATURE
How One Developer Is Delivering Urban Infill
Doug Bauer, CEO of one of the nation's largest homebuilders, describes the political and design decisions that contributed to the success of urban infill projects in four unique case studies.
BLOG POST
When Conversations Turn Ugly: How to Understand Online Dialogue
Imagine that public meeting that explodes in heated argument. You've likely seen the same thing online. Learn about tools for analyzing online public engagement.
FEATURE
Columbus Bucks Trends, Grows Steadily
The latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series visits Columbus, Ohio, for a conversation with Planning Administrator Kevin Wheeler.
BLOG POST
Umberto Eco, Planning Education, and Urban Space
The great Italian scholar and novelist's death likely has little meaning for practicing planners, but his literary method might have lasting relevance for planning education and the design of urban space.
BLOG POST
The Changing Nature of Retail: The Impact of Online Shopping on Cities
As consumers increasingly buy online, technology is changing the shape of our cities, reducing demand for retail space, increasing freight congestion, and leaving parking lots empty.
BLOG POST
The Colliding Legacies of Olmsted and Obama
Architects will soon be hired to design Obama's presidential library in Chicago. It may turn out to be a beautiful building, but will it be worth all that is lost in the process?
BLOG POST
Retrofitting the Cul-de-Sac
A recent book on retrofitting sprawl contains numerous proposals to revise cul-de-sacs—all of which are interesting, even if politically infeasible.
BLOG POST
DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning
Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.
BLOG POST
It's Our Future You Are Planning For: Getting Youth Involved in Planning
This blog post highlights resources available to help engage children and young adults in participatory planning processes.
BLOG POST
Tip of the Iceberg: Seeking Real Accessibility in Community Engagement
Do modern accessibility regulations go far enough to ensure fair access to all community members for public engagement activities? How can we design our planning processes to reach the broadest demographic?
FEATURE
Op-Ed: Let's Build Homes, Not Ideology
Knee-jerk, ideological reactions to the California housing crisis rest on faulty arguments and threaten to cheat the state out of workable solutions.
BLOG POST
Justice Scalia and the Takings Clause
Summarizes Justice Scalia's most important Takings Clause decisions.
BLOG POST
Problems With Economic Impact Analysis: Examples From Base Communities
Guest blogger Joshua Drucker discusses his new research critiquing current practices in economic impact analysis.
FEATURE
GE and Industry's Return to the City
GE recently made the blockbuster decision to move its corporate headquarters to Boston. More than just another example of a company returning to an urban area, the move shows how a city like Boston benefits the kind of company GE wants to become.
BLOG POST
Retail Parking: A View from Google Earth
Google Earth can be a useful tool for understanding how parking is being used in your community and to identify where over- or under-utilization occurs.
BLOG POST
The Bicycle as a Tool of Social Justice
Philosopher Ivan Illich believed that the bicycle could connect users back to the pace of community-oriented life, that the right of free movement does not lapse just because cities have strapped themselves into ideological seat belts.
BLOG POST
Smart Growth Policies for Urban Affordability and Fertility
The new International Housing Affordability Survey contains various errors and biases. The author even claims that compact housing reduces fertility. Really? Smart policies can create affordable and family-friendly housing.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.
