Exclusives

Los Angeles

BLOG POST

Are Jews Coming Back to the Cities?

The growth of urban Jewish populations is more evidence that educated Americans are less hostile to city life today than they were in the late 20th century.

April 21 - Michael Lewyn

Fringe Development

BLOG POST

Creating Inclusive Communities: Notes From a Conference

The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute annual conference is the region's premier gathering of planning professionals. This year's conference explored strategies for building inclusive cities in which everyone can thrive.

April 17 - Dean Saitta

Cambirdge

BLOG POST

Trump Raises Stakes For Urban Journalism

At an annual gathering of land use journalists, we came away with more questions than answers about how the Trump administration will treat cities.

April 13 - Josh Stephens

Oceanside

BLOG POST

Removing California's Costa-Hawkins Act and the Future of Rent Control

In an attempt to combat prohibitively high housing costs in California, some look to repeal the 1995 state law that limits the power of local rent control ordinances. However, removing those restrictions would likely exaggerate current problems.

April 5 - Reuben Duarte

man looking at computer screen

BLOG POST

The Good and the Bad of Planning Websites

Students review municipal planning department websites in cities with more than 50,000 people to identify strengths and weaknesses. This post shares examples of the use of websites for information sharing and engagement.

April 3 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley


facades of victorian style residences in San Francisco

BLOG POST

Land Prices and New Housing

Some commentators argue that even if cities allow housing supply to expand, more permissive zoning will cause land prices to increase, causing rents to rise rather than fall. This post disagrees.

March 28 - Michael Lewyn

Seeing the Better City

FEATURE

Seeing the Better City, Making a Better Place

The author of the new book "Seeing the Better City" (Island Press) explains the importance of practiced skills of observation, and how a "vocabulary of looking" can be a foundation for participation in civic discussion.

March 27 - Charles R. Wolfe


Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

BLOG POST

Finding Hope In Challenging Times

Despite depressing U.S. federal politics, there are many encouraging planning trends if you look internationally and locally.

March 26 - Todd Litman

Baltimore

FEATURE

New Planning Initiatives Strive for Equity in Baltimore

The Planners Across America series visits Maryland for an interview with Baltimore Planning Director Tom Stosur.

March 23 - Josh Stephens

Queen-Spadina

BLOG POST

The Wisdom of Engaging Nervous Cyclists

It was clear to the City of Toronto that engaging less confident cyclists that make up 60% of the population, yet seldom come to community meetings, might be the key to dramatic mode shifts in the city. Here's how it happened.

March 13 - Dave Biggs

Dolores Park

BLOG POST

Most Livable Cities Revisited

This "livable cities" ranking considers transit, walkability, and bikeability.

March 9 - Michael Lewyn

Kid on Train

BLOG POST

Early Exposure to Public Transportation Can Lead to More Sustainable Travel Later in Life

Michael Smart and Nicholas Klein guest blog about their recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

March 8 - JPER

new Mexico

FEATURE

Planners Across America: Making Albuquerque the Land of Enchantment, Not Confusion

The city of Albuquerque is focused on bringing consistency and coherence to an unwieldy collection of planning and land use regulations. An interview with Albuquerque Planning Director Suzanne Lubar explores the city's approach to the challenge.

March 6 - Josh Stephens

San Francisco

BLOG POST

S.F.'s Transbay Transit Center: Grand Central Station of the West, or Billion Dollar Bus Station?

The developers of San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center say it has the potential to change travel patterns in the region and land use in the neighborhood, as did New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. How realistic is this promise?

March 6 - Linda Day

Myriad Botanical Garden - Oklahoma City

FEATURE

Planners Across America: McDermid Manages New Oklahoma Land Rush

Planning Department Director Aubrey McDermid discusses planning's role in the Oklahoma City's ongoing reinvestment and revitalization.

February 27 - Josh Stephens

New York Apartments

BLOG POST

Apartments, Cities, and Pollution

Some evidence suggests that apartments lead to more greenhouse gas emissions per capita than houses. Does this mean that suburbs pollute less than cities? Probably not.

February 23 - Michael Lewyn

Spring Lake, New Jersey

FEATURE

Doubling Down on Infrastructure

The challenge facing the nation's infrastructure is massive in scale, requiring ambition lacking since the New Deal and Eisenhower eras. Building on those historic models, the following op-ed suggests a "WPA 2.0" approach to infrastructure.

February 22 - Armando Carbonell and Susannah Drake

Wilshire Grand

BLOG POST

Measure S Is Just Bad Policy

Measure S gives city leaders a moderately satisfying smack across the face. As satisfying as that may be, Measure S is remarkably bad planning and development policy at the expense of the vast majority of Angelinos.

February 21 - Reuben Duarte

Suburban Neighborhood

BLOG POST

Unaffordability is a Problem but Sprawl is a Terrible Solution

Many households spend more than they can afford on housing and transportation, but the latest International Housing Affordability Survey is wrong to recommend sprawl as the best solution. Real solutions must reduce both housing and transport costs.

February 21 - Todd Litman

Hydroelectric Power

BLOG POST

Lessons from Oroville: Resilience for Scarcity and Abundance

Swings in weather-related fortunes will continue to push to unprecedented extremes, in California, in Texas, in Boston, in Long Island, in Louisiana, and everywhere else.

February 15 - James Brasuell

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.

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.

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