Exclusives
BLOG POST
What HUD's Been Up To
The new "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing" rule may impose additional paperwork burdens on local government, but is unlikely to cause major policy changes.
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Using Technology to Create Better Traffic Counts
Tired of standing on a street corner to count traffic? Technology is automating traffic counts and providing more detailed and accurate data to support planning.
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10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan
Too many city plans represent business-as-usual, sit on a shelf collecting dust, or miss the chance to reflect a truly game-changing moment in the direction of a city. Want your new city plan process to result in a great plan? Consider these 10 keys.
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An Equitable Recovery? New Orleans Ten Years After Katrina
University of New Orleans Professor Dr. Anna Livia Brand writes about the shortcomings in the recovery planning process in post-Katrina New Orleans caused by unaddressed racial inequality.
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Oakland Is Cool
Building on its physical assets, city planners are succeeding in efforts to bring vitality to the Uptown district in Oakland, CA by supporting new housing development and enlivening what was once a preeminent arts and entertainment district.
FEATURE
What We Didn't Learn From Katrina
Cities are immensely complex self-organizing systems, not mere top-down designs—but they do need top-down interventions in strategic places. Unfortunately, we still have inadequate models and tools.
FEATURE
What Is a 'Great' Neighborhood? An Analysis of APA's Top-Rated Places
A study recently published in the Journal of the American Planning Association finds that the APA's definition of "great neighborhoods" might be leaving low-income and minority populations behind.
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2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard: Still Measuring Urban Travel Conditions Incorrectly
The new Urban Mobility Scorecard measures traffic congestion with greater precision, but incorrectly. As with previous editions, it exaggerates congestion costs and undervalues the congestion reduction benefits of alternative modes and Smart Growth.
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Cities, the Middle Class, and Children
Joel Kotkin argues that Jane Jacobs's insights are of limited value because cities are no longer useful for middle-class families.
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Smart Planning for Economic Opportunity
The Center for Opportunity Urbanism has a wonderful goal—to improve economic opportunities for working class households—but uses terrible research to reach confusing recommendations about which policies are best. Please do better!
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America's Streets: Two Ways to Urban Regeneration
Dr. William (Billy) Riggs guest blogs about his new research in Journal of Planning Education & Research. Dr. Riggs is Assistant Professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo focusing on quantitative community analysis and urban planning policies.
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A State of Thirst
In the middle of a population boom, Texas is looking across state lines for more water. The U.S. Supreme Court said no the first time; does that mean it will say no again?
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Transportation Apps Designed to Ease the Commute
We all travel, so it's great when a handy new mobile app makes it easier to move around. Whether it is navigating the city, parking, or making our ride safer, there is likely a transportation app for that.
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Better City-Making Means Breaking Down Silos—Here's How
How can city hall leaders break down silos between departments and disciplines, and get to a more holistic approach to city-making? It takes more than just organizational restructuring—it takes real culture change. Here's how.
FEATURE
NIMBY Obstruction and the Density Paradox
An op-ed describes a paradox produced by the ongoing debates over density while also presenting potential solutions for overcoming the resulting impasse.
BLOG POST
The Failure of Preservation
Attempts to limit new construction to preserve neighborhood character are an example of "beggar thy neighbor" politics.
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What's the Matter With the Planning Process?
Current planning models places housing affordability and preservation fundamentally at odds with one another. We must be willing to re-evaluate our processes if we are to truly move forward.
FEATURE
Innovating the Planning Process Through Community-Centered Design
Sean O'Malley and Andrew Watkins, of the landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm SWA, describe the benefits of a design process that empowers people and communities to participate.
BLOG POST
More Rational Analysis Of Seniors' Driving Risks And Safety Strategies
A new American Automobile Association study argues that efforts to reduce driving by higher-risk seniors threaten their health. This analysis is backward: seniors benefit most from reduced driving and improved transport options.
FEATURE
Planners Across America: Josh Whitehead Helps Memphis Live Within Limits
Josh Whitehead, planning director of the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning & Development (OPD), discusses competing with suburbs, implementing a new zoning code, and redeveloping, for a second time, historic streetcar corridors.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.
