Exclusives

San Francisco Street

FEATURE

Crises and Innovation Converge on San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim's Watch

The latest installment of the Planners Across America series interviews John Rahaim, planning director for the City and County of San Francisco, about the heightened passions and perpetual controversies of planning in the City by the Bay.

September 21 - Josh Stephens

Bay Bridge Toll Traffic

BLOG POST

Travel Demands Are A-Changin', and That's Good News

According to "The End of Traffic & the Future of Transport," demographic, economic and technological trends are changing travel demands. In the future, people will prefer to drive less and rely more on alternatives. Not everybody has got the message.

September 19 - Todd Litman

Amsterdam Bikes

BLOG POST

Different Spokes for Different Folks

Bike sharing and rental systems are becoming more inclusive, considering the needs of those with disabilities and children. And systems are expanding based different uses people have for different types of bicycles.

September 13 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Community Engagement

FEATURE

A Planning Primer: Validating the Lived Experiences of Immigrants

A few key considerations, implemented during a public engagement process, can ensure active and engaged participation from commonly marginalized groups and individuals.

September 9 - James Rojas

Astoria Oregon

BLOG POST

Oregon Is Not Just Portland: Planning a Sustainable Economy in Peripheral Areas of the American West

Dr. Robert Young of UT-Austin guest blogs about his work on the challenges of promoting sustainable development in peripheral areas of Oregon.

September 8 - JPER


Commuter Train

FEATURE

A Tale of Two Neighborhoods: TOD, Fair Housing, and Economic Mobility

"Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing"—as a new rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposes to do—can vary widely, even in the same city.

September 3 - Kyle Smith and Brendan Saunders

Project Housing

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.

September 3 - Michael Lewyn


Bikeway

BLOG POST

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.

September 2 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Urban Planning Model

BLOG POST

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.

September 1 - Brent Toderian

Hurricane Katrina

BLOG POST

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.

September 1 - JPER

Shifting Topographies

BLOG POST

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.

August 31 - Linda Day

Evacuation

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.

August 28 - Michael Mehaffy

Uptown Oakland

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.

August 27 - Emily Talen

Congestion versus mobility

BLOG POST

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.

August 26 - Todd Litman

Family Parking

BLOG POST

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.

August 25 - Michael Lewyn

Freeway Construction

BLOG POST

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!

August 20 - Todd Litman

One Way

BLOG POST

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.

August 20 - JPER

Texas Drought

BLOG POST

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?

August 19 - Katharine Jose

Google Mobility

BLOG POST

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.

August 18 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

City Hall

BLOG POST

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.

August 10 - Brent Toderian

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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