Exclusives

Dance

BLOG POST

Bike Lanes, Maybe, But Let’s 'Lose Yourself to Dance'

Being on the street used to be a dance, but not so since the automobile took over. Is there a way for all modes to coexist through a mutual ethic rather than compete for a street’s right of way?

April 17 - Steven Snell

BLOG POST

A Special Focus on Planning for Healthy Schools

SAGE has provided free access to material from the Journal of Planning Education and Research's focus issue on Healthy Schools.

April 16 - JPER

Medellin

BLOG POST

3 Reasons We Should Pay Attention to Medellín

Medellín has been called the most innovative city in the world, and recently hosted the World Urban Forum WUF7 to huge acclaim. It has taken back the city's public realm, found simple solutions to complex problems, and emphasized a "City for Life."

April 15 - Brent Toderian

Edge condition houses transect

BLOG POST

How Not To Measure Housing Affordability

Critics argue that smart growth reduces housing affordability. Their criticisms are partly legitimate and largely wrong, based on incomplete and biased analysis.

April 14 - Todd Litman

Home For Sale Signs

BLOG POST

More Thoughts On The Realtors' Survey

In addition to revealing public preferences for single-family homes and walkable communities, a recent survey conducted for the National Association of Realtors contains a variety of other small surprises.

April 10 - Michael Lewyn


Boston Subway Tremont Construction

FEATURE

The Original Big Digs

The gridlock in American cities today doesn't compare to the crush on streets in Boston and New York City in the mid- to late-1800s. In The Race Underground, Doug Most chronicles the occasionally synchronous development of the nation’s first subways.

April 10 - Josh Stephens

Road Construction

BLOG POST

Trends to Watch in Planetizen’s Top Posts

We post a lot of articles here at Planetizen, and the traffic created by you, our audience, provides valuable feedback about the ideas and places of interest to the planning and urbanism community.

April 9 - James Brasuell


facades of victorian style residences in San Francisco

BLOG POST

America's Apartment Shortage: 8 Million Units

The 2014 National Realtor's Survey asked consumers for preferences in housing and neighborhood types. Although preferences trended toward the suburban, the number of people who want to live in urban areas is under-supplied by multi-family housing.

April 8 - Shane Phillips

Road Safety

BLOG POST

Old Thinking In New Traffic Safety Reports

A new paradigm is expanding transport safety strategies to include demand management and smart growth, but the old paradigm is alive and deadly as illustrated by two new traffic safety guidance documents.

April 7 - Todd Litman

Brooklyn Brownstones

FEATURE

Housing is the Key to Family-Friendly Cities

Why housing should take priority in the effort to attract families back to the city (and welcome them to stay awhile).

April 7 - Bradley Calvert

Brooklyn Bridge Beach

BLOG POST

Architecture + Urbanism: Both/And, Not Either/Or

Looking at the trend toward interdisciplinary design practice through the work of WXY Architecture + Urban Design.

April 3 - Anna Bergren Miller

Transit Ridership

BLOG POST

Transit Ridership—Debunking the Debunkers (Sort Of)

In response to the news that transit ridership reached an all-time high in 2013, commentators of all stripes sought to deny or minimize the news. But such arguments are themselves flawed.

March 25 - Michael Lewyn

Yarra Trams Melbourne

FEATURE

Transit + Technology: Revitalizing Public Transportation for Smarter Communities

Neil Roberts shares details of Melbourne's Yarra Trams, which has exceeded its service delivery and punctuality goals by the use of intelligent transit technology like sensors, the tramTRACKER app, and mobile work stations for employees.

March 24 - Neil Roberts

New York Housing

BLOG POST

Bricks or Bullets? Obama Chooses Defense Over Housing

The federal government has largely abdicated its responsibility to build affordable housing. Nowhere is that more clear than in the comparison between President Obama's proposed $6 billion to HUD for housing production and $626 billion for defense.

March 20 - Edward Poteat

Conservation Distict

FEATURE

Deconstructing the Policing of Conservation Subdivision Design Standards

Continuing a conversation about the definition of conservation subdivisions, this article examines the inconsistent application of the term by policymakers. Moreover, the auto-dependent realities of rural development require more critical thinking.

March 19 - James LaGro

Paris Skyline

BLOG POST

Cleaner Air In Paris? There Will Be an App for That

Cars, smartphones, and Paris’ air quality crisis.

March 18 - Scott Le Vine

North Hills Raleigh

BLOG POST

Southern Fried Urbanism

You do not hear much talk about meaningful urbanism in the Southeast U.S. Until political winds shift, don't expect that to change.

March 14 - Mark Hough

Idiot brigade

BLOG POST

The Theory Behind NIMBYism

Why should people have veto power over anything built in their neighborhood?

March 12 - Michael Lewyn

Toronto Mid-Rise

FEATURE

Mid-Rise: Density at a Human Scale

All growing cities must find ways to develop at appropriate, transit-supporting densities without overwhelming the surrounding context. The human-scaled, mid-rise building can be a solution—but achieving a good neighbourhood “fit” is not easy.

March 12 - Robert Freedman

Cool, California

BLOG POST

A Tribute to Small Town Urban Planning

Working for a small town doesn't just teach you how to plan a community; it teaches you how to be a part of it.

March 11 - Norman Wright

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.

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.

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