Exclusives
BLOG POST
Are Transportation Planning Reforms Coercive?
Changing demands justify policies and programs that encourage people too choose efficient travel options and smart growth locations. Are these coercive?
BLOG POST
"Bike Breaks" Leverage Dynamic Resources for Synergistic Efficiency Improvements (they really do!)
Using bicycle racks as partitions in lieu of fences, called "bike breaks", in heavily trafficked areas accomplishes two goals at once and fends off the design wonks.
BLOG POST
Mr. Schramm is Right; Mr. Schramm is Wrong
All economics and no philosophy can make a planner a dull boy. In that sense, Carl Schramm’s recent article in Forbes magazine is absolutely right—but only to a degree. I’ll do my best to explain why.
FEATURE
Taking the Guesswork out of Designing for Walkability
The lack of adequate pedestrian behavior models means that designing for walkability has largely remained a matter of intuition. However, agent-based simulation can provide insight into the keys for creating pedestrian-friendly places.
BLOG POST
Planning is Not Necessary
Municipal comprehensive plans are neither necessary nor sufficient for smart growth.
BLOG POST
Accounting for Latent Travel Demand
Planners must anticipate how people would respond to new options, such as better walking, cycling and public transit services. This requires imagination.
BLOG POST
The Planning Fallacy Part Deux (now with more fallacies!)
A final, closer look on how our optimism can be our best quality and our biggest weakness.
BLOG POST
Bike Sharing Prepares to Get its World Rocked
The evolution of today's infrastructure-intensive bike sharing systems has been a hard-fought learning process; alas, the current paradigm is about to get turned on its head, and it's happening – surprise - this week in Hoboken, New Jersey.
BLOG POST
The Promise of China's Eurocentricism
Can we transform China’s Eurocentric towns from architectural caricatures into urban catalysts, and from one-dimensional exports, into reflective antidotes to the unequivocal and rapacious sprawl that continues to ravage its urban landscape?
FEATURE
Development Done Well Is a Community Affair
Crowdsourcing is a great tool for locating potholes and taking surveys – but can it inspire an underdeveloped neighborhood to come together as a community? A developer in Salt Lake City is motivating residents to use DIY techniques in placemaking.
BLOG POST
Changing the Water in the Fish Tank
David Foster Wallace's commencement speech, now a viral video, misses an essential truth.
FEATURE
For Planners, Investment in Social Media Pays Dividends
With the right approach, social media can expedite the exchange of information between stakeholders, facilitate participatory planning, and build better places. Two case studies offer insight for using social media to connect with communities.
BLOG POST
A Minor Setback for Pedestrians
Municipal setback requirements inconvenience pedestrians for no good reason.
BLOG POST
Who Should Pay for Transportation Infrastructure? What is Fair?
Many people assume incorrectly that motorists pay their share of roadway costs through fuel taxes. Not so. Fairness would require much higher motor vehicle user fees to finance roadways.
BLOG POST
'Dam Slow City
Amsterdam feels "cozy" because the city's efforts to manage mobility results in an average speed for all modes of 15kph/10mph.
BLOG POST
The Global TechniCity
Tom Sanchez (Virginia Tech) and I decided to offer a free course to a global audience. The response has been phenomenal with more than 17,000 people participating. Learn about what the globe has to say about technology in cities.
BLOG POST
Understanding Trends from the APA Conference
Every year we analyze all of the tweets from the APA Conference and tell you about the trends in planning. With more than 1,000 people tweeting from the APA Conference, there is a lot of great ideas, links, and blogs that we can all learn from.
FEATURE
Still Learning: An Interview with Denise Scott Brown
In excerpts from an interview with Planetizen contributor Sean Varsolona, Denise Scott Brown of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates offers insights and provocations on sustainability, New Urbanism, and the social awareness of today’s young urbanists.
BLOG POST
Small Steps = Smart Planning
A bold vision can be terrific but a small step in the right direction is more important.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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.
