Government / Politics

Plan Like Utah

This post from Citiwire looks at Salt Lake City and the state of Utah as home to some of the most active and progressive planning practitioners.

August 22, 2010 - Citiwire

Suburban Tax on Traffic

To help pay for transportation needs, a Kansas City suburb approved a "driveway" tax based on the amount of traffic a property is expected to generate.

August 22, 2010 - The Kansas City Star

Reducing Cyclist-Pedestrian Accidents in Japan

New rules in Japan say that cyclists are liable for accidents between themselves and pedestrians, especially on the country's sidewalks.

August 21, 2010 - The Mainichi Daily Times

Friday Funny: Animal-Shaped Cities Planned in Sudan

Officials in Southern Sudan are floating a fleet of proposals to build new cities in the shape of animals and fruits.

August 20, 2010 - Associated Press

The Vancouver Dream, The Vancouver Nightmare

Despite its reputation as a planner's dream, the city of Vancouver has incredibly high housing prices, which is part of the reason New Geography's Steve Lafleur calls it a middle class nightmare.

August 20, 2010 - New Geography

Private Buses Make a Comeback in NYC

Recent MTA budget cuts have forced New York City to axe a few of its bus routes, but they've had the effect of spurring a new wave of private bus initiatives.

August 20, 2010 - Market Urbanism

Seeking Private Sponsors for Colosseum Renovation

The city of Rome is looking for a private sponsor to buy advertising rights on its historic Colosseum. The $33 million contract would pay for renovation on the site.

August 20, 2010 - Bloomberg

A Comparative Analysis of Land Use Controls

Various rules and regulations control the form of today's cities. This info graphic and article from re:place looks at how those systems control the urban environment and how they compare.

August 20, 2010 - re:place

Ensuring Brazil's World Cup Investments Last Beyond 2014

The City Fix looks at a new report that focuses on how Brazil can create a long-term benefit from the billions its investing in the 2014 World Cup.

August 20, 2010 - The City Fix

Learning From and Reshaping the Urban Food System

With her Foodprint project, Nicola Twilley wondered what one could learn about a city by looking at it through the lens of food. In this piece on Urban Omnibus she shares what she's learned.

August 19, 2010 - Urban Omnibus

Boosting Car-Sharing in San Francisco

By expanding its car-sharing requirements on new non-residential buildings, the city of San Francisco is looking to make car-sharing more viable and accessible in the transit-friendly city.

August 19, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

An Urban River Ignored

The James River runs right through downtown Richmond, Virginia. But with few public access points, the river is a largely ignored part of the urban realm.

August 19, 2010 - Richmond Times-Dispatch

L.A. Reforms Postwar Zoning Codes

The City of Los Angeles Planning Commission has reintroduced sweeping reform of the zoning codes in an effort to streamline planning processes. "This marks the first overhaul of codes since their last revision in 1946," said City Planner Alan Bell.

August 19, 2010 - Architects Newspaper

Power Balace to Shift From Nations to Cities

The rise of megacities and innovation hubs is leading to a balance shift that will make cities, not nations, the most powerful drivers in the world economy, according to Parag Khanna.

August 19, 2010 - Foreign Policy

79% of Oil Still in Gulf, According to Researchers

Researchers estimate that roughly three-quarters of the oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico is still dangerously concentrated in the water, a claim that disputes official word from the government that much of the oil has been safely dispersed.

August 18, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Sprawl and the Free Market

This piece from The Freeman looks at the debate over sprawl and whether free market economics encourage it or offer a solution.

August 18, 2010 - The Freeman

Crowdsourcing the Master Plan

The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, is asking locals to submit and vote on ideas to integrate into its new master plan, hoping to get citizens more involved in the process and test out unconventional ideas.

August 18, 2010 - Lincoln Journal Star

Paying the Bill for High Speed Rail in California

The prospect of a high speed rail line connecting California's major cities has been appealing to many in the state. But with less than a quarter of the money needed for the project, the risks are hard to ignore.

August 18, 2010 - San Jose Mercury News

Kelo Redux: Struggling Malls

The eminent domain case of Kelo vs. New London is seeing new relevance in cities across the country, as empty malls are being classified by locals as blight.

August 18, 2010 - Retail Traffic

Spain the Model Train Citizen

As the U.S. eases itself into a national system of high speed trains, other nations seem to be decades ahead, especially Spain.

August 17, 2010 - Miller-McCune

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.

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.