Government / Politics

Q Arena

How Legacy Cities Can Support Equitable Development

A new report outlines seven strategies for balancing economic development and equity specifically aimed at smaller, post-industrial cities.

June 8, 2021 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Coronavirus and Urbanism

California Workplaces to Return to Normal? Not Unless Everyone is Vaccinated

Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on June 15 in California. The statewide mask mandate will align with CDC guidance, but workplaces will follow the new Cal/OSHA mask mandate: Unless everyone is vaccinated indoors, everyone masks.

June 8, 2021 - The Mercury News

Solar Power

Louisiana Legislature Moves to Slow Solar Development

The proposed bill and house resolution would create stricter rules for solar leases and make solar projects ineligible for a commonly used tax exemption.

June 8, 2021 - Louisiana Illuminator

Interstate Highway

L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan

The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.

June 7, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

San Fernando Valley

Misunderstanding Metros

The vernacular notion of "metro area" or "urban region" may not match up with standard political designations, like municipality, county, state, or city-state. Too bad. Ambiguity and complexity are hallmarks of today's mega-cities.

June 7, 2021 - Common Edge Collaborative

Proposed Coachella Valley Rail Project Map

Proposed Rail Project Would Bring Trains from L.A. to Coachella Valley

Riverside County's transportation commission is moving forward with a proposal to bring passenger rail from Los Angeles to Indio.

June 7, 2021 - Urbanize Los Angeles

British Columbia

How Zoning Discrimination Still Affects Canadian Cities

Policies that encouraged urban segregation and led to the displacement and disenfranchisement of communities of color continue to reverberate in Canada's urban centers.

June 7, 2021 - The Globe and Mail

Eleanor Roosevelt talking with a project superintendent in Des Moines, Iowa. June 8, 1936. This project, sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, planned to convert a city dump into a water front park.

Biden Learning From the Unrealistic Expectations of Past Economic Stimulus Efforts

Taking lessons from his time working in the Obama administration, President Biden is tempering promises of quick job creation with long-term reinvestment.

June 7, 2021 - Governing

Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Sports Utility Vehicle

For Transportation Justice, Auto Safety Must Protect People Outside the Car

Light trucks are killing more pedestrians than ever while keeping their drivers and passengers safer. Is it time to reframe safety regulations?

June 3, 2021 - Treehugger

Main Street, Loganville, Georgia May 2017

Planning a New Downtown in a Small Georgia Town

At a recent town hall meeting in Loganville, Georgia, local residents and stakeholders proposed ways to revitalize the city's downtown and build improved amenities for the city's residents.

June 3, 2021 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Divine Lorraine Hotel

Opinion: Stop Treating Philly's Historic Buildings Like a Burden

Despite the historic importance of a vast majority of the city of Philadelphia's buildings, demolitions are happening at a faster rate than ever.

June 3, 2021 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Electric Cars

American Jobs to Build Electric Vehicles Excludes Miners

Mining jobs needed to produce the metals for processing into battery parts used to build electric vehicles in America will not be developed in the U.S. but in Australia, Brazil and Canada, mainly to avoid battles with environmentalists.

June 2, 2021 - Reuters

West 72nd Street

Learning About the City by Running for Office

When you are trying to get people's attention, a city feels very different.

June 2, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Coronavirus and Lime

Return to Normal...For the Unvaccinated?

Americans are experiencing their first near-normal holiday weekend, though masks are still required for all traveling at airports and on planes, buses and trains. We take a look back and forward at where the U.S. may be heading in the pandemic.

June 1, 2021 - CNN

San Diego Trolley

San Diego High-Speed Rail Plan Counts on Future Density

Despite slowing population growth statewide, officials believe the region will "grow into" the new rail system if cities promote dense development around transit stations.

June 1, 2021 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Bonaventure Expressway

How Highway Removal Can Benefit Cities

Cities across the country are reevaluating the impacts of major highway on neighborhoods and looking for ways to revitalize and reconnect communities.

June 1, 2021 - The New York Times

 Person in a wheelchair entering an inbound Red Line train at Harvard Square

Federal Bill Proposes $10 Billion for Transit Accessibility

The program would fund improvements such as elevators, ramps, and accessible ticketing equipment to bring the nation's transit stations up to ADA standards.

June 1, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Harlem

Debt Piles Up for Low-Income Renters

As the end of federal and state eviction moratoriums looms, renters who fell behind on payments during the pandemic now face "staggering" amounts of debt.

June 1, 2021 - New York Times

Downtown Houston and Buffalo Bayou

New Park Opens as Part of Houston's Ambitious Bayou Greenways 2020 Plan

Bayou Greenways Park is part of a decade-long project building 172 miles of connected greenways around the city of Houston.

May 30, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

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.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

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.