Infrastructure

Light Rail Transit Rendering

Environmental Review for Light Rail Through The Valley Approved

The B Line subway includes two stops in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, but other than that, commuter rail and buses are the only options for transit. New light rail plans could change that.

December 7, 2020 - The Source

Hospital Signs

The Pandemic's Most Critical Health Metric Just Shut Down Most of California

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued the nation's first stay-at-home order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, issued a new order to prevent hospitals in the nation's most populous state from being overwhelmed with COVID patients.

December 7, 2020 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

New Orleans

New Orleans Planning a Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover of the French Quarter

Pedestrian improvements are planned as an economic development opportunity in one of the most pedestrian-friendly places in the entire country—the French Quarter of New Orleans.

December 7, 2020 - WDSU

Silver Line

To Dream the Impossible Transit Dream

The dream of high-quality, zero-emission transit in all large U.S. cities is possible.

December 6, 2020 - Urban Institute

Beltway Traffic

Connecting Maryland and Virginia By Transit

Bethesda and Tysons, in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia, respectively, look like neighbors on a map, but they lack a direct transit route. That could change.

December 4, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Septic Tank

Lack of Septic Systems Spell Disaster for Low-Income Alabama Residents

Low-income Alabama residents who can't afford the cost of a functional septic tank run the risk of heavy fines and even arrest in addition to extremely unsafe conditions.

December 3, 2020 - The New Yorker

Portland, Oregon

Columbia River Crossing Back From the Dead With a New Name and Potential Changes

2021 will be a big year for planning on the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, née Columbia River Crossing, that will connect Washington and Oregon across the Columbia River.

December 3, 2020 - The Urbanist

Washington

City Council Rejects Rezoning Approved by Planning Commission, Planning Staff

It's a tale as old as time: A plan to rezone ten acres of land in Spokane splits the public and the City Council from the opinions of the city's planning staff and Planning Commission.

December 3, 2020 - The Spokesman-Review

Lake Michigan

Lessons From the Viral Video of Lake Michigan Taking Out a Bike Commuter

Climate change will only increase the frequency of incidents like the one captured by a television news station in Chicago earlier this week.

December 3, 2020 - Bicycling

Platte River

Building Rural Resilience

Rural areas have been attracting a lot attention for news sources traditionally devoted to urban news and information. A new report from the Brookings Institution is the latest example.

December 2, 2020 - Brookings

Scooter Citations

An Atlas of E-Scooter Policies

Introducing the Micromobility Policy Atlas.

December 2, 2020 - Shared-Use Mobility Center

Pedestrian Crosswalk

U.S. DOT Releases First-Ever Pedestrian Safety Plan

Record numbers of pedestrians have been killed by drivers in recent years. The federal government says a "team effort" will be necessary to stop the carnage.

December 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Muni Bus Overhead Wire

The Transit Catastrophe Continues: San Francisco, D.C. Forecast Service Cuts, Layoffs

Advocates have been waiting for the other shoe to drop as transit agencies deal with cratered revenues during the pandemic without support from Congress.

December 1, 2020 - San Francisco Examiner

Transit Planning

Dedicated Center Lane Planned for Madison Bus Rapid Transit

Some portions of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system planned for Madison, Wisconsin will resemble the fully realized BRT systems more common in other parts of the world.

December 1, 2020 - Wisconsin State Journal

Free Street

On Rent Control and a Green New Deal, Portland, Maine Voters Go Where Others Don't Dare

Rent control was dealt another high-profile setback in California, and the Green New Deal is a hot button issue stuck in limbo in Congress. Both efforts got the go-ahead from voters in Portland, Maine in November.

December 1, 2020 - Next City

Maryland Transit Administration

Maryland's Purple Line Gets the Green Light Again

The public-private partnership behind the Purple Line light rail project in Maryland fell apart in September, and has this past week been revived.

December 1, 2020 - The Washington Post

Book in the Park

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020

The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.

November 30, 2020 - Josh Stephens

Pandemic Drive-Thru

Cities Double Down on Car-Centric Services During the Pandemic

The pandemic has created even more obstacles to participation in society for those without a car.

November 30, 2020 - Transfers

First Responders

New York City Traffic Fatalities Pass 2019 Totals

The visions of a car-free utopia that might have seemed like a potential silver lining in March and April have given away to a tragic reality.

November 29, 2020 - New York Post

Renewable Energy

Bipartisan Compromise in Arizona Results in Carbon-Free Energy Plan

The state of Arizona has a plan to eliminate carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050.

November 27, 2020 - Inside Climate News

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.