Land Use

Bike Lane in Philadelphia

Op-Ed: Philadelphia City Council Shouldn't Be Able to Block Bike Lanes

The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board pushes against a proposed bill that increases City Council oversight of new bike lanes. Traffic calming, the Inquirer argues, requires a citywide approach.

March 21, 2018 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Philly.com

Washington, D.C. Rowhouses

How a Change in the Definition of 'Cellars' Could Downzone Much of Washington, D.C.

The D.C. Zoning Commission will revisit a proposed text amendment to the District Zoning Code in April.

March 21, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

San Francisco Street

Mapping the Law of the Land: Curbside Access

More uses and modes than ever are fighting for curb space in growing cities. Here's an app to make sense of what you can do, and when, along this valued real estate.

March 21, 2018 - The Verge

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Clermont County, Ohio

Celebrating the 'Greenspace Gems' in the Cincinnati Region

An advocacy organization in the Tri-State area (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) is raising awareness about the region's 116,000 acres of preserved greenspace.

March 17, 2018 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Fence

New Mexico Made Streams and Rivers Private Property

And now those property owners are putting barbed wire over the river to keep out "trespassers."

March 17, 2018 - The Guardian

Des Moines Mega-Development Likened to a 'City Within a City'

New details of an ambitious infill project in Des Moines were released at the end of 2017.

March 16, 2018 - Des Moines Register

San Diego County, California

Can Water Supply Keep Up with the Need to Build More Housing?

Population growth creates a collision course in the American West.

March 16, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

London Traffic

Gaining Support: Plan to Close Oxford Street in London to Cars

A proposal to block cars (and bikes) from Oxford Street has the support of London Mayor and the Westminster Council—as well as the general public.

March 16, 2018 - Evening Standard

Wood Construction

Is Mass Timber the Solution to California's Housing Crisis?

One writer argues that cost, versatility and visual appeal makes this new building material exactly what the state will need if planned regulatory changes go through.

March 14, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Restaurant Row, designed by Local Office Landscape and Urban Design

A Dutch 'Shared Street' Is Coming To Miami

A Dutch-style "shared street" is being planned in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.

March 14, 2018 - Modern Cities

How to Fight 'Coastal Squeeze' By Engineering Nature

A Rutgers professor restores natural processes to help shorelines adapt to rising sea levels.

March 13, 2018 - The Harvard Gazette

Wasatch Mountains

This Is What Really, Really Cheap Water Is Actually Costing Utah

The state's widespread practice of supplying unlimited untreated water to homes may be part of the reason it has to spend billions on a new pipeline and dam.

March 13, 2018 - Water Deeply

Los Angeles Skyline with houses

California Spends $6.5 Billion on Homeowner Subsidies, 15 Times Less on Renters

A new report from the California Housing Partnership "revealed a wide gap between state support for homeowners and renters."

March 12, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Minneapolis Draft Comprehensive Plan Would Allow Fourplexes in Single-Family Neighborhoods

If the rezoning of single-family neighborhoods succeeds in Minneapolis as part of its ongoing Comprehensive Plan process, we could be looking at one of the most ambitious pro-development zoning schemes in the country.

March 12, 2018 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Death of Two Children in Park Slope Crash Sparks Protest

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has been criticized by pedestrian safety activists and, when a driver ran a red light killing two young children, hundreds came out to confront the mayor in person.

March 9, 2018 - The Village Voice

Erskine Fire

In California, Policies Spur Rebuilding in the Wildland-Urban Interface

After the worst wildfire season ever, changes to local land use and state insurance rules essentially ensure that the same thing will happen again.

March 9, 2018 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Downtown Boise

Housing Affordability Challenges Visit Idaho

Boise and surrounding cities are going to need new housing to meet the demand of tens of thousands of new residents in the coming years.

March 9, 2018 - Idaho Business Review

Sprawl

Revisiting Subdivision Regulations

For many decades now, most communities in the United States have grown as a series of subdivisions, built on a tried and true formula. It might be time to change the math.

March 9, 2018 - Strong Towns

Vacant Lot

Mapping All the Lots NYC Has Sold for a Song

Not really a song, but close: $1.

March 8, 2018 - Next City

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.

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.