Land Use

Jane's Walk

The 'Jane's Walk' Tradition Continues

In honor of the pioneering urbanist, who would have been 101 years old this week, citizens are organizing "Jane's Walks" in cities across the globe.

May 2, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Seattle Skyline from Kerry Park

Proposed Regulations to Create Affordable Housing for Seattle's Uptown

Draft ordinance regulating urban design in Seattle's Uptown would mean big changes for the neighborhood’s affordable housing requirements.

May 1, 2017 - The Urbanist

Scaffolding

The Costs of California Building Codes

Reconciling accessibility and safety with costs and innovation in the Golden State.

May 1, 2017 - The Bay City Beacon

Turnstiles

Joined at the Hip: Transit Use and Walkability

Zak Accuardi argues that while mobility services can enhance transit, only walkability can solve the "first and last mile" problem.

April 30, 2017 - TransitCenter

Detroit Vacant Properties

Using Big Data to Identify Problem Properties

In New York state, municipalities can apply to use a new tool that gathers property data and sifts for red flags. The intent is to identify potential blight before it sets in.

April 29, 2017 - NextCity

A Community Benefits Proposal is Ignored. Is Displacement Far Behind?

A tent city occupation in Atlanta is among several recent actions in cities around the country. Residents fearing displacement at the hands of publicly supported private development are organizing, and running for office, against it.

April 29, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

National Monuments

Antiquities Act Executive Order Calls for Review of Large Designations

The Executive Order does not roll back the Antiquities Act nor rescind any designations made by presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama, but does call for their review if over 100,000 acres. President Trump feels that the act has been misused.

April 28, 2017 - The Washington Post

King Tides

A Timeline of CEQA-Circumventing Court Rulings

The California Environmental Quality Act is generally considered a major obstacle for development. In a few cases, however, the law's definitions have been used to clear the way for development in environmentally sensitive areas.

April 27, 2017 - San Francisco Public Press

Ocean Grove Sidewalk

What Would Delivery Robots Mean for Public Space?

If companies like Startship and Marble get their way, sidewalks will play host to hundreds of rolling delivery bots. It's one solution to "last-mile" logistics, but are pedestrians prepared to give way?

April 26, 2017 - The Guardian

Griffith Park

Planning and Zoning for Growth: A Few Lessons from Los Angeles

C.J. Gabbe guest blogs about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

April 26, 2017 - JPER

Kayaking

Rhetoric Over Public Lands Heating Up in Washington, D.C.

As the Outdoor Industry Association gathered for its annual advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., the industry is marshaling its resources for an expected political battle with the Trump Administration.

April 26, 2017 - The Denver Post

United Nations Taking First Steps Toward the New Urban Agenda

Some of the big work left undone by the Habitat III summit in finalizing the New Urban Agenda in December is now moving forward. The future of the New Urban Agenda and UN-Habitat can now start to take shape.

April 26, 2017 - Citiscope

Google Headquarters

Report: Bay Area Needs More Transit Oriented Companies

The irony isn't lost on the authors of a new report by SPUR: Bay Area companies committed to technology innovation obstinately rely on traditional and inefficient commutes in automobiles.

April 25, 2017 - The San Francisco Chronicle

No Loitering

MARTA's 'Carmageddon' Transit Ridership Strategy: More Parking Spaces

Parking lots at MARTA stations have been filling up quickly as Atlantans adjust to their commutes without I-85, after the major freeway collapsed earlier this week.

April 25, 2017 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Trinity River Dallas Floodplain

A Closer Look at the Big Park Plans Along Dallas' Trinity River

The Trinity River Project is coming into focus, after years of planning and decades of discussion. A $50 million donation in 2016 provided a big boost for Dallas' ambitious plans.

April 24, 2017 - Business Insider

Parking

Reduced and More Accurate Parking Requirements

For each dollar motorists spend on their vehicles somebody spends more than a dollar to park it. To reduce these costs many jurisdictions are eliminating or reducing parking requirements and encouraging more efficient parking management. You can too!

April 24, 2017 - Todd Litman

Solar Power

Coal Country Warms-up to Solar Power

President Trump may be stuck in a past era of thriving coal mines, but at least one forward-thinking coal company sees lucrative opportunities in using reclaimed mountaintop strip mines as sites for solar farms.

April 23, 2017 - Courier-Journal

Virginia

Transit Oriented Parking Reform in Virginia

Arlington County, Virginia has begun a process to reduce parking requirements for large residential developments near transit stations.

April 22, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Wildfire

Coming to Grips With the Future of Wildfires

As wildfires become bigger, more frequent, and more expensive to fight, new methods for preventing the worst impacts of fire will be necessary, according to a new study.

April 22, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Chicago

New Public Space Outside Wrigley Field Just Another Win for Chicago

Chicago Cubs fans looking to bask in the glory of the team's first World Series victory since 1908 will find a new public plaza and lawn next to the stadium. The plaza will be open to the public on non-baseball days too.

April 21, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

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.