Land Use

Temporary Autonomous Zones Alter Public Space in The UK

The increase in outdoor music festivals, guerrilla gardening, temporary restaurants, cinemas and pop-up shops are all examples of "a growing appetite for transforming our apparently prosaic, profit-led landscape into something else."

September 4, 2010 - The Guardian

Pedestrianism a World Cup Legacy in Cape Town

Pedestrianism is on the rise in Cape Town, South Africa, where the recent World Cup has inspired more citizens to get out of their cars and put their feet on the street.

September 4, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

The Year of the City at Burning Man

The annual arts festival Burning Man is underway in Northwestern Nevada. This year's theme of Metropolis highlights the event's city-like nature.

September 3, 2010 - Next American City

A Little Bit of Venice in New Orleans

The waters that have for so long plagued New Orleans should be reconsidered as an amenity, not a curse, according to this commentary.

September 3, 2010 - Bloomberg

"Temporary" Parks Get Approved Easier

Heather Smith talks with urban designer Andres Power about his work creating parklets within the San Francisco Planning Department.

September 3, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine

Meet the Geeks Re-Shaping D.C.

Planning nerd bloggers like David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington are finding that they can have significant influence in the world of D.C. planning and development.

September 2, 2010 - Washington City Paper

Redefining a Planning Department

The L.A. Department of City Planning is experiencing radical changes in leadership, planning process, and organizational structure. The leaders--past, present, and, future--of planning in L.A. gathered in August to discuss a vision for the future.

September 2, 2010 - The Planning Report

Suburban Living With Urban Amenities

Bill Fulton visits his family in Rockville, Maryland, and discovers that a young family looking for suburban space can find it within walking distance of the library, the Metro stop, and mixed-use development.

September 1, 2010 - California Planning & Development Report

Growing Pains in Livable Singapore

Singapore, one of the world's most livable cities, is facing a population boom that some say will give the city a crowded and unpleasant future. Recent weather-related destruction highlight some of its growing pains.

September 1, 2010 - Yahoo

London's Not-So-Super Cycle Highways

This Big City takes a ride on one of London's new bicycle Superhighways, and finds some room for improvement.

August 31, 2010 - This Big City

Finalists Chosen in Redesign Bid for Decommissioned Airport

Six finalists have been chosen in a bid to redesign Berlin's decommissioned Tempelhof Airport. The airport is currently open as a park, but the city wants a more formal redesign.

August 31, 2010 - Der Spiegel

The Economics of China's Mega Traffic Jam

The recent 11-day traffic jam in China was no fluke. As The Economist explains, the crushing congestion is little more than a real-world example of imbalances in supply and demand.

August 30, 2010 - The Economist

Bike Lanes Make Streets Safer for Pedestrians

A new study from the New York City Department of Transportation shows that streets with painted bike lanes are 40% less dangerous for pedestrians, among other findings.

August 30, 2010 - Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Will Atlanta Grow No More?

Citing three examples of growing pains in Metro Atlanta, this piece wonders whether the region is incapable of efficiently growing any further.

August 30, 2010 - The Economist

Best Apps for Building and Construction

Houston Neal from Software Advice picks the best apps for construction, from carpentry and electrical calculators to design tools like REVIT and Google SketchUp.

August 29, 2010 - Software Advice

The Legacy of L.A.'s Former Planning Director

Gail Goldberg recently left the helm of the City of Los Angeles' City Planning Department. AIA Los Angeles takes a look back at her four-year tenure and the positive impacts she made.

August 29, 2010 - AIA Los Angeles

Parks Are A Wise Investment In Tough Times

At a time when families across the country are facing fewer choices for fun, ambitious park projects like those in St. Louis, Detroit and Houston are "bringing urban centers back to life," according to JoAnn Greco.

August 29, 2010 - Washington Post

Kowloon Cultural District Takes Shape in Hong Kong

Office of Metropolitan Architecture, Foster + Partners, and Rocco Design Architects have each submitted plans for Kowloon's new cultural district to be built on reclaimed land.

August 28, 2010 - ASLA The Dirt

How Philistinism and Contempt For Urban Planning Scarred England's Crowded Cities

England is now the second most densely populated place in Europe, after Malta. New data shows the UK as a whole has roughly the same density as Germany. This indicates a concentration of population in particular places and underpopulation elsewhere.

August 27, 2010 - The Guardian

Can This Desert Oasis Project Actually Be Green?

This piece from Fast Company Design looks at plans for an eco-conscious-yet-inappropriately lush desert development being planned in Oman, and wonders whether a project so out of place will actually work.

August 27, 2010 - Fast Company Design

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.