Land Use

Venice Beach, Los Angeles

Supportive Housing Bridging Venice Canals Granted Planning Commission Approval in L.A.

The mixed-use Reese Davidson Community will include 140 housing units, commercial space, and a performance space.

June 11, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Las Vegas Sprawl

What Is Regional Planning?

Regional planning addresses planning issues that cross local jurisdictional boundaries, like transportation or watershed protection. In other examples, regional planning offers a holistic approach to the interconnected systems and dynamics that shape physical and cultural landscapes.

June 9, 2021 - James Brasuell

Central Los Angeles

L.A. Planners Working to Shift Affordable Housing Distribution for More Equitable Results

Almost all the affordable housing development in L.A. in the past decade has occurred in majority-minority neighborhoods. The L.A. Department of City Planning is looking for ways to make sure high-income areas do more of their fair share.

June 9, 2021 - Urbanize LA

Highway 93

Unsustainable Sprawl Testing Water Supplies in the Valley of the Sun

As more and more people move to the suburbs blossoming in the Phoenix metro area, local water officials are increasingly concerned about the region's ability to keep up with demand.

June 9, 2021 - High Country News

Downtown Flint Michigan along Saginaw Street

How Much Land Is Lost to Wide Streets?

New research assesses the land value of street space in 20 of the largest counties in the United States.

June 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Parking Sign

The Pretext Problem: The Pitfalls of Planning While Bargaining

Lots of planning is discretionary. Cities and developers negotiate what builders will do for cities in exchange for the right to build, creating an incentive for bad rules, eroding the public's faith in zoning, and enabling political corruption.

June 9, 2021 - Michael Manville

Yosemite

Opinion: We're Loving Our National Parks to Death

A reservation system could help the struggling national parks system manage crowds and protect our public lands from overuse, according to this article.

June 8, 2021 - MinnPost

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

Cruise Ships

San Diego Could Expand Parking Reforms to Non-Residential Land Uses

A proposed code amendment would expand parking reforms implemented by San Diego in 2019.

June 7, 2021 - NBC San Diego

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

Vancouver Skyline

How the 'Financialization of Housing' is Physically Changing Cities

The increasing investment value of real estate has led to tangible changes in the way buildings are designed and function, one author argues.

June 7, 2021 - Fast Company

Raleigh

Planners Working on Parking Reform Legislation in Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina is the latest in a series of cities pursuing a significant departure from the 20th century planning status quo.

June 4, 2021 - The News & Observer

Al Fresco Streets

Outdoor Dining Debate Heats Up as New York City Opens Up

A study, a debate, and an awards show—all included in the wild west politics of parking in the Big Apple.

June 4, 2021 - New York Post

Building Heights and Step-Backs

What Are Height Limits?

Height limits are a critical component of almost every zoning code in the United States.

June 3, 2021 - James Brasuell

China Bikeshare

An International Comparison of Transportation Modes

Access (the ease of reaching desired destinations) is a key factor in transport, sustainability, and urban planning. This new study applies multimodal accessibility analysis to 4 modes in 117 cities in 6 countries, illustrated graphically.

June 3, 2021 - NPJ Urban Sustainability

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

Magnolia Gardens

New Tool Aims to Make Parks More Resilient to Climate Change

The interactive mapping platform helps park managers understand the risks in their area and create long-term resilience plans.

June 2, 2021 - Next City

Alternative Pedestrian Walkway, 60th Avenue, Portland

Portland Installs 'Alternative Pedestrian Walkway'

The walkway is simpler and faster to build than a sidewalk, letting the city quickly and cost-effectively improve pedestrian safety on important walking corridors.

June 2, 2021 - Bike Portland

HUD

Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities

A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.

June 2, 2021 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Virginia

Parking Minimums on the Chopping Block in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia has decided to study the idea of removing parking minimums to lower the cost of housing and make more efficient use of land in the city.

June 2, 2021 - Richmond Times-Dispatch

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.