The work of planners might seem unimportant during the pandemic, according to this article, but some of the skills and expertise of planning are more important than ever.
Joshua Baum writes to reaffirm the role of the planning profession during the coronavirus pandemic, which might be causing planners to doubt the importance of the traditional tasks of the job relativ to the work of controlling the spread of coronavirus and treating the sick.
For instance, "many of the biggest issues that planners work on have become even more acute during the age of Coronavirus." So, planners are uniquely positioned to help during the pandemic on issues of housing, homelessness, and transportation (for the goods and essential workers we all depend on to survive), according to Baum.
Read the full story: What is the role of urban planners during the coronavirus pandemic?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic Place Names
From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority