The need for access to parks and open space has never been as obvious, or as pressing.

Minneapolis has regained the top spot in the Trust for Public Land's (TPL) annual ParkScore rankings for park access in the largest 100 cities in the United States.
Minneapolis reclaimed the top spot, bouncing the previous year's top ranked city, Washington, D.C., into the second spot.
TPL uses the ParkScore rankings to raise awareness about the need for improved access to parks and open space in many cities and neighborhoods around the country--a point that has never been more clear than during the stay-at-home orders of the Covid-19 pandemic. To address the critical needs for parks and open space during the pandemic, TPL also created a special report called "Parks and the Pandemic."
H/T to Chris Teale for sharing news of the ParkScore rankings.
FULL STORY: Minneapolis, MN 2020 ParkScore® ranking: #1

The California High-Speed Rail Project Illustrates America’s Transit Issues
Slow progress and a bloated budget have plagued the High-Speed Rail project linking San Francisco to Los Angeles, exposing deeper issues with American transit projects.

What Role Does Health Care Play in Community Development?
Cities are economically diverse and require accessible health care systems, but this can be challenging to implement. Urban developers are working alongside health professionals to create affordable care for city residents.

Density and Driving: A Second Look
A common argument against more compact housing is that increased population density will only reduce vehicle miles traveled at moderate levels of density, as opposed to very low-density and very high-density areas. But this might not be so.

Zoning Reform Gains Momentum in Northern Virginia
Arlington County and Alexandria are moving forward with actions that could potentially launch a new era of planning and development in their respective communities.

Zoning Reform Works, but Is No Magic Bullet
Improving housing affordability and boosting housing production requires more than just eliminating single-family zoning.

Feds to Award $13 Million for Transit Oriented Development Planning
A newly bolstered competitive grant program administered by the Federal Transit Administration has announced a new round of funding.
Piedmont Environmental Council
City of Oakland, California
Marin Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
City of Redwood City
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.