Leeds is the third biggest city in the U.K., located in the north of England. While it may not necessarily appear on tourists’ top bucket list destinations, the Leeds City Council is determined to make it the best city in the U.K.

In a world where the “smart” approaches to life stem mostly from the metropolitan areas, it’s worthwhile taking a look at the smaller cities’ visions. They could be further away from incorporating intricate technologies like 5G or the Internet of Things, but their priorities in achieving growth could provide some thought-provoking insights.
To encourage the compassionate theme across all Leeds communities, the council has initiated a ceremony that celebrates the people or organisations whose positive impact stands out. The Leeds Compassionate City Awards run every year and it works based on nominations. This is a fantastic way to inspire more individuals to act compassionately towards their peers. Some of the rewarded categories include the Health and Wellbeing award, the Community project of the year, Outstanding achievement of the year or Diversity project of the year. Due to the pandemic, the ceremony will be held in a different manner, but it will still take place on 10th December.
FULL STORY: Leeds, The UK’s most compassionate city

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.

Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport
Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
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 Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
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.