The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Opinion: Upzone Now to Improve Commutes in the Post-Lockdown Future

Building more housing where people work is a simple way to come out of the pandemic with a stronger sense of community and shorter commutes, according to this article.

August 11 - City and State New York

Coronavirus and Transportation

Ride-Hailing Companies Have Yet to Recover

While public transit tends to make the most headlines for coronavirus-damaged ridership numbers, ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft aren't exactly raking in new customers.

August 11 - The Washington Post

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Councilmember Nixes Rezoning Request for Massive Brooklyn Redevelopment Project

Gentrification and displacement concerns won the day over a plan to rezone a former industrial area in Sunset Park, Brooklyn for new retail, offices, hotels and restaurants.

August 11 - The Real Deal

Los Angeles County Sprawl

Inclusionary Zoning Adopted in L.A. County

The county of Los Angeles is looking for policy tools that will add affordable housing units to the housing market. Inclusionary zoning is its policy of choice.

August 10 - Urbanize.LA

Seattle Protest

Planning for an Equitable Economic Recovery

The Seattle Planning Commission recently published a report titled "A Racially Equitable and Resilient Recovery."

August 10 - The Urbanist


South Beach Open Streets

The Cost of COVID Carbon Reduction: $3,200-$5,400 a Ton

The short-term environmental effects of the pandemic economic downturn are clear in the amount of carbon emissions that have been removed from the economy. The long-term effects, however, are subject to a number of contingencies.

August 10 - Taking Stock 2020: The COVID-19 Edition

Montgomery County

New Growth Plan Could End Development Moratorium in Montgomery County

A planning change would make it easier to develop housing near transit in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2018, the county adopted a development moratorium intended to prevent overcrowding in schools.

August 10 - Greater Greater Washington


U.S. Census Bureau

Trump Decides to Cut the 2020 Census Short

The pandemic delayed the 2020 Census, and the Trump administration will cut it short. Experts say this could be the most flawed Census in the country's history.

August 10 - Newsweek

Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines as an Urban Planning Tool

Computer simulations continue to play a novel and important role in urban planning, especially in finding new ways to engage the public and add some fun to the process of planning for the future of cities.

August 10 - parCitypatory

Sprawl

Connecting Sprawl to Inequality and Climate Change

The consequences of more than a century of planning and zoning are gaining more attention in the media as the country struggles through a pandemic. Will these lessons win new political support for more density in residential neighborhoods?

August 10 - NPR

Waterplace Park

BLOG POST

Transitioning from Climate Justice Planning to Climate Justice Action

The Providence Climate Justice Plan offers an exemplary approach to prioritizing the communities and neighborhoods most impacted by the environmental effects of development and industrial pollution.

August 10 - Joan Fitzgerald

Hyperloop

It's Time To Reconsider How Speed Limits Are Set

Speed limits are currently determined by a calculation that considers only the status quo of vehicular velocity. Standard practices for speed limit setting and legislators should prioritize the safety of community members, according to this article.

August 9 - Forbes

Chicago, Illinois

Lincoln Yards, Chicago's Controversial $6 Billion Mega-Project, Set to Break Ground

Groundbreaking for the first component of Chicago's massive Lincoln Yards redevelopment project has been scheduled for early 2021.

August 9 - Chicago Tribune

Social Distancing

Pandemic's New Phase: Spreading to Rural and Urban Areas Alike

A top public health expert in the Trump administration warned that the U.S. is in a "new phase" of the pandemic, different from March and April when the coronavirus largely affected a few big cities. Now urban and rural areas alike are vulnerable.

August 9 - CNN

George Floyd Protests

Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms

A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.

August 9 - Bloomberg CityLab

Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower

First Look at the New Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The idea for the Eisenhower was approved by Congress in 1999, and though the opening date for the Frank Gehry-designed memorial was delayed from May 2020, the public will finally get a chance to see newest memorial in D.C. this September.

August 7 - The Washington Post

Houston, Texas

Seeking '20-Minute Neighborhood' Status in Texas

The neighborhood of Montrose in Houston has undertaken a self-funded study to assess the facts on the ground about walkability in the neighborhood.

August 7 - Community Impact Newspaper

Arlington County, Virginia

Limiting Sidewalk Gatherings to Limit the Spread of Coronavirus

Pedestrians in Arlington County, Virginia can be fined for gathering on sidewalks in groups larger than three.

August 7 - DCist

Subcompact Cars

Good Luck Buying a Small, Affordable Car in the United States

Honda recently ended the Fit, a small, affordable subcompact car favored by urban dwellers (like the managing editor of Planetizen). The U.S. car market is now completely dislocated from the reality of the rest of the world.

August 7 - Vice

Washington State

Washington State Having a 'Dam-Busting Summer'

Two dams have been removed from watersheds in Washington State in as many months.

August 6 - The Seattle Times

Post News

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.

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.