The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Does the Evolution of Smartphones Come at the Expense of 'Spatial Thinking'?
Are smartphones supplementing the capacity of humans to think spatially, such that future generations might lose fundamental cognitive abilities?
$213 Million for Homeless Tracking, Support System in Los Angeles
Broadening a system first tested in Los Angeles in 2013, a coalition of local and national government agencies and philanthropic organizations has provided $213 million for the Home for Good program—described as "match.com for homeless people."
Mapping the Shrinking Neighborhoods of Chicago
Daniel Kay Hertz shares a map tracking the population of neighborhoods in Chicago since 1950, providing insights into how the city has changed.
Are Brutalist Buildings Too Obdurate to Preserve?
Famous examples of aging architecture styles, such as brutalism, are in need of renovations, sometimes requiring the public to pay the bill. But brutalist buildings are often obdurate and hard to adapt and reuse.
The Reviews Are In: Philadelphia's New Dilworth Park
Calling it "a suit in a jeans-and-T-shirt world," Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron's review of the redesigned Dilworth Park in Philadelphia is more criticism than celebration.
What's Driving the Economic Turnaround in Youngstown and Canton, Ohio?
Youngstown had been one of those Rust Belt, "shrinking" cities long noted in Planetizen, but thanks in part to fracking and its location on the Utica shale formation, manufacturing has returned and unemployment has dropped by half since 2010.
Meet China's New Carbon Market
The world's largest emitter of CO2, China, has adopted a cap-and-trade program would open the world's largest carbon market as early as 2016.
Mayor de Blasio Claims Early Pedestrian Safety Success for Vision Zero
Is it too soon for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to tout the success of Vision Zero?
On the Future of Public Art
Public art can be personal, political, grandly scaled, or small in ambition. And, yes, there's a "new wave" of public art to be found in yard bombing, flash mobs, and tactical urbanism. Find out what the experts say about the future of public art.
Can the 'Sharing Economy Advisory Network' Help Cities and the New Economy Get Along?
The National League of Cities has created the Sharing Economy Advisory Network to develop best practices for cities in developing regulations while also allowing sharing economy businesses to expand and operate.
Transportation Planning a Key Issue in Upcoming City Elections
Rachel Dovey provides a roundup of mayoral races that feature special interest and attention on the issues of public transportation and transit-oriented development.
Cincinnati's Unique, Recession-Era Gentrification
A new study examines gentrification (measured by relative income) at the neighborhoods, revealing the unique case of Cincinnati, which increased wealth faster during the recession than it did during the preceding boom.
You’ve Got Lemons: What Now?
A timeless marker of community has emerged as a source of conflict: the lemonade stand is being called an "illegal business." Scott Doyon discusses how getting to know — and support! — your neighbor can be an issue of survival.
Survey Finds Chicago Drivers Failing to Yield for Pedestrians
A study finds that most drivers disregard for the rights of pedestrians to cross the road. Visual cues, however, provided by street design, greatly increase the likelihood that drivers will yield.
A New Guide to Green Infrastructure
With a growing body of research to support the construction of infrastructure that supports, protects, and even mimics natural systems, the American Society of Landscape Architects has released a guide to green infrastructure.
Philadelphia's Waterfront Showing Signs of Life
After decades of promises of improvements along the Delaware River In Philadelphia with little to show for it, recent "small but powerful" public improvements are remaking the city's waterfront into a "welcoming, fun place to hang out."
6 Tips for Good Design in Your Town
Good design impacts tourism, jobs, property values and quality of life. What can we do to bring good design to small towns and rural communities? Here are a few good tips and inspiring examples.
Keystone XL Update: Nebraska Supreme Court Case Begins
The Nebraska Supreme Court began hearing the case that will be considered before the Obama Administration will decide whether or not to authorize the controversial pipeline.
The United States' Top Large City for Biking Is...
Portland (top city in 2012)? Minneapolis (top city in 2010)? No, it's the Big Apple! New York City leaped from #7 in 2012 to the top spot this year for cities with populations of 100,000 or greater.
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Are We Approaching Peak Land Use Control?
With an increasing reliance on development regulations and requirements on land owners to satisfy policy goals, are we approaching an unsustainable point in land use controls?
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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.
