The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Copernicus Sentinel Data

Satellite Imagery of a Decade's Transformation

Trends in land use and development are made obvious with satellite imagery tracking changes during the 2010s.

January 1 - The New York Times

Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump

Watch: Urban Planning in the 2010s

A first draft of the urban planning history of the 2010s.

December 31 - Planetizen via YouTube

Transit Insights

FEATURE

Top Urban Planning Websites – 2019

Planetizen's annual list of the best of the planning Internet gives a taste of the technological and editorial milieu of the urban planning Internet at the beginning of a new decade.

December 31 - James Brasuell

Alaska

Census 2020 Ready for Launch

In parts of Alaska, it's easier to start the Census count in January, when the ground is frozen. They'll get a head start in January.

December 31 - Associated Press via NBC Montana

New York Development

Study: U.S. Land Use Regulations More Restrictive Since the Great Recession

A new metric for measuring land use regulation traces the evolution of land use regulations over the past decade, finding that U.S. municipalities on a net basis adopted slightly more restrictive land use regulations from 2006 to 2018.

December 31 - The National Bureau of Economic Research


U.S.-Mexico Border

The Traditional Snarky Architecture Review—This Time for the Decade

This annual architecture and design award has been kicking for ten years now, and 2019 provides the perfect opportunity to review the decade that was the 2010s.

December 31 - Curbed

Charlottesville

Mapping Housing Discrimination in Charlottesville

Like many American cities, the site of white supremacist unrest in 2017 has a long history of residential discrimination by race. This mapping project seeks to uncover the roots of today's disparities.

December 30 - Next City


New Jersey

East Coast Considers Plan to Hike Gas Prices to Mitigate Climate Change

Will a dozen East Coast states and D.C. agree to a regional plan that would likely hike gas prices through a "cap-and-invest" program to mitigate tailpipe emissions similar to what California has done for the last five years?

December 30 - The New York Times

Seattle

Lowering the Barrier to Make Public Land Available for Affordable Housing

Municipalities can help fill in a crucial piece of the affordable housing puzzle by making public land accessible for development.

December 30 - Housing Matters

Arizona Suburb

The Flip Side of Single-Family Housing

Much of the debate about housing shortages and rising housing costs focuses on single-family housing as the main culprit. But could it also be part of the solution?

December 30 - Curbed

Citizen Science Day in Bridger-Teton National Forest

BLOG POST

6 Examples of Citizen Science at Work

A few examples from around the world illustrate the power of crowdsourcing to expand the scope of scientific inquiry.

December 30 - Kayla Matthews

Kansas City Bus

What Free Transit Means to Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri will be the largest U.S. city to operate a fare-free system that officials say will make transit more accessible.

December 29 - CityLab

5  Pointz New York City

The Urban Landscape New York City Lost in the 2010s

Over the last decade, many historic buildings and cultural institutions throughout New York City have disappeared. The result has been the transformation of neighborhoods and the city’s character.

December 29 - Curbed New York

A ferry boat returns to Seattle

Washington State to Transition to Battery Electric Ferries

Washington's largest diesel emissions polluter will transition its fleet to diesel-hybrids and then to battery-electric propulsion to comply with Gov. Inslee's emissions-reduction executive order which will also please the orcas in Puget Sound.

December 29 - Greentech Media

Arizona Sprawl

Phoenix, No Longer an Affordable Housing Haven

Fast-rising rents in Phoenix mean housing costs are out of reach for more residents, and the city is no longer considered a place where affordable housing is easy to find.

December 29 - The Mercury News

Chicago

Chicago Planning Commissioner Focuses on Disinvested Neighborhoods

A new initiative seeks to bring investment dollars to Chicago communities that for decades have suffered from the loss of wealth and population.

December 29 - Next City

Eucalyptus Tree

The Ongoing Debate Over California's Eucalyptus Trees

The eucalyptus is an exotic species in California, and studies suggest it has contributed to an increase in wildfire hazards. But defenders of the trees say the eucalyptus is just an ecological scapegoat.

December 28 - The Guardian

Omaha Nebraska

'Extremely Blighted' Designation Spurs Investment in Nebraska Cities

Neighborhoods in Nebraska, located in areas already deemed blighted, will receive priority funding and homebuyer tax credits from the state.

December 28 - Next City

Los Angeles Streetlights

San Diego Smart City Sensors Causing Controversy

Thousands of streetlight sensors are collecting a trove of data—from traffic counts to humidity levels—and advocacy groups say the city needs to be more transparent about how the data is being used and who has access to it.

December 28 - Smart Cities Dive

Victorian Townhomes

Cost to Repair Philadelphia Homes Is $2.7 Billion, Study Finds

Many homes in Philadelphia are in need of repairs, and low-income renters are most affected by substandard housing.

December 28 - WHYY

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.