As the northern summer starts, one of the questions I am asked most frequently by current and prospective planning students is: what should I read? A number of resources are available to answer this question. This month I look at general planning readings for a North American audience but in coming months I’ll explore readings about global planning issues, planning methods, and planning classics. For those wanting an overview of planning issues, the following lists are good places to start:
As the northern summer starts, one of the questions I am
asked most frequently by current and prospective planning students is: what
should I read? A number of resources are available to answer this question. This
month I look at general planning readings for a North American audience but in
coming months I'll explore readings about global planning issues, planning
methods, and planning classics.
For those wanting an overview of planning issues, the
following lists are good places to start:
The Planetizen top 20 planning books is a solid introductory
list of interesting and accessible books identified through nominations by Planetizen
readers and others: http://www.planetizen.com/books/20
The planners web list for citizen planners is the result of a 1999 survey by
the Planning Commissioners Journal and is also focused on popular and readable
books:
http://www.plannersweb.com/books/book-recs1.html
The Disorientation Guide is a manual published by Planners
Network but written for students by students. Available as a downloadable PDF
it provides a list of media resources including a large number of books,
typically with a critical edge. Go to http://www.plannersnetwork.org/publications/disorientation.html,
download the guide, and go to pages 13-15.
Finally, all the lists above are focused on general issues
in planning but for those interested in a specific topic there is another kind
of source. Many planning faculty post syllabi on the web and each one contains
readings selected for relevance. Googling "urban planning syllabus" or
"planning class" plus a keyword can lead you to these very useful resources. I particularly
like the urban studies and planning section of the MIT Open Courseware site at http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Studies-and-Planning/index.htm
Ann Forsyth reads
several hundred articles and books in planning each year and will provide more
resources for reading about planning in upcoming months.

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
