"Sprawl" has become a common, everyday word, yet until now it had little definition other than "I know it when I see it."
Writing in the Fannie Mae Foundation's journal, Housing Policy Debate, Galster et al. argue that the literature on urban sprawl confuses causes, consequences, and conditions. They present a conceptual definition of sprawl based on eight distinct dimensions of land use patterns, and test their definition for 13 urbanized areas. The results characterize Atlanta as the most sprawling and New York City as the most compact of the 13 areas tested. The test confirms the utility of the "urban sprawl indicators" approach. This article reports on the first phase of a major research project that will ultimately produce a sprawl index for a larger set of urbanized areas. This work to provide a clearer conceptual and operational definition will facilitate research on the causes and consequences of sprawl.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Wrestling Sprawl to the Ground: Defining and Measuring an Elusive Concept

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

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)