The Biggest Stories from Five Years of Independence Days

Here's what the Planetizen audience was reading on the July 4ths of yesteryear.

1 minute read

July 4, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


4th of July Parade

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

The United States declared its independence 240 years ago today. Planetizen has been the independent resource for people passionate about planning and related fields for 16 years. We like to think the Planetizen archive is one of the site's most valuable resources, and what better time to remember where we came from than on Independence Day.

With that in mind, here's a tour of the most popular stories from the last five Fourth of Julys.

Adapting Landscape Architecture to the Anthropocene (2015)
Census: More Americans Living in 'Poverty Areas' (2014)
The Side Effects of Property Taxes (2013)
Tax Breaks for Big Business is Bad Policy (2012)
Cities Ready for Climate Change (2011)

Monday, July 4, 2016 in Planetizen

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

June 16 - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

June 16 - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News