North America
Planning Education: Striking a Better Balance
Planning education and practice fail to recognize the importance of physical design and spatial planning. Randall Arendt diagnoses the root of the disorder and suggests some treatments for returning urban planning to good health.
Considering Mindfulness as an Urban Planner's Tool
A recent blog post in Substack considers the appropriation of mindfulness to urban observation and, implicitly, urban planning today.
Promoting Cycling as Public Health Measure
An argument for better bike infrastructure from a healthcare perspective.
How Cities Still Fail People With Disabilities
Even when accessibility is taken into account, transit stations and pedestrian infrastructure often still fail to make appropriate accommodations.
Peak Car? Check Your Data
There is evidence that automobile travel is peaking while demand for non-auto modes is growing, but double-check your data sources to be sure.
Upzoning Affordability Impacts: The Latest Research
There are new controversies concerning how upzoning affects housing supply and affordability, and new research to help planners understand these issues.
Study: Office Conversions One-Third More Affordable Than New Housing
Where conditions are right for office-to-residential adaptive reuse, projects can be completed faster and at a significantly lower cost than new construction.
Could an ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ Spur Downtown Revitalization?
In his fifth article for GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe asks whether an onsite “living lab” could spur more entrepreneurship and impact downtown regeneration in Seattle.
The Materials Movement: Advancing Low-Carbon, Healthy Materials for Sustainable Communities
Every component of a building, from the concrete foundation to the paint on the walls, has an impact on human health, the climate, and ecosystems around the globe. Building materials—once overlooked in real estate’s sustainability efforts—are now bei
Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool
In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.
Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws
‘Free’ employee parking increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
Building Community With Cohousing
Developers and buyers create new models for housing that hold the promise of a more environmentally friendly, connected, and multigenerational way of living.
Carzilla: How Huge SUVs and Trucks Hurt Pedestrians and Walkable Communities
Ever wonder where the supersizing of cars is going to end? Kaid Benfield dives deep into the subject and suggests five actions we can take to get to a safer spot in the road.
The City Beyond Amazon's ‘Great Return’
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe explains how, as the Amazon (and other) “Great Returns” to the office unfold, it's essential to dig deeper.
Dramatic Decline in New EV Models to Qualify for Federal Tax Credit
The Treasury Department released long-awaited rules required by the historic Inflation Reduction Action on March 31 that will determine which electric vehicle models purchased after April 17 will qualify for a federal credit up to $7,500.
The Shifting Boomer Bulge: Major Short Sell Risk
Policy makers dealing with housing issues aren't fully absorbing the numbers. In the second of a series on the subject, Ben Brown and Dr. Arthur C. Nelson help clarify what's going on and what we can do about it.
The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?
In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.
Help! Not Police! Crisis Responses That Avert Police Calls
Cities, court systems, citizen groups, and affordable housing operators are crafting ways of responding to emergencies that reduce the risk of negative police interactions.
Pagination
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.