North America

40 Years Later: The Way Forward for the Nation's Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act turns 40 this week. For Mark Gold, this calls for a celebratory overview of the many environmental successes it has produced, as well as careful consideration of the steps needed for it to be effective in years to come.

October 19, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Can Strategic Urbanism Heal Broken City Governance?

Alex Steffen, a "leading voice in planetary futurism," muses on what he believes could be a way to move beyond NIMBYism and incremental urban planning, to provide an antidote to fundamentally broken city governance.

October 2, 2012 - Planetary Thinking

For Cycling Advocates, One Question Reigns: Got Networks?

As the level of sophistication in cycling infrastructure increases, the value of networks becomes even more apparent.

October 1, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Small Screens Make for Better Cities

News out last week that big-box retailer Staples plans to reduce its square footage by 15 percent heralds a larger trend of smaller screens necessitating smaller boxes. Lydia DePillis examines why this will be a boon to cities.

October 1, 2012 - The New Republic

How Far Should Communities Go To Subsidize Companies?

Tax breaks, cheap energy, and investments in infrastructure are among the subsidies often requested of local communities by companies searching for locations for their operations. Edward Alden asks what companies owe in return.

September 27, 2012 - Renewing America

How is Architecture Failing its Next Generation?

Caela J. McKeever traces the ways in which the gap between the passion of architecture school and the stark realities of professional practice are discouraging young architects.

September 26, 2012 - Crosscut

Will D.C. Stand Up for America's Cities?

In his column Urban Nation, Harry Moroz argues for deeper involvement from the federal government in urban policy in order to give American cities the fighting chance they deserve to be healthy and enjoyable places to live.

September 19, 2012 - Next American City

On Authenticity and 'Traditional-Style' Development

Scott Doyon takes on the oft-expressed gripe that Traditional Neighborhood Development somehow feels fake. Doyon sees value in incorporating the collective wisdom learned over generations, regardless of whether it's reminiscent of another time.

September 18, 2012 - PlaceShakers

The Politics of Zoning Reform: Know Your Audience

In a blog post for Better! Cities & Towns, Susan Henderson compiles a comprehensive list of the types of personalities that must be brought on board to navigate the politics of zoning reform.

September 7, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

Strolling Among the Tree Tops

Stacey at Gardenista has collected images and descriptions of four sublime "canopy walks" that "make it easy to walk from tree to tree at an altitude typically reserved for birds."

September 5, 2012 - Gardenista

Meeting on Common Ground: Community Development and Health Philanthropy Working Together

Often times, the community development field and health philanthropy have worked in the same neighborhoods, but separately. This is changing, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Marjorie Paloma told Shelterforce how.

August 28, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

Super Rich Drive Residences to New Heights

The number of super-tall residential buildings continues to grow globally, with top floor residences fetching nine-figure prices. Historically, the world's tallest buildings housed offices.

August 26, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Love Thy Neighbor Through Delineated Design

Getting along is much easier when the fronts and backs of buildings are rational: public activities out front, private out back, and a street wall to keep them orderly.

August 17, 2012 - PlaceShakers

How Mixed-Use Centers Can Supplant Single-Use Office Parks

In the latest article from Better Cities & Towns' series on healthy, walkable town centers, Geoff Dyer offers insight into the ways that locating office space in mixed-use centers can improve economic vitality.

August 14, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

Friday Funny: Comic Extolls the Delights of Suburban Planning

Accomplished comic author, and orthodontist-in-training, Grant Snider turns his acerbic attention to his neighborhood, and the wonders of "Suburban Planning."

August 10, 2012 - Incidental Comics

Architects Work to Design Bird-Friendly Buildings

Modern architecture's infatuation with glass, seen in sparkling residential and office towers rising in cities across North America, has been a bird killer of staggering proportions. Christopher Joyce profiles those trying to solve the problem.

August 10, 2012 - NPR

Bringing Market Analysis to the Public Planning Process

In an op-ed for New Geography, Skip Preble argues why communities can benefit from incorporating market analysis and financial modeling techniques into their planning processes.

August 7, 2012 - New Geography

America's Next Eminent Domain Battle: the Keystone XL Pipeline

Although the Obama administration is still weighing whether to give the Keystone XL pipeline the necessary approvals to begin construction, the courts are already deciding that eminent domain can be used to secure access to private land.

July 30, 2012 - The Washington Post

A New Tool for Measuring Walkability

Steve Mouzon finds fault with the uniform application of the 1/4 mile walkability radius, regardless of context. And, in the first in a series of articles, he introduces a new tool for understanding and building walkable places.

July 30, 2012 - Original Green

The Changing Business of Planning

July 24, 2012 - Laurel Prevetti

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.

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.