2020 Election

Atlanta Park

The Blue Beltway

Ronald Brownstein, a senior editor at The Atlantic, coins a new political-geographic term in the wake of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections to describe a shift in the political alignment of nearly all large metropolitan areas in the nation.

January 8, 2021 - The Atlantic

Link and Bus Seattle

Transit's Big Day at the Ballot Box

Even with the fiscal uncertainty of the pandemic, voters around the country overwhelmingly supported new funding for public transit projects.

December 10, 2020 - TransitCenter

Trump Sign

We Are (Sort of) Less Polarized Than in 2016

After moving toward Democrats for decades, central cities moved toward Republicans in 2020.

December 2, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Truckee River

82 Votes: The Difference in a Local Election of Direct Relevance to Questions of Planning

One candidate is seen as combative to developers during a housing crisis, and the other is a real estate agent. The race to lead a section of Reno that includes the city's oldest, most historic neighborhoods came down to 82 votes.

December 2, 2020 - The Nevada Independent

Free Street

On Rent Control and a Green New Deal, Portland, Maine Voters Go Where Others Don't Dare

Rent control was dealt another high-profile setback in California, and the Green New Deal is a hot button issue stuck in limbo in Congress. Both efforts got the go-ahead from voters in Portland, Maine in November.

December 1, 2020 - Next City

Trump Administration

Petition Seeks Landmark Status for Philadelphia's Four Seasons

Four Seasons Total Landscaping. Was that not clear?

November 20, 2020 - The Oregonian

Moms 4 Housing

Moms 4 Housing Founders Elected to Office in the East Bay

Two leaders of Moms 4 Housing, which has grown to a national housing movement, have been elected to office in Oakland and Berkeley.

November 17, 2020 - Vice

California

Ballot Box Planning: Letting Voters Decide

Land use planning decisions are mostly made by city councils and planning commissions. But there are times when the people decide, as exemplified by the city of Monterey Park's recently approved Measure JJ.

November 16, 2020 - Ballotpedia

Gwinnett County, Georgia

Why Gwinnett County Rejected a Transit Tax Again

Coronavirus and a heavy rail project doomed a transit sales tax in Gwinnett County, Georgia, according to this election post-mortem.

November 13, 2020 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Housing protest

Lessons From Rent Control's Latest Election Rejection

California voters, with a reputation for liberal politics, have repeatedly refused to approve statewide rent control laws at the ballot box.

November 12, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Transportation Network Companies

California Voters Chose Uber Over Employment Law—What it Means for the U.S.

After the most expensive initiative campaign in California history, California voters approved Proposition 22 by a wide margin. The consequences of the vote could go national.

November 10, 2020 - The Washington Post

Election 2020

What Biden's Win Could Mean for Land Use, Transportation, and Climate

Campaign in poetry and govern in prose, the saying goes. Now that the reality of a Biden presidency is settling in, what does it mean for how the United States plans its future?

November 10, 2020 - James Brasuell

COVID-19 protests

Election Post-Mortem: Politics Trumps Public Health

An analysis by the Associated Press found that voters in counties that are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus were far more likely to support President Trump's reelection than voters in less-impacted counties.

November 9, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Vote

Progressives Tally Major Victories at the Local Level as the Blue Wave Came Up Short

Progressive agendas on transportation and housing won big in the November 2020, even if a "Blue Wave" failed to materialize on the national level.

November 9, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Queen Elizabeth

England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service

The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.

November 8, 2020 - The Independent

Capital Metro Metrorail

State and Local Votes Reveal Widespread Support for Public Transit

There's a narrative to be built from the results of state and local elections on issues of public transit funding: voters continue to support more funding for public transit projects and programs.

November 5, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Stars and Stripes

2020 Election Results for Transportation and Land Use

Thinking beyond the presidency: Here's an Election Day 2020 roundup of election issues related to planning, urban design, and the built and natural environments.

November 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

Lafayette Square

Two Presidential Candidates, Two Approaches to Housing Policy

The Biden and Trump campaigns are from different worlds on housing policy, according to this analysis.

November 3, 2020 - CityLimits

Maroon Creek, Aspen, Colorado

The Environment Hangs in the Balance on Election Day

Both the presidential election and numerous state and local ballot measures will determine the future of environmental policy in the United States.

November 3, 2020 - High Country News

Portland Pearl District Streetcar

New Details for Portland's Transit Plan as Voters Head to the Polls

Voters in Portland-area voters will decide on a transportation funding measure for the "Get Moving 2020" plan, with details of four bus rapid transit project targeted for funding announced within weeks of the election.

November 2, 2020 - BikePortland

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.