Archaeology

Aerial view of Monte Alban plaza ruins in Mexico.

First Cities: Planning Lessons for the 21st Century

A new book about urban planning in the deep human past explores principles, strategies, and lessons relevant for today.

April 9, 2024 - Dean Saitta

Aerial view of the Sangay volcano in Ecuador at sunrise or sunset.

Amazonian Ruins Reveal Ancient ‘Garden Urbanism’

An archaeological site shows evidence of a unique layout of dense residential buildings interspersed with a network of roads and farmland.

January 16, 2024 - Scientific American

eviljohnius

A Lost Ancient City Is Unearthed in Egypt

The newly unearthed "golden city" sheds light on everyday life at the height of ancient Egypt's power.

April 19, 2021 - The Washington Post

Bears Ears National Monument

The Consequences of Trump's Attempt to Reduce Bears Ears National Monument by 85 Percent

Drone footage and 3d models reveal the stakes in an ongoing legal controversy surrounding the Trump administration's attempt to undo the Obama administration's use of the Antiquities Act to create the Bears Ears National Monument.

April 4, 2019 - The Washington Post

Archaeological SIte

Researchers Warn Historic Sites Could Be Washed Away By Rising Seas

Researchers have created a digital database of archaeological sites in the U.S.—and thousands could be lost to sea-level rise.

December 1, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Roman Road, Britain

Uncovering the Roman Roads Cutting Across England

An amateur archaeologist has taken modern technology to dig into history, unearthing the roads built by Romans over 2,000 years ago in England.

March 7, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Teotihuacan

How Ancient and Modern Cities Compare (and Why Planners Should Care)

A new scholarly paper argues that ancient and modern cities can be usefully analyzed in a comparative perspective. But what you do with the comps depends on how much you value similarities versus differences in urban form.

March 9, 2015 - Dean Saitta

Teotihuacan

Study: Ancient Cities Grew Much Like Modern Cities

Scientists from the Santa Fe Institute have discovered basic patterns underlying the way cities have always grown. The mechanics of "urban scaling" may have something fundamental to tell us about how large settlements evolve.

March 1, 2015 - Christian Science Monitor

Miami Dig ‘One of the Earliest Urban Plans in Eastern North America’

Plans to build “movie theaters, restaurants and a 34-story hotel” overlap with the archaeological site of a 2,000-year-old Tequesta village.

February 6, 2014 - Bradenton Herald

Discovering What Lies Beneath Seattle

As Seattle prepares to undertake several major construction projects, the city should embrace and explore its buried archaeological past as a means to involve community members and spark interest in local history, argues Knute Berger.

November 29, 2010 - Crosscut

Breaking Down the Walls in Jerusalem

Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur of Jerusalem is proposing that the city must 'emerge from its [many] walls', and connect and enhance its vibrant public spaces.

May 19, 2010 - myurbanist

Massive Wall to Dry Flooded Kingdom

In order to save an ancient kingdom that was flooded by a reservoir in the 1950s, officials in Bulgaria will build a €100 million wall around the submerged monument.

August 8, 2008 - Turkish Weekly

America's First Archaeological Suburb?

Most developers dread finding archaeological remains. Normally it means months of delays and increased costs while archaeologists investigate the site. However, some savvy developers are turning archaeological finds into a marketing advantage.

June 10, 2008 - The Economist

'Oldest Urban Site' Unearthed

What may be the oldest urban site in the world has been unearthed in Peru.

February 27, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

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.