Back to the City

Rural road in Central Ohio

Could Inflation Spur an Urban Rebound?

Inflation is hitting rural areas particularly hard. One expert sees the possibility of rural residents reconsidering cities as a place to avoid higher costs associated with rural mobility and to make more money.

August 8, 2022 - MPR News

Climate Change protest

Fewer Baby Boomers Choose Urban Lifestyles Than Previous Generations

Despite appearances and a popular media narrative, Baby Boomers aren't becoming more urban in old age—when compared to previous generations at the same age.

January 27, 2020 - The New York Times

Silver Lake Dog Park

Are Cities Really Losing Millennials?

Despite headlines to the contrary, the nation's most urbanized places appear to have gained thirtysomethings in recent years.

December 23, 2019 - Michael Lewyn

Sprawl

The Return of Suburbanization

The "back to the city" movement of the past decade or so could prove to be the outlier, as Census data shows population growth slowing in the biggest cities while suburban areas lead population growth in more metropolitan areas.

June 9, 2019 - Brookings Institution

Nightlife in Tel Aviv

Nevertheless, the Youthful Preference for Urban Living Persisted

A forthcoming study, to be published by the Journal of Regional Science, finds the urban preferences of younger generations growing over the past three decades.

May 29, 2019 - CityLab

Welcome

Drop the Ballyhoo: Where Do Educated Millennials Actually Live?

A common narrative about Millennials: their preference for urban environments like San Francisco and New York City. To what degree is the stereotype real?

May 24, 2019 - Bloomberg

Suburban School Crossing

Pushing Back on 'Suburban Triumphalism'

Interested observers have been predicting a crest of the American "back to the city" movement for years now—the idea that as Millennials come of age they will lose interest in urban lifestyles and seek the comfort of the suburbs.

April 17, 2018 - City Observatory

Downtown Houston

20-Year 'Plan Houston' Would More Than Double Downtown's Population

The Houston Downtown Management District and Central Houston Inc. have released a new 20-year vision for Downtown Houston.

November 16, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

High Line

Richard Florida: 'The Urban Revival Is Over'

The author of the "The Rise of the Creative Class" and the "New Urban Crisis" says cities have had their moment.

September 5, 2017 - The New York Times

The 'Steady Decline' of Suburban America

Al Jazeera created a video that documents the decline of suburbia.

August 14, 2017 - Al Jazeera

San Antonio Riverwalk

Back to the Suburbs: Most Metropolitan Are Getting Less Dense

A closer look at the data reveals a country that continues to sprawl.

May 23, 2017 - The New York Times

GE Relocates HQ from Suburban Connecticut to Boston

GE is abandoning its 68-acre suburban campus in Fairfield, Conn. for Boston's Seaport District. As WBUR's technology reporter, Curt Nickisch put it, "Today's knowledge workers want bike racks and subway stops not country clubs and parking garages."

January 17, 2016 - NPR

Back To The City

Babay boomers are leaving the suburbs and moving to pedestrian-friendly cities.

July 25, 2004 - AARP

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.