Books

'Supporting Shrinkage': Lessons for U.S. Cities
An excerpt from "Supporting Shrinkage: Better Planning and Decision-Making for Legacy Cities," written by Michael P. Johnson, Justin B. Hollander, Eliza W. Kinsey, and George R. Chichirau and published by SUNY Press.

Deep History, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Planning
David Graeber and David Wengrow’s new book, "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity," offers an important counter-narrative to the usual history of cities that’s rich with implications for urban scholars, policy-makers, and planners.

New Book Interrogates Landscape Architecture Through The Lens Of Black Spaces
A collection of essays provides an insightful look at how Black voices and landscapes have been suppressed and erased in American public space and discourse.

Friday Eye Candy: The Theatricality of the Subway
A new book of photography amplifies what was already there.

Why Pedestrian Deaths Are Rising
Jarrett Walker offers insights into "Right of Way," a book written last year by Angie Schmitt that is influencing the traffic safety conversation and pushing the fields of planning and engineering in new directions.

New Book Examines Public Housing as a Locus of Political Power
A new book, "Diverging Space for Deviants," connects public housing with political power.

The Potential of New Towns
Richard Peiser and Ann Forsyth discuss their latest book, New Towns for the Twenty-First Century: A Guide to Planned Communities Worldwide, with the Penn Institute for Urban Research.

New Book, 'Land,' Searches for Solid Ground
Simon Winchester's new book, Land, brings global scope to the concepts of land use.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020
The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.

A New Tool for More Flexible and Resilient Water Policies
A new book created by the Sonoran Institute explains how exploratory scenario planning can be useful to prepare for the uncertainty of water in the near- and long-term future.

Searching for the 'Urban Mystique'
An excerpt from a new book by Josh Stephens, "The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond," published by Solimar Books.

'The Affordable City' Offers Solutions for the U.S. Housing Affordability Crisis
An excerpt from the new book by Shane Phillips, "The Affordable City," published by Island Press.

Valuing Black Lives and Black Cities
Andre M. Perry’s "Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities" reveals the web of historical and contemporary socioeconomic barriers that maintain the racial wealth divide.

An Excellent New Book: Right of Way
In Right of Way, Angie Schmitt explains why U.S. pedestrian fatalities have increased in recent years.

Debunking Traffic Safety Myths as Pedestrian Fatalities Increase
Angie Schmitt, former editor at Streetsblog USA, has written a new book about pedestrian fatalities, which works to dispel some of the myths about traffic safety in the United States.

How the Pandemic Has Magnified the Pre-Existing Housing Crisis
Declining rents won't be a silver lining in the post-pandemic housing crisis.

Book Review: Discovering Griffith Park
There is finally a guidebook for one of the country's largest city parks. Learn more about it in this L.A. Times review.

Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis
Dan Parolek, inventor of the term Missing Middle Housing, has written a new book on the subject, available now from Island Press. The following excerpts offer insight into overcoming planning and regulatory barriers to deliver the desired housing.

Review: Neighborhood Defenders
A new book explains why people object to new housing in their neighborhoods, and whether these "neighborhood defenders" are representative of the public as a whole.

Jan Gehl on 60 Years of Designing Cities for People
The 10th anniversary of "Cities for People" offers the occasion for this interview with Jan Gehl, who has devoted a 60-year career to ideas about humanistic city planning—ideas of increasing relevance in 2020.
Pagination
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)