Communication

Rural Pandemic

Can the Public Be Educated to Wear Masks?

The Midwest has been the epicenter of coronavirus since late August, led by North and South Dakota. Masks have the potential to significantly reduce viral transmission, but neither state mandates their use. Will a public health campaign help?

October 5, 2020 - Grand Forks Herald

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Crossing the Digital Divide During COVID

Organizations blend past and present strategies to stay in touch with community members.

September 17, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Social Distancing

Report: Expect to Live with Two More Years of Social Distancing

As a majority of states relax stay-at-home restrictions, a prestigious team of experts from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Tulane universities warns that the coronavirus will likely last 18 to 24 more months, returning in successive waves.

May 4, 2020 - CNN

City Planners

How to Work with Planning Consultants

Los Angeles County planner Clement Lau review of the book "Working with Planning Consultants."

July 3, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Road Construction

Trends to Watch in Planetizen’s Top Posts

We post a lot of articles here at Planetizen, and the traffic created by you, our audience, provides valuable feedback about the ideas and places of interest to the planning and urbanism community.

April 9, 2014 - James Brasuell

What is a "Community"?

As communities based on proximate and personal relationships decline, the application of term "community" multiplies. Anand Giridharadas looks at the hijacking of the word and what its new applications say about our contemporary culture.

September 21, 2013 - The New York Times

How to Speak Libertarians' Language for Planning

Many planning policies, like zoning rules and parking minimums, undermine traditional "Main Street"-style development and, in fact, make the Strong Towns ethos more palatable to Libertarians.

August 29, 2013 - Strong Towns Blog

How Designers Can Become Better Storytellers

Sarah Kathleen Peck speaks with Amanda Walter and Holly Berkley about their new book, "Social Media in Action," the challenges different design professions have in communicating their work, and the ways in which new technologies are making it easier.

June 8, 2012 - Metropolis POV Blog

Are Smart Phones Spoiling Our Public Spaces

The smart phones that keep us constantly connected to cyberspace may have detrimental effects on our public spaces, writes Emily Badger.

May 20, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Rebranding Planning so the Public Understands

Robin Rather, CEO of Collective Strength, speaks about how planners can build support for planning in their communities and counter critics.

December 2, 2011 - APA

The Technology for a Dialogue Between Citizens and Cities

Technology must be harnessed in cities to allow citizens to "talk back" to cities and enable more user-driven change, according to this op-ed from economist Saskia Sassen.

June 30, 2011 - domus

Make No Little Plans Without Twitter

Chuck Wolfe suggests five "Burnhamisms" for getting communities inspired and engaged with urban planning, including using social media and video to communicate your message.

March 7, 2011 - myurbanist

Smart Cities That Listen

The cities of the future should be "smart" -- equipped with data-collection tools and technologies to improve city functionality -- but being smart also means being a good listener, writes Saskia Sassen.

February 3, 2011 - What Matters

How the Internet is Improving Your Walkshed

Worldchanging's Alex Steffen reflects on the increasing impact of Internet-enabled information sharing at the community level, and suggests that it's helping to make neighborhoods more walkable.

April 11, 2010 - WorldChanging

New Argument for Public Transit: Better for Texting?

In a recent piece in Wired, Clive Thompson suggests that the solution to the problem of texting while driving is not to stop texting, but to stop driving. The popularity of texting is a good reason to support public transit.

March 17, 2010 - Wired Magazine

The Potential of Intelligent Transportation

This post from Wired's Autopia blog looks at the history and potential of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

February 23, 2010 - Wired

Cities in the Emerging Age of Communication

We may not be driving flying cars, but the futuristic city is here -- in the form of a more intimate connections, communication technologies and social interactions. Former Planetizen Managing Editor Christian Madera discusses.

February 13, 2010 - Next American City

Art for Urban Planners - Part One

Urban planning is one of those things people don't realize they can relate to. Everybody understands cities, so why can't they understand how they are planned? Well, there's really no reason. Urban planners -- steeped in the inner workings of the urban world -- probably aren't the best to try to communicate this idea. So bring in the artists.

August 5, 2009 - Nate Berg

Connecting the Museum With the Community

Museums are transitioning from niche cultural sites to community hubs, and expanding their engagement with their cities.

July 23, 2009 - Christian Science Monitor

Dance Your Plan

Getting people to understand the intricacies of planning can be a challenge. The modern-day emphasis on public participation is an effort to get people involved, but it's frankly not too appealing for most people to attend public hearings about zoning amendments and setback changes. But those zoning amendments and setback changes could be pretty important. Planners need to try harder to connect with the people their work affects to explain its importance. It's time to break from convention. One possible way is dancing.

November 24, 2008 - Nate Berg

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.