Community

Volunteers wearing masks moving pallets of water bottles during February 2021 storm in Austin, Texas

How Mutual Aid Increases Community Resiliency

Recent devastating weather events highlight the importance of community connection in keeping people safe when infrastructure fails.

December 12, 2022 - Next City

Italy Coronavirus

Overcoming Social Distance

People are finding new ways to connect digitally across physical spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, and these temporary solutions could have a lasting impact on the way we live.

April 13, 2020 - Lev Kushner

Toronto Streetcar

Survey Finds High Levels of 'Social Capital' in Toronto

The first comprehensive look at social capital in a Canadian city reveals lessons for planners and more about what connects citizens to their communities.

November 7, 2018 - The Star

Community Meeting

Community-Based Planning: A Case Study

When neighborhoods are allowed to plan and zone without considering the regionwide interest in increasing housing stock, scarcity results.

October 5, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

Student Planners at the University of Nebraska Making a Difference in Lincoln

Graduate students pursuing the Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) degree at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have been collaborating this semester with NeighborWorks Lincoln and city and county partners to assess local neighborhoods.

December 27, 2016 - University of Nebraska College of Architecture

Routes of Change: a One-Man Journey Around the World Without a Motor

Markus Pukonen is circumnavigating the planet without a motor to raise awareness for the global community and to create positive change.

April 8, 2016 - Routes of Change

Community Ties in the Era of Isolation

Connectivity may form the bedrock of what we call "resilience" but we're just not all that neighborly these days. Can we become more competitive and lasting by restitching our threadbare community fabric?

August 25, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Smiling couple on a blanket in a park in Denmark

Measuring Well-Being in Santa Monica

The beachfront town known for its surfers and celebrities is collecting data that dig deeper than traditional measures of economic prosperity, and the results may be surprising.

August 3, 2015 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Dublin Skyline

Reading Cities Cover to Cover, and Why

Chuck Wolfe underscores the importance of a holistic view of urban places, referencing themes of common experience, aesthetics, feelings of happiness, safety, or security—a basic narrative of the city that often goes beyond first impressions.

February 11, 2015 - The Huffington Post

Foreclosures Are Making People Sick

Seven years after the housing bust began, millions of Americans are still suffering. And suffering is the operative word—because both foreclosures and economic inequality impact people’s health.

January 9, 2015 - Rooflines

Model Neighborhood

The Death of Neighborhoods

In the same vein that Robert Putnam explored decaying community and social capital in American in his work, Bowling Alone, Brian Bethune discusses how the decay of Western communities shapes our health and political realms.

August 13, 2014 - Maclean's

An Appeal for Churches to Embrace Multi-Modalism

As a result of the dominant development patterns and transportation practices of the 20th century, churches have receded in their role as an anchors for neighborhoods and broader communities.

April 14, 2014 - Strong Towns

How Public Surveys Aid the Planning Process

When planners are looking to find out what kind of developments residents like, one way is to ask them to weigh in. Planner Clement Lau shares key lessons learned about conducting and creating surveys as part of the planning process.

March 17, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Stayin’ Alive: The life and death prospects of community ties

Connected communities aren't just about fun and frolic. When the goin' gets rough, they can make the difference between life and death.

February 2, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Why the Titans of Tech Must Become Better Urbanists

Technology companies are increasing their presence in cities, adopting the language of planners, and seeking to create communities. Yet, according to Allison Arieff, the sector does a uniformly poor job of contributing to urban vitality.

December 16, 2013 - The New York Times

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

Building Resilience Through Reconnected Communities

What has the United States lost in its journey from a nation of communities to a nation of individuals? Resilience, for one, says Scott Doyon, who suggests how we can utilize community design and planning processes to regrow social ties.

August 14, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Atlanta Artist Paints Suburban Ennui

Today's suburbs have discarded the human-scaled patterns they once promised. This newly resurfaced series of paintings from Atlanta artist Meg Aubrey will leave you longing for the world we neglected to build.

April 16, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Haiti Update: Reshaping Ravines

Haiti has seen improvements since the 2010 earthquake. However, persistent challenges remain. Dave Hampton, architect and international development consultant for natural and built environment integration, writes about one in particular: ravines.

March 14, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

Connections, Community, and the Science of Loneliness

Can urban form help address the loneliness that so often accompanies aging? In a new blog post, Hazel Borys examines some remedies for severed connections.

February 12, 2013 - PlaceShakers

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.