Community

Children sit on temporary street furniture next to book cart at pop-up reading event at open streets event in Sunset Park in New York City.

Third Spaces and Public Life

Public parks, libraries, and other social infrastructure foster community connections and stave off loneliness. Why are they increasingly deprioritized in civic life?

May 14, 2024 - The Deseret News

Corner store in San Francisco

How to Participate in Post-Pandemic Urban Resilience

In a summary of a recent talk, Chuck Wolfe provides five tools to help reimagine post-pandemic urban spaces with a focus on livability and co-creation.

January 29, 2024 - Medium

People enjoying a sunny day on a green lawn with pink lawn chairs and colorful bird mural in background in Boston, Massachusetts.

Why Social Infrastructure Matters

The pandemic highlighted the importance of parks and public spaces for maintaining both the physical and mental health of urban residents.

November 19, 2023 - The Boston Globe

People sitting on lawn chairs in front of green meadow with New York City skyscrapers in background in Bryant Park, New York.

In Praise of the Endangered ‘Third Space’

The public spaces where people can spend time among strangers without buying something are crucial to healthy cities—and are quickly disappearing.

November 1, 2023 - Strong Towns

Three toddlers playing in a colorful playroom

Vancouver Day Care Rejection Poses Larger Questions

What does it mean for cities and civic life when neighborhoods are viewed as products geared for individual consumption rather than ever-evolving communities?

September 10, 2023 - Strong Towns

Signpost with signs for archery, jousting, privies, etc at Renaissance faire

The Geekiest Cities in America

Which cities have the most comic book shops, D&D meetups, and LARPing groups?

July 14, 2023 - Lawn Love

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

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.