Disparate Impact

The ramps of the interchange between the Major Deegan Expressway and the Cross Bronx Expressway in New York City with tall brick public housing towers visible in background.

USDOT will stop enforcing a key civil rights law

The agency will no longer enforce Title VI, eliminating disparate impact protections for federally protected groups.

June 17, 2026 - KQED

HUD's Fair Housing Door Exhibit in Honor of 50 years of Fair Housing

HUD Plans to Kill Key Fair Housing Rule

The department issued a proposal to eliminate the disparate impact rule, a cornerstone of some discrimination rulings under the Fair Housing Act.

January 15, 2026 - Consumer Finance Monitor

Affordable Housing

Lessons in Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

With HUD seeking comments on a revamped version of the Affirmatively Furthering fair Housing Rule, now is a good time to seek lessons from the one state to attempt to implement the federal rule at the state level.

April 4, 2023 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Concrete building wth Department of Housing and Urban Development sign

HUD Plans to Revive Fair Housing Rule

The department is proposing an updated version of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which requires local governments to take action to end residential segregation.

January 19, 2023 - CNN

A crosswalk activation button is shown in the foreground with two pedestrians show blurred while crossing the street in the background.

Jaywalking Decriminalized in California

Another day, another historic planning-related bill signed into law in the Golden State.

October 4, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Commute

The Disparate Racial Impacts of Commute Times

Commute times vary significantly depending on race, according to a recent study. The consequences of the imbalance have very real social and economic effects for already marginalized racial groups.

April 22, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Bike Helmets No Longer Required in Seattle After Research Reveals Enforcement Disparities

The data on bike helmets have changed. Laws are starting to change too.

February 22, 2022 - The Seattle Times

A Black LIves Matter Protest, with a protestor holding up a sign that reads "Open Your Eyes: Systemic Racism Is Real"

Racial Disparities in Life Expectancy Are a Place-Based Problem

New research from the Brookings Institution illuminates the racial disparities of public health outcomes both during and before the pandemic.

January 10, 2022 - Brookings Institution

Trump supporting insurrectionists scale the walls of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Year in Review: Urban Planning in 2021

Part one of two of Planetizen's review of 2021—re-assessing failed predictions and daylighting the biggest planning stories of the year.

December 20, 2021 - James Brasuell

Amazon Warehouse

The Impact of Amazon Warehouses on Communities

Often located in low-income communities of color, Amazon's warehouses contribute to public health impacts like poor air quality, noise pollution, and traffic congestion.

December 16, 2021 - Consumer Reports

Air Pollution

New Research on the Disparate Impacts of Air Pollution in the U.S.

Researchers at the University of Washington published a new study of the disparate impacts of air pollution in the United States

December 15, 2021 - The Washington Post

Los Angeles Skyline

New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities

A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.

July 15, 2021 - WBUR

Traffic Fatality Demographics

U.S. Traffic Fatalities Increased Most for Black Americans During the Pandemic

Two new reports confirm the racial disparities of traffic violence in the United States, revealing more proof about who stayed home during the pandemic, and who was forced to navigate the risks of the pandemic in public.

June 22, 2021 - CNN Business

Car-Centric Planning

Mapping Environmental Justice Hotspots

A new map of Virginia illustrates the stark contrasts in pollution burdens depending on location.

June 18, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

Chicago Transit Authority Green Line Train at 35th-Bronzeville-IIT

A New Transit Equity Dashboard

New data technology has made it possible to measure transit equity in ways that were impossible before. TransitCenter is making good use of the new capabilities.

June 17, 2021 - TransitCenter

Coronavirus and Transportation

Taking Stock and Looking Forward: What's Next for Public Transit?

A group of 12 leading transit experts debriefed on the consequences of the pandemic for public transit, and proposed a future that centers public transit as a tool for economic recovery and righting the past wrongs of the planning profession.

June 7, 2021 - Politico

Grocery Store Incentive programs

Zoning Incentives for Supermarkets: New York Expands its FRESH Program

The FRESH program, previously offering zoning incentives for grocery store development in 19 districts around New York City, will expand to 11 new locations.

May 20, 2021 - NYC Planning

A Black woman stands in front of a home holding an umbrella and smiling.

The Numerous Obstacles—Past and Present—Facing Black Homeowners

Black Americans pay a higher price to be homeowners—and the number of those who can afford to pay that price is dropping quickly.

May 17, 2021 - NPR

Arizona Streetscape

Tucson's Pledge to Plant 1 Million Trees

Details and background of Tucson's pledge to plant one million trees by 2030.

May 17, 2021 - The Daily Climate

Louisiana

State Legislation Would Make Louisiana a 'Fossil Fuel Sanctuary State'

A Louisiana state legislator who is also the owner of oil company has proposed several laws that would remove regulations for the oil industry, including one that would prevent the local and state regulation of oil and gas companies.

May 13, 2021 - The Guardian

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.

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.