Equity

A map showing proposed zones for future development in the city of Rochester, New York.

APA Releases ‘Equity in Zoning’ Guide

The guide provides a framework for assessing and improving equity in housing policy.

February 9, 2023 - American Planning Association

Cleveland

Cleveland: The Nation’s Most Equitably Walkable City

A new study assesses which cities have the broadest access to walkable neighborhoods.

February 8, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Chicago Commute

The Right to Mobility

As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

January 26, 2023 - Angie Schmitt

People riding electric bike share bikes in downtown Madison, Wisconsin

Madison Adopts ‘Complete Green Streets’ Plan

The new document consolidates the city’s Complete Streets projects with its sustainability plan, providing a flexible framework for comprehensive actions that focus on safety, sustainability, and equity.

January 10, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

The website for Project Sidewalk shows a street with a menu for identifying issues with mobility infrastructure.

Top Websites for Urban Planning - 2022

Every year, Planetizen collects the websites breaking new digital ground in the world of planning and related fields.

December 6, 2022 - James Brasuell

Environmental Justice

Mapping Environmental Justice to Census Tracts

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, version 1.0, is now available on the internet.

November 27, 2022 - Council on Environmental Quality

Aerial top-down view of multicolored big rig trucks in lines at the Port of Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Launches Environmental Justice Department

The new department will develop plans for addressing the impacts of air and water pollution, extreme heat, and climate change on vulnerable communities.

November 17, 2022 - Los Angeles Daily News

Bunker Hill, Charlestown

Tracking Boston’s Emissions Reduction Progress

The Boston Foundation published the “Inaugural Boston Climate Progress Report” earlier this month. Other U.S. cities should follow their lead.

November 10, 2022 - The Boston Foundation

Claiborne Ave expressway passing over Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans

‘Reconnecting Communities’ Could Fund Highway Expansions

Applications to the program reveal a pattern of state agencies requesting funds for projects that perpetuate car-centric development with only nominal equity components.

November 6, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

An image of Washington D.C. with highways and the streaks from car head and tail lights in the foreground, and the Washington Monument in the background.

D.C. Office of Planning Unveils Congress Heights Equitable Development Plan

The district’s small area plans (SAPs) are designed to ensure equitable economic and community development at the hyper-local level.

November 4, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Person holding clipboard with checklist and pen with blurred house in the background

Report: Racial Gap in Home Appraisals Increasing

An analysis of government data reveals a growing gap in the appraised values of homes in white and Black neighborhoods.

November 4, 2022 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Urban Living

D.C. Regional Framework Emphasizes Equity, Connectivity

The Region United Framework for 2030 outlines a plan for sustainable, equitable development, calling for a 'holistic' approach to regional planning.

October 7, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

People post for photos in front of a colorful mural in the evening.

Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place

Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward.

October 4, 2022 - Brian Chambers

Portland Transit

Promoting Diversity in Transit Leadership

Latinos in Transit works to connect and empower people of color to increase diversity in management roles at transit agencies.

September 25, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Air Pollution

Democrats Call for Stronger Action on Environmental Justice

The Justice40 initiative could make a major difference for communities burdened by pollution, but only if funds are spent on projects that maintain a focus on equity.

September 18, 2022 - The Washington Post

Single-family house with two-car garage under construction

Not Just Use: More Zoning Regulations to Unlock Housing Equity

Prohibiting single-family zoning alone won’t accomplish the needed transformation of the built environment in the United States.

August 31, 2022 - American Planning Association

A graph showing pavement conditions relative to undersewrved racial and ethnic populations, showing that pavement quality declines where more underserved populations live.

Study: U.S. Highway Pavement Conditions Worse in Underserved Communities

The Federal Highway Administration doesn’t analyze the condition of pavement on U.S. highways. If it did, it would find vast inequities depending on which communities live nearby highway infrastructure.

August 31, 2022 - U.S. Government Accountability Office

Victorian homes in Oakland, California

Closing the Homeownership Knowledge Gap

An Oakland program geared at Black homeowners wants to empower households to understand the opportunities in building and renting accessory dwelling units.

August 29, 2022 - Next City

A conceptual rendering of a cable-stayed bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Sheboygan River in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

How Locals Are Planning to Spend $2.2 Billion in RAISE Transportation Grants, Part Two

Part two of a series of post providing specific information for 164 of the 166 projects recently awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE grant funding program.

August 29, 2022 - James Brasuell

OVerturned vehicle with fire truck and firefighters assisting

The Unequal Impacts of Traffic Crashes

Rates of traffic deaths vary widely among racial and economic groups but continue to rise across the board.

August 25, 2022 - The New York Times

Planner II

City of Greenville

Planner I

City of Greenville

Rural Projects Coordinator (RARE AmeriCorps Member)

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program

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.