Language of Planning

An oil town in a red state proves we don't have to talk about climate change to adapt to it.

November 9, 2017 - Governing

What it means when planners use their words.

June 9, 2017 - The Austin Chronicle

A participant in some of Seattle's most consequential planning processes puts out a call for a more inclusive use of language.

January 14, 2017 - The Urbanist

This is the moment a lot of traffic safety advocates have been waiting for: the AP Style Guide, purveyors of rules and regulations to journalists and other, has taken a side in the debate about the word "accident."

April 5, 2016 - Twitter

The Planetizen managing editor answers questions about some of the post consistently befuddling grammar questions that arise when writing and talking about planning.

April 1, 2016 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Extensions that automatically change the appearance of words in the Google Chrome browser have provided serious laughs. Now for a planning edition.

April 1, 2016 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Writing may not be the key focus for urban planners, but it is a necessary skill for better communicating with the public on important planning issues, writes Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County planner.

September 17, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Planners and designers should not be afraid to reclaim overused and misused words—as long as they know what they're doing.

July 30, 2015 - James Brasuell

Microsoft announced a big update to the Word spell check dictionary today to include the constantly evolving and often incomprehensible language of planning.

April 1, 2015 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Blogs are a rewarding platform for bringing academic perspectives and research results to a much broader audience of scholars, planning professionals, students, and citizens.

February 18, 2015 - Dean Saitta

What's new for placemaking advocacy in 2015? In short, being an effective communicator is in. Being self-concerned and oblivious is out.

January 6, 2015 - PlaceShakers

By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.

November 2, 2014 - Planetizen

By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.

October 26, 2014 - Planetizen

Harvard University professor Naomi Oreskes writes a defense of NIMBYism, asking that we rethink he use of the term by considering the community-protecting motives of many NIMBYs.

October 25, 2014 - The Washington Post

By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.

October 18, 2014 - Planetizen

By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.

October 10, 2014 - Planetizen

John King has reason to believe a cultural shift toward taller buildings and mixed-use neighborhoods is underway in the Bay Area. How? The language used by opponents of those causes.

October 2, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Writing for Greater Greater Washington, Matt Johnson has compiled a list of neologisms to describe the unique encounters of contemporary city living.

September 19, 2014 - Greater Greater Washington

Activists and officials in Philadelphia are currently debating the chosen nomenclature of one of the largest and most influential forms of planning—master planning.

May 22, 2014 - PlanPhilly

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