New Orleans

Louisiana State Senate Votes to Preempt Locals on Inclusionary Zoning

Earlier this week, the Louisiana State Senate approved SB 462, which preempts local authorities from approving inclusionary zoning.

April 13, 2018 - The New Orleans Advocate

Security cameras on a building

Cities and Surveillance

For six years, New Orleans police have been using a secret program that uses social media to locate violent criminals.

March 7, 2018 - CityLab

New Orleans

Massive Surveillance Expansion Would Focus on Nightlife in New Orleans

The city of New Orleans wants to watch you party.

February 16, 2018 - CityLab

President of the United States

Rift Grows Between U.S. Conference of Mayors and the White House

A delegation of mayors cancelled a scheduled visit to the White House this week after the Trump Administration ramped up attacks on sanctuary cities.

January 25, 2018 - The Washington Times

Mississippi River

New Orleans Closes Gap in Historic Riverfront Park Plan

New Orleans could create the largest stretch of public riverfront in the U.S., thanks to a public land swap.

November 8, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

New Orleans Streetcar

Lessons in Public-Private Transit Service Contracts

A new report from TransitCenter and the Eno Center for Transportation evaluates public-private transit service contracting, finding a cautionary tale in New Orleans among its six case studies.

October 18, 2017 - The Times-Picayune

Pumping Station 2

Hurricane Nate to Test New Orlean's Drainage System

Nate will make landfall southeast of New Orleans on Saturday night as possibly a category 2 hurricane after leaving at least 22 dead in Central America. It's not so much the levees but the pumps and generators that have city officials worried.

October 8, 2017 - The New York Times

New Orleans

New Orleans Stormwater Systems Failing Again

In an underreported fact, it has rained every day since April 1 in New Orleans this year. The city is struggling to deploy stormwater infrastructure, however, and flooding overwhelmed drainage again this month, on the cusp of hurricane season.

August 16, 2017 - The Guardian

Loyola Streetcar

Criticisms Emerge for New Orleans' Biggest Post-Katrina Streetcar Projects

Advocates have reason to be concerned about the performance of the two newest streetcar lines in New Orleans—both the largest transit projects after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

August 11, 2017 - The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Streetcar

New Orleans Begins Planning for the Future of Mobility

The city of New Orleans recently launched a new 20-year transit planning process.

July 19, 2017 - The Times-Picayune

General P.G.T. Beauregard equestrian statue

New Orleans Begins Removing Monuments to the Confederacy

The city of New Orleans has a plan to remove four monuments to the Confederate States of America, deciding that monuments to the racist cause of the Confederacy belong in a museum, not in the city.

April 24, 2017 - The Times-Picayune

High Line Sign

Incentives and Non-Traditional Strategies Solving Common City Problems

Small reminders and suggestions can add up to big changes for cities that "nudge" citizens.

March 9, 2017 - Data-Smart City Solutions

New Orleans Musicians

How Will Pricey Cities House Their Artists?

With rents on the rise even in "inexpensive" cities like New Orleans, artists and musicians are getting priced out. Affordable housing designated for artists is one way to help them stay.

February 10, 2017 - PBS NewsHour

Rolling Digital Billboards Hit New Orleans' Streets

A southern Louisiana company is bringing a mobile, four-sided digital billboard to the streets of New Orleans

February 7, 2017 - The Advocate (Louisiana)

New Orleans

Proposed Law Would Curb Late-Night Partying in New Orleans

A string of shootings on Bourbon Street in New Orleans have inspired the mayor to propose a package of new security measures. One of the proposals would cut back the city's all-night revelry.

January 25, 2017 - The Advocate

A orivate eye at work

Stakeouts and 'Private Eyes': Monitoring Short-Term Rentals for Tenants' Rights

The constantly moving legal lines between regulators and short-term rental companies like Airbnb have taken on some distinctly noir activities.

December 27, 2016 - Bloomberg

Climate Change

Taking on Climate Change Without Wrecking Cities for the Poorest and Most Vulnerable

Rebuilding and repairing New York City after Hurricane Sandy shows how climate change can exacerbate existing equity problems and that such disasters must spur efforts to rebuild fairly, not entrench existing problems.

November 28, 2016 - The Nation

Pedestrian Intersection

Lack of Pedestrian Signals Puts New Orleanians at Risk

A recent report has shed light on the lack of pedestrian signals at intersections around the city of New Orleans, where pedestrians have been injured or killed at greater rates than more populous neighboring parishes.

October 26, 2016 - The Advocate

New Orleans

New Orleans Approves Contentious Short-Term Rentals Regulation

Many cities popular with tourists are dealing with the effects of a proliferation of short-term rental properties (brokered through the use of online platforms like Airbnb). New Orleans just took steps to legalize, but limit, short-term rentals.

October 22, 2016 - The Times-Picayune

The Data Science Behind New Orleans' Blight Reduction Efforts

The BlightSTAT system has helped New Orleans track and improve blighted conditions around the city.

October 21, 2016 - Data-Smart City Solutions

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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.