New York City

Telephone Pole

Broadband Inheriting the Discriminatory Patterns of Previous Infrastructure Systems

The challenges of bridging the digital divide are exacerbated by the racist legacies of previous infrastructure systems, according to a recent presentation to the New York Regional Plan Association.

July 18, 2016 - RPA Lab

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Supreme Court to Decide on Interpretations of Historic Preservation

A brief by the Cato Institute describes historic preservation laws as arbitrary and ambiguous. A case before the Supreme Court could decide on either side of the issue.

July 13, 2016 - Market Urbanism

Designing for Physical Inactivity

In this New York Times opinion, health issues correspondent Meera Senthilingam writes that too much of New York City is not designed for physical activity, including walking. Imagine what the suburbs and less vibrant cities are like!

July 13, 2016 - The New York Times - Opinion

Zoning Amendment Allows Changes to Privately-Owned Public Spaces in Manhattan

Privately-owned public spaces on Walter Street in Manhattan could get a little more private and a little less public under terms of a new zoning amendment approved by the City Council.

July 12, 2016 - amNew York

New York City Zoning Map

Reexamining the Origins of Zoning

According to Seymour Toll's 1969 book, New York City's 1916 zoning code was less a civic-minded project than an attempt to protect elite retail districts from the riff-raff. The ramifications for American zoning at large are significant.

July 7, 2016 - PlanPhilly

NYC-crosswalk

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street

In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

July 7, 2016 - The New York Times

Roman Aqueduct

The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective

How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.

July 5, 2016 - The Planning Report

urban park

Is New York Distributing Its Public Plazas Equally?

An analysis of the geographic distribution of New York's new public plazas sought to determine if the program was meeting one of its stated goals: providing access to public plazas for low- and moderate-income households.

July 5, 2016 - Placemeter

Bicycle Cops

Judge Throws Out Key Component of New York's Vision Zero Policy

Citing drivers for failure to "exercise due care" (administrative code 19-190) is a key enforcement tool of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero policy, but a judge just threw it out.

June 30, 2016 - DNAInfo

Manhattan Developers Go 0-2 in Recent Preservation Battles

Local advocates have won a string of political victories against developers in New York City.

June 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Waldorf-Astoria

1,100 Waldorf Astoria Hotel Rooms to Make Way for Condos

A Chinese company has sent a dramatic signal about the evolution of New York, moving forward with a plan to convert most of the rooms in the famous Waldorf Astoria into condominiums.

June 28, 2016 - Bloomberg

Grand Central Station

Friday Funny: Watch These New Yorkers Just Miss Their Train

Ok, some are going to catch the train, too. You just never know when it's your lucky day.

June 24, 2016 - Gothamist

Gowanus Canal

Parking Spaces Give Way to Stormwater-Collecting Dumpsters in Gowanus

A project proposal from Alloy Development and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy makes creative use of space to achieve stormwater benefits in the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal.

June 21, 2016 - Brooklyn Paper

Staten Island Ferry

Details of New York's Ferry Service 'Gamble'

An ambitious and aggressive plan to launch new ferry service connecting all five boroughs in New York is scheduled to launch in January 2017.

June 18, 2016 - The New York Times

Domino Sugar Refinery

Domino Sugar Redevelopment Granted Catalytic Status on Williamsburg Waterfront

Crain's New York Business surveys the development investments that have followed the Domino Sugar Refinery redevelopment to the Williamsburg waterfront.

June 15, 2016 - Crain's New York Business

Hudson Yards Towers

State Bill Could Spread the Supertall Buildings Around New York

A package of bills making their way through the New York State Legislature could usher in an era of new height in parts of New York City.

June 14, 2016 - New York Magazine

Family Parking

Are Families Important in the 'New City'?

U.S. cities leave a lot to be desired for raising a family. However, is it really a worthwhile goal to make cities family friendly? Marin Gertler, a San Diego architect ponders the question after a recent visit to New York City.

June 13, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Losses Compounding for Preservationists in New York

The Architect's Newspaper reports on the potentially outsized implications of a recent decision by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission.

June 12, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

New York Subway

NYDOT's New 'Mobility Report': Subway Booms While Bus System Busts

The first "New York City Mobility Report" released under the leadership of New York Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg finds two sides of transit coin.

June 11, 2016 - StreetsBlog NYC

111 West 57th St

Explore the Skinny Skyscrapers of New York

Track the rise of "super slender" towers in New York with an online tool from the Skyscraper Museum.

June 9, 2016 - Dezeen

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.