Planning Books

Watch: Why and How to Abolish Zoning
Author M. Nolan Gray and Planetizen Editorial Director James Brasuell recently discussed zoning abolition and other concepts discussed in Gray's book, "Arbitrary Lines," published recently by Island Press.

Book Review: Arbitrary Lines
In addition to attacking zoning laws' limitations on housing, Gray argues that zoning fails to limit nuisances.

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.

New Book, 'Land,' Searches for Solid Ground
Simon Winchester's new book, Land, brings global scope to the concepts of land use.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020
The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.

Searching for the 'Urban Mystique'
An excerpt from a new book by Josh Stephens, "The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond," published by Solimar Books.

'The Affordable City' Offers Solutions for the U.S. Housing Affordability Crisis
An excerpt from the new book by Shane Phillips, "The Affordable City," published by Island Press.

Valuing Black Lives and Black Cities
Andre M. Perry’s "Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities" reveals the web of historical and contemporary socioeconomic barriers that maintain the racial wealth divide.

Is it Time to Revive the Pattern Language?
Software and other fields have made brilliant progress with the pattern language methodology, while built environment fields lag badly, mired in parochial debates over the massive book that invented the methodology.
City of Mt Shasta
McKenna
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.