Public Health

Public Showers Improve Health

The village of Shamen, China lacks running water, and scarcity has created a lack of awareness of water health issues. A complex new bathhouse aims to curb health problems and create a gathering place in the process.

August 29, 2011 - Fast Company

The Boon in British Cycling

A new report from the London School of Economics looks at the “cycling economy” that is taking the United Kingdom by storm and the economic benefits generated by individual cyclists.

August 25, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

My Future City is Houston?

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has released an online urban planning game called "Urbanology," which asks a serious of questions to determine the type of city you think is the future.

August 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

China's Road Safety Epidemic Attributed To Unskilled Drivers

With one third the number of cars on the road as U.S., China has at least twice the fatality rate. Most vehicles are designed in the West, and driven a similar amount. Road conditions as well as driver and pedestrian error are blamed for crashes.

July 27, 2011 - The New York Times - Asia Pacific

Jane Jacobs Speaks

Kaid Benfield shares this video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that includes audio and video of Jane Jacobs, a rarity.

July 23, 2011 - SustainableCitiesCollective

Sprawl On: Suburbs Top the Hierarchy of Healthy Places

A new finding by Univ. of Wisconsin Population Health Institute reveals that when the health variable is isolated, suburban living beats living in the city and in rural areas.

July 12, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

The Challenge of Long-Term Planning

The sometimes decades-long gap between cause and effect makes it difficult to reverse long-standing transportation & planning policies, says Ben Brown.

July 11, 2011 - PlaceShakers

Louisville, KY Confronts Obesity From All Angles

A grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has Louisville thinking differently. "...it's not just about smart growth, it’s not just about transportation, it's not just about parks or better nutrition, it’s about all of those things and more."

June 14, 2011 - The New York Times

Killer Cities

Urban design is increasingly linked with poor health conditions. Grist's Sarah Goodyear explains how cities are literally killing people.

May 21, 2011 - Grist

New Yorkers Get Daily Exercise Just By Getting Around

New Yorkers get most of their physical activity from walking to the subway or running errands, not jogging or going to the gym, says a new report from the New York Dept. of Health.

May 21, 2011 - Streetsblog

A City of Healthy and Unhealthy Neighborhoods

The dividing lines in the cities of today are not so much about neighborhoods, but rather the relative health of those neighborhoods, according to this piece from The Globe and Mail.

May 19, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Supermarkets Designed to Make You Fat

Access to healthy food is a major issue in public health. But just because there's a grocery store nearby doesn't mean health will improve. One entrepreneur looking at supermarket design says the way stores are laid out negatively affects health.

May 13, 2011 - The Atlantic

The Effect of Light on an Environment

Natural and artificial light have a significant effect on the experience of hospital patients and can actually reduce stress and hospital time, says Rosalyn Cama, an interior designer and researcher specializes in health care design.

May 10, 2011 - Metropolis Magazine

Building A Healthier Environment

The built environment plays a big role in public health, and the professions involved in creating the built environment need to pay more attention to building healthy places, argues Clark Manus, president of the American Institute of Architects.

April 22, 2011 - Architect

L.A. Plans to Fix its Streets

Los Angeles County is in the process of writing a "Model Streets Manual", with funding coming from an unlikely source: The Department of Public Health.

March 28, 2011 - Project for Public Spaces blog

Designing Out Obesity

An emerging design movement is trying to counteract obesity in American cities.

February 26, 2011 - Fast Co. Design

Widening Waistlines Weigh on Developing Cities

Cities across the developing world are dealing more with rising obesity rates as urbanization occurs, reports TheCityFix's Jonna McKone.

January 13, 2011 - TheCityFix

Tree Cover Linked with Healthier Babies

A study of tree cover and pregnant women suggests that women living in areas with more trees are less likely to give birth to undersized babies.

January 11, 2011 - The Oregonian

Looking at Urban Design Through a Public Health Lens

New York City's Health Commissioner has urban design in his sights as he seeks to improve public health in the city.

November 23, 2010 - Transportation Nation

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.

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.