Regional Planning

Lafayette BART

San Francisco Housing Advocates: 'Sue the Suburbs'

Renters' advocates in San Francisco are building a political and fundraising base to legally challenge suburbs that aren't pulling their weight in constructing the housing to meet the demands of population growth.

September 14, 2015 - San Francisco Magazine

A Call for Regional Transit in Southeast Wisconsin

An op-ed argues that regional transportation oversight enable the region surrounding Milwaukee to better attract new business.

July 29, 2015 - Urban Milwaukee

Better Late Than Never: A Regional Transit Plan for Metropolitan Detroit

Detroit is infamous for its lack of regional transit (or local transit for that matter), but the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan this month launched a master planning process that could finally fill some of the region's gaps.

May 21, 2015 - The Detroit News

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Focus on Affordability at APA National Conference

For all the discussion about affordable housing at the APA National Conference in Seattle last week, clear solutions have yet to emerge. Polycentric regional planning is one long-term goal.

April 28, 2015 - CityLab

Millennial Advisory Panel Convened for Atlanta's Regional Planning Effort

The Atlanta Regional Commission is engaging Millennials in an ongoing planning effort that will determine the shape of the region through 2040.

March 13, 2015 - Atlanta Regional Commission

New Guide Provides Advice for Successful Regional Planning

Transportation for America has released "The Innovative MPO"—a guidebook of sorts that provides lessons in successful regional planning.

January 13, 2015 - Streetsblog USA

Powerful Political Forces Aligning Against Southwest Light Rail in Minneapolis

One of the most heavily-contested transit projects in the United States, the Southwest light rail line in the metropolitan Twin Cities area, is encountering increased levels of political opposition.

January 12, 2015 - MPR News

Op-Ed: Time for the Bay Area to Embrace Regional Planning

An op-ed by the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board takes cues from London's regional transportation planning efforts in an argument supporting regional planning for the San Francisco-San Jose Bay Area.

December 29, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Defending the Metropolitan Council as Political Support for Regional Planning Wanes

An editorial in the MinnPost supports the regional planning of the Metropolitan Council in the Twin Cities metro area, which has been beset by a string of controversial decisions.

November 19, 2014 - MinnPost

How Fictional Characters Can Give Real Perspective to Planners

Eric Jaffe reports on a simulation method used by the Regional Plan Association to bridge gaps in community engagement while developing the Fourth Regional Plan.

May 26, 2014 - CityLab

Regional Planning Approach to Attract Tourism West of the Twin Cities

Located less then 15 miles west of Downtown Minneapolis, Lake Minnetonka is already popular, but the 14 cities near the lake have created a regional coalition to improve the lake experience.

February 17, 2014 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

D.C. Area COG Adopts Regional Transportation Plan

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently approved a Regional Transportation Priorities Plan that focuses on improving existing systems. A lot of planning remains to decide which projects get built.

January 22, 2014 - Washington Post

Rebuffing Planner Recommendations, Illinois Officials Approve New Expressway

The approval of the Illiana Expressway by the CMAP Policy Committee rejects the recommendation of the organization's own planners and years of regional cooperation. Yonah Freemark says the decision will have an effect on regional planning nationwide.

October 19, 2013 - the transport politic

Regional Plan Recommends Three Elements for Creating a Thriving Northeast Ohio

Northeast Ohio's largest regional planning effort in a generation recommends infill development, transit expansion, and land conservation as the essential elements for ensuring the area's future success.

October 10, 2013 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Plan Bay Area: Sued From the Right, Now the Left

Plan Bay Area must be doing something right as it seems to be antagonizing those on both ends of the planning spectrum. First, a libertarian group sues because of "densification", and now environmentalists sue because not enough funds go for transit.

August 22, 2013 - KQED News

To Sustain Success, Nashville Area Must Think Regionally

Two decades of phenomenal growth have transformed Nashville into 'one of America’s hottest success stories.' In an op-ed for The Tennessean, Bill Freeman argues that for the area to continue to grow wisely it will need to embrace regional planning.

August 5, 2013 - The Tennessean

How Can Northeast Ohio Grow Smarter?

The 'biggest regional planning effort in a generation' is providing residents of twelve Northeast Ohio counties with an opportunity to discuss how the area can leverage its existing infrastructure rather than continuing to sprawl.

August 2, 2013 - The Plain Dealer

Ça c'est Paris

Paris Set to Quadruple in Size

A new governance structure will integrate central Paris with its suburbs in order to facilitate regional planning for 6.5 million inhabitants across 124 municipalities.

July 30, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

One Major Flaw of Plan Bay Area

According to SF State University geographer, Jason Henderson, the adoption of Plan Bay Area by MTC and ABAG last Thursday was a "watershed moment in regional planning", but it also was a missed opportunity to improve transit to capture more trips.

July 26, 2013 - San Francisco Bay Guardian

The Shaky Foundation Underlying CA's New Long-Range Regional Plans

Wendell Cox rebuts the work of Arthur C. Nelson, who has projected CA as over-supplied with detached housing and in demand of small lot and multi-unit housing. Nelson's work has been the basis of long-range regional planning throughout the state.

November 14, 2012 - New Geography

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.