walkable urbanism

Pedestrians crossing a busy crosswalk on New York City street with tall buildings in background

Foot Traffic Ahead: Report Reveals the Resilience of Walkable Places

Reports of the city’s death have been greatly exaggerated, according to new research from Smart Growth America.

January 30, 2023 - Smart Growth America

Purple Line Extension

Roundtable Discussion: Retrofitting Suburbia for Walkability

One of the biggest obstacles to retrofitting suburbia with more walkable environments is passionate local opposition to change.

February 21, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Buffalo Bayou Park

Houston's Latest Push for Walkable Neighborhoods

Building on 2009's Transit Corridor Ordinance, Houston's Walkable Places Committee is creating a process for specific neighborhoods to adopt new rules emphasizing walkability.

November 14, 2017 - The Urban Edge

Houston

Shifting Attitudes Toward Walkable Urbanism in Houston

According to this survey, many Houston residents increasingly prefer mixed-use areas over single-family suburbia. But there's only so much downtown available.

May 9, 2017 - The Urban Edge

High Line with Denari

Don't Forget the Neighborhoods Zoning Reform Leaves Behind

While urbanists target zoning reform to help build more housing in desirable neighborhoods, other neighborhoods around cities are being left behind to languish, according to this opinion piece published by Forbes.

April 29, 2016 - Forbes

Will Walkable Urbanism Transform a Pioneering New Town Into a "Real City"

Visionary developer James W. Rouse always wanted his planned community in Howard County, Maryland to be a "real city". As Columbia nears 50, a 30-year plan and new development seeks to fill in the community's "doughnut hole" with walkable density.

October 30, 2013 - The Baltimore Sun

Is Atlanta's Shift to Infill Development the Canary in the Sprawl Coal Mine?

A new study indicates that one of America's poster children for auto-centric development has a made a significant u-turn. Since 2009, the majority of Atlanta's new commercial and rental housing has been built in "walkable urban places".

October 3, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Red or Blue, States Demand Walkable Urbanism

A new study by the Sonoran Institute finds unmet demand for walkable neighborhoods in the western American states of Idaho, Montana and Colorado. In these states, houses in walkable areas sell for markedly more than in sprawling areas.

June 27, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Urbanism 2.0 vs. 'Micro Urban' Communities: Imagining Land Use in 2063

Patrick J. Kiger looks at the global trends that will impact urban landscapes over the next 50 years and explores two competing visions for the future of land use.

May 2, 2013 - Urban Land

A Community of Brick Suburban Homes on a cloudy summer day

What Types of Homes Will Be Desirable in 10 Years?

What will America's housing market look like in a decade? Will suburban homes make a comeback? Will the popularity of smaller units in urban environments continue to rise? Robert Shiller looks into his housing market crystal ball and sees haze.

April 30, 2013 - The New York Times

Detailing DC's Shift to Walkable Urbanism

Walkable urban places are poised to "put a foundation under the economy as well as government tax revenues," concludes Christopher Leinberger in a new report. Better! Cities & Towns delivers some highlights from his much anticipated study.

September 11, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

With Town Center Projects, Can the Suburbs Challenge Cities Yet Again?

Chasing the widespread interest in city living, developers are exporting mixed-use urbanism to the suburbs and exurbs as "town center" projects, prompting Jonathan O’Connell to ask if "a city can be a city if it’s built in the middle of a cornfield."

September 10, 2012 - The Washington Post

Walkable Urbanism Sets the Pace for Real Estate Recovery

As the real estate market comes back to life, walkable urbanism is poised to become the dominant mode of development across America. Emily Badger explains why Washington D.C.'s land use evolution portends the future of cities everywhere.

September 5, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Livable Communities Act Faces Uncertain Future

The mid-term elections have created even more uncertainty for the Livable Communities Act, which has stalled in the House and has yet to be taken up by the full Senate. Critics worry about government spending and housing affordability.

December 14, 2010 - Next American City

For Lack of a Better Term

Chuck Wolfe discusses the challenge of finding a more marketable term to encompass all of the prevailing theories of "transit-oriented development", "walkability", and "liveability." His suggestion? Urbandwidth.

July 21, 2010 - myurbanist

Green Urbanism's Affordability Problem

Nature writer David Oates embeds himself in green, urban Portland and finds much to like about the green city movement but also much room for improvement.

June 5, 2010 - Orion

Support Builds For Highway Removal in Saint Louis

St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board formally endorses the removal of elevated and depressed lanes of current I-70 ROW to reconnect city and arch grounds.

March 3, 2010 - St. Louis Post Dispatch

Teens Need Walkability

One blogger makes the case for walkable urbanism, in the context of the social and physical well-being of adolescents specifically.

March 5, 2009 - Greater Greater Washington

Stimulus Should Get Rail Back on Track

Treehugger interviews urban designer, New Urbanist, and rail advocate Andy Kunz about the stimulus package and how it will benefit high speed rail in America.

March 4, 2009 - Treehugger

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.