This Big City

Last of the color coding

Graduate Urbanism Studies Aren't What They Used to Be

As society's understanding of cities, neighborhoods, and communities continues to evolve, so too do the graduate education programs created to provide professional training in those areas.

November 19, 2014 - This Big City

What the Data Says About Life in the City

Cities can be undersold or oversold in equal measure, but they never fail to present a shortage of data. With its #citydata series, This Big City explores the sometimes surprising facts about cities that emerge from the din of urban life.

January 17, 2014 - This Big City

Envisioning a Future Urban Dronescape

Jeff Bezos' proposal to deliver packages by aerial drone has the potential to upset traditional models of logistics and distribution, but it's most powerful effect may be on the urban airspace. Are blue skies ahead for Bezos' vision?

December 12, 2013 - This Big City

The Startup City You Probably Haven't Heard About

There are some cities that give you everything you need and others that make you work for it. This article profiles efforts to build a startup community in Tallahassee through the eyes of the city's growing network of entrepreneurs.

December 4, 2013 - This Big City

Civic Tech and Mobile Engagement 2.0

Community engagement efforts increasingly look to harness mobile devices and mobile applications to access, inform, and empower the public. However the mobile market is evolving at a fast pace, which complicates our understanding of what works best.

October 23, 2013 - This Big City

Measuring Walkability to Improve It

After leading annual conferences and championing the International Charter for Walking, the non-profit Walk21 is expanding its efforts to improve walkability and livability across the globe by benchmarking the pedestrian-friendliness of world cities.

August 29, 2013 - This Big City

Three Strategies for Refueling Abandoned Gas Stations

Lucas Lindsey explores the rise and fall of gas stations in the U.S. With stations closing across the country, and cities wrestling with how to reclaim them, he looks at some that have found a new life through reuse, redevelopment, or repositioning.

July 28, 2013 - This Big City

Water Crisis: Challenges Ahead in New Mexico

While much of America’s southwest and inter-mountain west battles blazing forest fires, Magdalena, NM faces a less spectacular but equally fearsome crisis: a municipal system no longer capable of delivering water to the village's 938 residents.

July 13, 2013 - This Big City

Bogota Plans Mass Tactical Urbanism Offensive

This weekend, Bogota, Colombia will launch its second 100en1día (100 in 1 day) event, a blitz of urban interventions meant to multiply the impact of citywide citizen activism exponentially. Cities across the world are following their lead.

April 26, 2013 - This Big City

Reading Livability in Tehran

Tehran is known for being congested and polluted, but Elyana Javaheri credits mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf for making the Iranian capital more livable.

July 4, 2012 - This Big City

Branding Kansas City through Graphic Design

Sharon Gochenour explores the ways in which the evolution of graphic communications – from building signage to official logos – represent various aspects of Kansas City's identity.

March 18, 2012 - This Big City

Lawyers Call for Zoning Changes in NYC

The NYC Bar Association Committee advocates making amendments to the city's the current Zoning Resolution to make the city more sustainable.

December 16, 2011 - This Big City

Cycling Superhighways Raising Debate

In the summer of 2010, London launched a new program that had established bright blue bike lanes known as 'Cycle Superhighways' alongside main roads. These initiatives are intended to provide the quickest routes into the city centre.

November 30, 2011 - This Big City

New Urban Design Looks at Shared Spaces

In urban street design, a new movement known as 'shared spaces' has been emerging. This new movement "aims to reduce the dominance of cars by getting people and vehicles to share the road space," according to Walkonomics.

November 30, 2011 - This Big City

Smarter Solutions to Improve Our World

The next breakthrough in architecture may not come from the likes of Frank Gehry, according to Alex Goldmark, but from a chemist because they are the ones developing new compounds that aren't just stronger, or cleaner, but also smarter.

November 23, 2011 - This Big City

Reason London Failed in Becoming a Cycling City

During WWII, thousands of bicycles were stolen from the Dutch by occupying Germans, leaving them unable to get around. In Britain, however, strict patrol rationing meant bicycle use rose considerably because it was the only way to get around.

November 23, 2011 - This Big City

Bicycle Users Take Action Into Their Own Hands

In 2007, Mexico City's government promised that it would build 300km of bike lanes around the city by 2012. According to Jimena Veloz, "the city still only has 22.2 km because most money is allocated to car infrastructure."

November 17, 2011 - This Big City

Introducing The Low Line

Under New York's Delancey Street lurks 60,000 square feet of vaulted ceilings and cobbled streets, sitting unappreciated in the dark. A group of entrepreneurs have plans to create a subterranean park there.

November 10, 2011 - This Big City

Jakarta's First Bicycle Lane Has Problems

In Jakarta, efforts to becoming a more livable city inspired the construction of a designated bicycle lane. The 1.5 km bike lane stretches from Ayodia Park To Blok M, but due to lack in law enforcement, bikes aren't the only ones using these lanes.

November 9, 2011 - This Big City

Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Drivers Clash

With over 8 million people sharing the streets and sidewalks of New York City, there is bound to be a clash between transportation modes. Who's to blame? Lyndsey Scofield says that there is bad behavior on all sides.

October 5, 2011 - This Big City

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.