Citizen Planning

A conceptual rendering of a revamped train station in a historic corner of Salt Lake City.

A Citizen-Led Plan Would Revamp Salt Lake’s Transit and Freeway Mix

The Rio Grande Plan would restore rail service to the Rio Grande Depot and reconnect a community divided by a freeway in Salt Lake City.

January 18, 2023 - Salt Lake City Weekly

New York City

New York Voters to Consider Term Limits for Community Board Members

Proposal 3, on November's ballot, aims to bring new diversity to the community board system that advises land use and development decisions around the city.

October 25, 2018 - Curbed New York

Main Street

New Web Based Tool Helps to 'Design Your Town'

A new tool produced by the Regional Plan Association, the Orange County Department of Planning, the Pace University Land Use Law Center, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy offers a starting point for people with big ideas.

June 12, 2017 - Regional Plan Association

Citizen Planning Academies Build Capacity for Local Planning

Citizen Planning Academies build local leadership, increase awareness, and broaden involvement through community education. CommunityMatters highlights examples of citizen academies along with five reasons to start one in your city or town.

May 29, 2015 - CommunityMatters

The Impressive Story of Florida's 15-Year-Old Citizen Planner

Dylan Gentile, a 15-year-old resident of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, offers inspiration in the form of proactive, positive engagement with the built environment, and already an impressive resume of accomplishments.

March 7, 2015 - CityLab

Does Too-Plentiful Parking Spark Wild Parties at Chicago's Montrose Beach?

Parking is at the center of proposed urban design and planning responses a recent melee at Montrose Beach in Chicago, which followed an un-permitted concert.

July 25, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

A Call for Local Architects to 'Redefine the Drive' in Chicago

A local architect produced a DIY design to push the Illinois Department of Transportation to think big with the "Redefine the Drive" project on North Lake Shore Drive. With the proposal: invitations for more local designers to participate.

July 10, 2014 - Chi.Streetsblog

Should NYC's Community Boards Have Term Limits?

Keith Williams reports on the longevity of some members of community boards in New York City. Critics say that the review capacity of the boards would best be served by increased turnover in membership.

June 2, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

A Radical Proposal for North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago

A citizen-led initiative to rethink the land around North Lake Shore Boulevard in the neighborhood of Streeterville produced ambitious designs that would create additional shoreline, baldy-needed open space, and a tunnel for Lake Shore Drive.

May 15, 2014 - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Blockee Eagle Rock

Trick Out Your Street With Two New Design Tools

People-powered street design is getting a major boost with the help of two new tools that make it easy to reimagine unsatisfactory streetscapes.

October 17, 2013 - Gizmodo

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.