Health Equity

An image of a sign asking people to wear masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

COVID Deaths: U.S. in a League of its Own

An analysis by The New York Times compares current and cumulative COVID deaths in the U.S. to other large, wealthy countries. Data analyzed include vaccination, age and obesity levels, and public trust, all factors that influence outcomes.

February 9, 2022 - The New York Times

Washington, D.C. Local Government

Chief Equity Officer Appointed for the Local Government in D.C.

A new effort to counter the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic and the systemic inequalities that long predated the pandemic is underway, with new leadership, in the nation's capital.

April 6, 2021 - DCist

COVID Testing

'By the Numbers': California Shows How to Reopen Safely

Unlike other states that lifted restrictions statewide after coronavirus cases plummeted, California replaced its regional stay-home order with a county-based blueprint, permitting counties to advance based on performance in three health metrics.

March 4, 2021 - The Mercury News

Social Distancing

California Hospitals Now Operating Under Contingency Care Guidelines

The three levels of care provided by hospitals: conventional, contingency, and crisis, were outlined in a letter sent to all hospitals. They must notify the state by Wednesday that they have adopted some version of crisis standards to ration care.

January 4, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus and Urbanism

An American Urban Coronavirus Success Story

The City by the Bay has joined eight largely rural counties in California by advancing last Tuesday to the least restrictive tier of the state's new reopening criteria by reducing coronavirus transmission to nearly New York levels.

October 27, 2020 - The Mercury News

MacArthur Park

'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople

"Urban Green Spaces" is informative, even for practitioners, and a good read, according to a book review by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau.

July 22, 2019 - UrbDeZine

LA Ciclavia

Gehl Institute Releases New 'Guide to Inclusion and Health in Public Space'

The Gehl Institute's new Inclusive Healthy Places Framework is a free tool for evaluating and creating inclusive public places that support health equity.

July 13, 2018 - Gehl Institute

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

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.