Mass Tourism

Spray painted words "Tourist Go Home" on wall in Barcelona illustrate locals' frustration with overtourism.

Balancing Act: 7 Strategies to Curb Overtourism

What’s a popular travel destination to do? From ice cream bans to “Stay Away” marketing campaigns, cities and countries across the world are getting creative in their efforts to curb the negative impacts of mass tourism and tourists behaving badly.

August 5, 2024 - Mary Hammon

Line of colorful historic buildings on one side of a square jammed packed with people.

Too Much of a Good Thing? 5 Flavors of Overtourism

Popular travel destinations across the world are facing a huge challenge as international tourism surpasses pre-pandemic levels: too many visitors. But what’s driving this troublesome trend?

May 30, 2024 - Mary Hammon

Rome, Italy

Denied: No Sitting on Rome's Spanish Steps

Rome's Spanish Steps are no longer a place for sitting.

August 9, 2019 - Associated Press

The Netherlands

'Fairbnb' Attempts to Right the Wrongs of Short-Term Rentals

A new attempt at mitigating the social impact of short-term rentals and mass tourism.

May 20, 2019 - CityLab

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.