Economic Relief

Philadelphia Bike Lane

How to Maximize the Local Impact of the American Rescue Plan

A new report provides advice and guidance on how cities, with Philadelphia as its example, can make the most of the historic funding opportunities made available by the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress earlier this year.

August 13, 2021 - The New Localism

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

$425 Million in Rent Relief Never Reached Those in Need

A damning investigation reveals the immense financial resources that states could have spent on rent relief but failed to do so, whether willfully or not.

June 29, 2021 - The Center for Public Integrity

Birmingham, Alabama

Federal Stimulus Offers a Chance for Local Reinvention

Cities around the country are making big plans for economic relief funding from the federal government.

April 21, 2021 - The Washington Post

Government Center Station Miami

How $30 Billion in Stimulus Funding Would Change the Equation for Transit Agencies

The funding in the draft stimulus funding package making its way through Congress falls short of the total requested by the American Public Transportation Association, but would go a long way to helping transit agencies weather the pandemic.

February 10, 2021 - TransitCenter

Downtown Philadelphia

Pandemic's Economic Realities Bolster Case for a Land Value Tax

The example of Philadelphia shows how a land value tax could provide relief to residents and the city's finances.

October 18, 2020 - WHYY

Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump

Trump Neglects Cities to the Peril of the Economy, Experts Say

President Trump is infamous for politicizing civil unrest in cities, but his leadership's animus to urban areas is found in policy as well, despite the importance of large cities to the nation's economy.

September 16, 2020 - The Washington Post

Donald Trump

Skepticism for Trump's Executive Orders

President Trump put on a show while signing a batch of executive orders late last week, but on further evaluation, the president's signatures on these orders aren't likely to save anyone from the economic devastation of the coronavirus.

August 12, 2020 - The Washington Post

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Federal Eviction and Foreclosure Moratorium Extended Until the End of August

Breaking news: a federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures of single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be extended until at least the end of August. The moratorium had been set to expire at the end of June.

June 17, 2020 - Federal Housing Finance Agency

Emergency Housing

Report: $15.5 Billion Per Month Needed for Housing Market Relief

A new report from researchers at the Urban Institute makes the case for federal and state relief for renters and property owners hurt by the economic realities of the coronavirus pandemic.

June 17, 2020 - Urban Institute

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.