Urban Development

Orange and black "Road Closed" and "High Water" signs blocking a flooded roadway in Florida after a hurricane.

FEMA Suspends Flood Rebuilding Standard

The rule was designed to prevent the rebuilding of government-funded projects in areas prone to repeated floods.

February 20, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

John Bridge Monument (also known as The Puritan), in the northeast corner of the Cambridge Common in Cambridge, Massachusetts with fall foliage on ground.

Cambridge Passes Zoning Reform

Developers can now build housing of up to six stories in the Massachusetts city.

February 20, 2025 - Saporta Report

Downtown Los Angeles viewed from Echo Park with lake with artesian fountain in foreground.

A Sustainable Future for LA: Updating the OurCounty Plan

Los Angeles County is updating its Sustainability Plan to refine its vision for climate action, environmental justice, and community well-being, with residents encouraged to participate by taking the OurCounty 2025 Update Community Survey.

February 19, 2025 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Geometric glass Seattle Public Library building.

Public Libraries May Be More Relevant Than Ever

Libraries around the country are expanding their services in an effort to become ‘third spaces’ for the community.

February 19, 2025 - Governing

Paved walking path next to canal in The Woodlands, Texas with office buildings in background.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50

A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

February 19, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Aerial view of South Orange, New Jersey.

Off-Street Parking in the Midburbs

In several New Jersey cities, eliminating parking requirements has boosted local businesses.

February 18, 2025 - Gabe Bailer - PP - AICP - NJ Urbanthinker

People sitting at outdoor tables with green umbrellas in Union Square, San Francisco.

Traditional Retail is Hanging by a Thread. What Now for Cities?

After Kaid Benfield paints a rather grim retail outlook — where even retail bastions like San Diego are going dark — he suggests a series of actions for city leaders and planners.

February 17, 2025 - * A Placemaking Journal

Group of five small children running on concrete outdoors on sunny day.

Planning Communities for Thriving Children

When it comes to children's health and economic success, current trends are dismal. New research identifies how to plan communities where children can thrive. The secret? Compact, mixed-income, multimodal neighborhoods.

February 17, 2025 - Todd Litman

Brick "USC University of Southenr California"  sign at entrance to campus

Sustainability Expert Becomes Dean of USC’s School of Public Policy

Chris Boone, a sustainability leader, becomes dean of the USC Price School of Public Policy, where he aims to advance interdisciplinary solutions and sustainability initiatives while building on the school’s legacy of public policy leadership.

February 17, 2025 - USC Today

Fort Mill, South Carolina: Kingsley Town Center. Mixed use development of repurposed textile mill with smokestack and streets "Textile Way" and "Broadcloth Street."

Rethinking Suburban Development: New Trends in Creating Livable Communities

Discover new trends in suburban development focused on creating more livable, sustainable communities for future growth.

February 17, 2025 - Devin Partida

Aerial view of old buildings and government or church building with tall roof in Annapolis, Maryland.

Commentary: We Need a Return to the Adaptability of Traditional Urban Form

How the rigidity of modern suburban development fails to prepare cities for the future.

February 17, 2025 - Strong Towns

Girl on phone struggling to hear standing on loud city street.

Neurodivergence and the City

Researchers are starting to understand how people with conditions like autism experience cities differently — and how to design for the neurodiverse brain.

February 17, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Los Angeles, California skyline against mountains at sunset.

Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit

The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.

February 14, 2025 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Three new single-family homes in a row on a lot with no trees.

What’s in a Name? Investors vs. Speculators

We don’t often make a clear distinction between investors and speculators, which makes it harder to identify harmful behavior — and to find solutions for it.

February 13, 2025 - Shelterforce

Community engagement event held outdoors to evaluate opinions on the renovation of MacGregor Park in Houston, Texas.

Public and Private Collaboration Advances Park Development in Houston

Houston may be known to some as a concrete jungle, but its greenspaces continue to expand thanks to combined support from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

February 13, 2025 - Beth White

Red spherical bollards lining city sidewalk.

Building Secure Yet Welcoming Public Spaces

Strategies for securing public spaces from vehicle attacks and other acts of terrorism without sacrificing accessible, vibrant urban places.

February 13, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Man sitting in chair along River Seine in Paris with fishing pole.

River Seine ‘Teeming’ With Life

Decades of restoration efforts are yielding positive results as dozens of species of fish return to the once-polluted waterway.

February 11, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Parking payment machine on street with blurred cars parked in background.

Donald Shoup Wasn't Just About Parking. He Was About The Economics Of Public Goods.

William Fulton provides a personal perspective on Prof. Shoup's life and work: “His mission was to help people understand the underlying economics of public goods and services. Parking was simply the vehicle, one might say, that he chose to do so.”

February 11, 2025 - California Planning & Development Report

Person wearing headphones sitting at desk with monitor showing other people on Zoom meeting.

Which Cities Have the Most Remote Workers?

Across the country, a median of 12.5 percent of workers continue to perform their jobs remotely.

February 10, 2025 - The Herald Sun

Colorful two-story buildings close to each other in Culdesac Tempe development.

Culdesac Tempe Defies Expectations

Despite initial skepticism about its true potential for sustainable urbanism, the built-from-scratch “car-free neighborhood” is widely popular with its residents.

February 10, 2025 - Dwell

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.