Urban Development

Congestion

What Will It Take for the U.S. to Kick the Car Habit?

Government played a big role in creating the car-centric United States that exists today. Climate change requires that government take the lead in reducing automobile dominance.

September 14, 2021 - Vox

Gentrification

What We Really Mean When We Say Gentrification

The focus on gentrifying communities has, in many cases, eclipsed the similar problems facing more stagnant neighborhoods.

September 14, 2021 - Vox

Banc of California Stadium

Sports Stadiums as a Battleground for Affordable Housing

Thanks to new enforcement powers, California's Department of Housing and Community Development can now cite cities for failing to meet affordable housing requirements in stadium redevelopment projects.

September 13, 2021 - CALmatters

Rendering of 8850 Sunset Blvd

Splashy New Project Proposed for Iconic Sunset Strip Location

The development on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip would incorporate a new version of the iconic Viper Room music venue, along with a hotel, condos, and retail.

September 13, 2021 - Urbanize Los Angeles

Corner Store

Healthy Corner Stores Fight 'Retail Redlining'

Small entrepreneurs are working to combat 'food deserts' by bringing fresh, healthy foods to communities lacking access to major grocery stores. But price continues to be a major factor in people's food choices.

September 13, 2021 - The Guardian

Texas Flood

Are Tall Buildings Safer When It Floods?

Conventional wisdom is that the most resilient city is that keeps high-density housing out of flood zones. But if flooding can happen miles inland, is that still true?

September 13, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Arlington Cemetery Station

TOD Plans Take Shape in Prince George's County

The historically car-dependent county is hoping the planned revitalization of the Blue Line Corridor will boost the local economy and help maintain affordable housing.

September 13, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Green Building

Sustainable Real Estate Investments Are No Longer Optional

Greenwashing won't cut it anymore, and investors are increasingly demanding that all real estate developments and existing assets be assessed in the most holistic way possible.

September 12, 2021 - Breana Wheeler

One World Trade Center

20 Years After 9/11: The 'Age of Skyscrapers' Is Nowhere Near Over

Despite predictions that the events of September 11, 2001 would be the end of skyscrapers, U.S. cities are building more tall buildings than ever.

September 12, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Coachella Valley

A Stark Picture of the Climate Gap in the Coachella Valley

In the low desert of Southern California, dwindling water supplies and a lack of infrastructure funding pose major challenges for working-class communities struggling to survive.

September 12, 2021 - ProPublica

St. Paul Minnesota

St. Paul Voters Could Pass the Nation's Strictest Rent Stabilization Ordinance

The extremely strict proposal would eliminate sharp rent increases, but could stifle housing construction and worsen the city's housing crisis.

September 10, 2021 - Minneapolis Post

A map of the Boston harbor with locations highlighted that will be vulnerable to sea-level rise.

Boston to Leverage Private Developers for a New Climate Resiliency Fund

It's going to take a lot of funding to build the infrastructure to protect coastal cities from rising seas as climate change takes hold. The city of Boston is starting to experiment with revenue sources that can fund the necessary improvements.

September 10, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Rendering of aerial view of Telosa city

Why Tech-Utopian City Plans Fail

Like others before him, e-commerce billionaire Marc Lore wants to build the ideal city from scratch. Urban experts don't have much faith in his chances.

September 9, 2021 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Green Infrastructure

New York Needs Permeable Streets to Mitigate Future Flooding

To reduce the severity of disruptive subway flooding, the city can implement street-level solutions that absorb and redirect water before it reaches the train tunnels.

September 9, 2021 - StreetsBlog NYC

Downtown Anchorage with the snow covered Chugach Mountains in the background.

An Ambitious Revitalization Agenda for Downtown Anchorage

A new mayoral administration in Anchorage has its sights set on a revitalized urban core, but one local researcher has suggestions for how to expand that vision.

September 8, 2021 - Sightline Institute

New York politicians, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio, gather in front of microphones for a press conference.

New Light on Basement Apartments in NYC After Ida's Tragedies

Basement apartments were the least safe place to be as the remnants of Hurricane Ida sent floodwaters ripping through the Northeast.

September 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Saint Paul Minnesota

How to Abolish Parking Minimums: Lessons from the Twin Cities

Cities around the country are eliminating parking minimums in an effort to reduce the costs of housing construction and encourage car-free living.

September 7, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

LaGuardia Airport

Delta Variant Slowing the Construction Industry

The spike in Covid-19 caused by the highly contagious Delta Variant is slowing the economic recovery in numerous sectors of the economy—case in point the construction industry.

September 7, 2021 - Construction Dive

A photo of the downtown skyline in Milwaukee, along the Milwaukee RIver.

Project Team for Milwaukee's New Downtown Area Plan Takes Shape

A new plan for Milwaukee's downtown will build on a "major renaissance" in the area since the approval of the last version of the plan in 2010.

September 7, 2021 - Urban Milwaukee

Texas Capitol Building

Preemption of Green Cities in Red States

State legislatures, frequently acting on behalf of corporate interests, are preempting local reforms and regulations necessary to limit the emissions that cause climate change.

September 7, 2021 - Joan Fitzgerald

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.

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.