Urban Development

Broadway Bike Lane

The Uncertain Future of Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan

By prioritizing a multi-modal approach and preserving existing vehicle space, the Seattle Department of Transportation risks abandoning the goals of its bicycle master plan.

January 4, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Penn Station

New York's Moynihan Train Hall Opens to the Public

The spacious, glass-ceilinged hall brings much-needed breathing room to the nation's busiest train station.

January 4, 2021 - Curbed

Los Angeles Freeway

Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies

The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.

January 3, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Los Angeles County Sprawl

A Year of Climate Action for Cities

The Trump administration might have dealt numerous setbacks in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but climate action in 2020 went local, with cities all over the country finding new ways to reduce emissions.

January 1, 2021 - Amy Turner via Twitter

Major League Soccer

Developers Bullish on Greater Cincinnati in 2021

The development scene in Cincinnati at the dawn of the new year is looking pretty lively, all things considered.

January 1, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Bus Only

Richmond Seeks to Expand Bus Rapid Transit

After seeing impressive ridership growth, Richmond's transit agency wants to expand bus rapid transit to more destinations in the region.

December 31, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Japan High Speed Rail

WSDOT Report Outlines Plan for Cascadia High-Speed Rail

A regional high-speed rail network could be coming to the Pacific Northwest, linking cities from Oregon to British Columbia.

December 31, 2020 - The Urbanist

Coronavirus Protest

Urban Planning and the Coronavirus: 2020 Year in Review

If ever there was a doubt about the sheer depth and breadth of intersectionality found in the practice and theory of planning, the pandemic provides daily reminders.

December 31, 2020 - James Brasuell

Montreal, Quebec

Smart Growth C'est Bon!

Compact infill development can create affordable, inclusive and attractive cities, like Montreal, "plus belle ville au monde."

December 31, 2020 - Todd Litman

My First Ride

Federal Funding Could Vastly Improve Transit Services

With a $17 billion federal investment, every city's public transit could look like Chicago's.

December 31, 2020 - GOVTECH.COM

Doctor's Row

Preservation Blind Spot Apparent on Philly's Black 'Doctor's Row'

Christian Street, known at the beginning of the 20th century as the Black "Doctor's Row" should have been on the Historic Register years ago, according to this article.

December 30, 2020 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Pedestrianized Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Miami Beach Could Permanently Pedestrianize Ocean Drive

The city banned vehicle traffic from the popular street during the pandemic. Now, transportation planners hope to make the change permanent as part of a new plan to prioritize pedestrians and improve transportation in the Entertainment District.

December 30, 2020 - The Next Miami

Seattle

High Costs Lead Seattle to Scale Back Earthquake Work on Bridges

After underestimating costs by hundreds of millions, Seattle is forced to cut back on proposed seismic improvements for the city's bridges.

December 29, 2020 - The Seattle Times

BART Station

New South Bay BART Stations See Disappointing Ridership

Introduced during the pandemic in an area where many residents now work remotely, the new stations have failed to attract new commuters.

December 29, 2020 - Mercury News

Seaside Entrance

Reassessing New Urbanism

A thematic issue of the peer reviewed journal Urban Planning provides a framework for reassessing New Urbanism.

December 29, 2020 - Urban Planning

Maokong Sky Gondola

Seattle Neighborhood Groups Propose Aerial Gondola to Replace Light Rail Expansion

Impatient with the city's light rail expansion plans, some residents are looking to aerial gondolas as a new mode of public transit.

December 28, 2020 - The Urbanist

Oakland

I-880 Reconfiguration Takes Another Step Forward in Oakland

The Oakland Alameda Access Project, in the works since 1997, is meant to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood.

December 28, 2020 - Mercury News

BLM Plaza, Washington, D.C.

The Planning Profession Needs More Black Women

If planners want to address the impacts of exclusionary planning, historical inequities, and policies that ignore the needs of women and minorities, they must address systemic inequities within the field itself.

December 28, 2020 - LSE Progressing Planning

Los Angeles and Coronavirus

The Most Popular Urban Planning Articles of 2020

The most-read news, features, and blogs on Planetizen in that year that was 2020.

December 28, 2020 - James Brasuell

National Register of Historic Places Plaque

It's Time to Diversify the National Historic Register

The network of historic sites honors important events in the nation's history but overlooks places related to women and minorities.

December 27, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

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.