Urban Development

Proposed North Hollywood-Pasadena BRT Line

Controversial BRT Plans Revised in Los Angeles

The proposed changes to plans for a bus rapid transit route on Colorado Boulevard are an attempt to compromise between competing community concerns.

April 6, 2021 - Urbanize Los Angeles

Coronavirus and Transportation

Tech and the Post-Pandemic City

To steer American cities into the future, public and private sectors—and citizens—must work together to build broad, lasting support around complicated issues such as transparency and data privacy.

April 6, 2021 - Sara Maffey

Share the Road

Opinion: U.S. Traffic Deaths are a Regulatory Failure

One writer argues that rules that prioritize driver safety and ignore pedestrian infrastructure have led to a sharp increase in fatalities on U.S. roads.

April 6, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

New York City

Manhattan's Economy Depended on Office Workers. Now What?

With 90 percent of its usual commuters still working from home and a full return to the office highly unlikely, what will become of New York City's towering office buildings?

April 6, 2021 - The New York Times

Construction crane in foreground, Denver skyline in background

Denver City Council Considering Transportation Demand Management Plan

If approved, the proposed regulations would require developers to implement policies to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips for new developments.

April 5, 2021 - Westword

CBS Television City, Los Angeles, Caliifornia.

L.A.'s Historic CBS Campus Will Undergo Billion-Dollar Expansion

The Television City revamp will more than double the currently available space and include a multi-modal mobility hub, pedestrian improvements, and a "robust" transportation demand management program.

April 5, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

SEPTA Trolley

Amazon Outbids SEPTA for Southwest Philadelphia Property

The transit agency must renew its search for an appropriate facility for an expanded trolley barn as part of its plan to modernize its aging fleet.

April 5, 2021 - WHYY

Personal Mobility

Infrastructure Bill an Opportunity to Redesign Transportation to Move People, not Cars

By focusing on traffic safety, the Biden administration's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure has a chance to make good on its potential to shift the nation's infrastructure planning for the benefit of the people and the planet.

April 5, 2021 - John Stout

End of the Mall

Can Mall Redevelopment 'Urbanize the Suburbs'?

Local leaders in Virginia are banking on mall redevelopment projects to revive their tax bases and create more mixed-use neighborhoods.

April 2, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

SEPTA Bus Transit

Opinion: Philadelphia Mayor is Failing Transit Riders

By staying conspicuously absent from the controversy over the closure of the Somerset El station, the mayor has avoided involvement in an issue that affects the whole city, according to Philadelphia's leading architecture critic.

April 2, 2021 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Campanile

One Berkeley Resident's Fight to Desegregate the City

Dorothy Walker has spent decades working to eliminate housing discrimination. In February, the city council finally agreed.

April 1, 2021 - Grist

Texas

Austin City Council Urges TxDOT to Reconsider I-35 Expansion

In a letter to the department, the city called for an increased focus on shifting demand away from single-occupancy vehicles and boosting other forms of transportation.

April 1, 2021 - KVUE

New York Development

What Is Upzoning?

Upzoning is a term used to describe changes to a zoning code made to increase the amount of development allowed in the future.

March 31, 2021 - James Brasuell

Amazon Fulfillment Center

Warehouse Sprawl Prompts Calls for Regional Planning

As e-commerce giants like Amazon build more and more facilities, advocates say a regional approach is needed to prevent sprawl and look beyond local benefits.

March 31, 2021 - NJ Spotlight

London Crowded Street

What Is the Future of London's 'Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods'?

As local councils debate making permanent changes implemented last year, can pedestrian and cycling advocates hold on to their victories?

March 31, 2021 - The Guardian

Taipei, Taiwan Skyline

Californians Seek Normalcy by Relocating to Taiwan

As the pandemic continues to disrupt life in the United States, some Taiwanese Americans are rebuilding their lives abroad.

March 30, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Colorado Springs, Colorado skyline

Colorado Springs Drafts New Regional Annexation Plan

A regional planning proposal in El Paso County, Colorado calls for uniform standards for unincorporated developments, which would make it easier to receive city services if annexed in the future.

March 30, 2021 - The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

Tenants' Rights

HUD Has Money for Tenant Organizing. Why Isn’t the Agency Spending It?

HUD can provide $10 million to tenant organizers each year, but the funding has largely gone unspent since the early 2000s. Will that change with a new administration and newly approved HUD secretary?

March 30, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Denver, Colorado

Cleveland Wanted Townhomes, What it Got Was 'Slot Homes'

Members of the Cleveland Chapter if the American Institute of Architects are raising awareness about the unintended consequences of zoning changes made in 2018 to make it easier to develop townhomes in the city.

March 30, 2021 - Cleveland.com

Little Tokyo Los Angeles

Los Angeles Passes New Rent Relief Package

The city will offer a new round of rental assistance to eligible families who owe back rent.

March 29, 2021 - KTLA

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.