Urban Development

Rain on Road

Street Made Entirely of Recycled Plastic Asphalt

The material, now being tested on California roads, is made using recycled PET plastic and promises longer-lasting road treatments.

January 11, 2021 - Construction & Demolition Recycling

Parking Lot

Is the Era of Over-Parking Over?

Cities like Vancouver are rethinking parking minimums as they try to meet climate goals, reduce traffic, and reallocate street space to other modes.

January 11, 2021 - Sightline

Shaw, D.C.

Is Anti-Growth the Wrong Approach to Fighting Gentrification?

Limiting development has been a powerful tool for anti-gentrification activists, but have these policies had counter-productive effects?

January 10, 2021 - The Atlantic

Big H. Gateway to the City of Hopewell road art.

Small Towns Provide Fertile Ground for Smart Urbanism

One Virginia town's complete streets transformation shows promise for active transportation interventions in small communities.

January 10, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Manhattan

New York Real Estate Market Shows First Signs of an Uneven Recovery

New data make it possible to trace outline of COVID-19's footprint on the Big Apple real estate market.

January 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Stockholm Complete Street

Sweden's 'One-Minute City' Reimagines the Street at a Hyper-Local Level

Rather than trying to meet all of a community's needs within a one-minute radius, Sweden's Street Moves pilot program gives residents the power to decide how street space gets used.

January 8, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

New York Parking

Parking Battles Heat Up in New York City

With car ownership rates soaring, the fight for the city's free street parking spots is intensifying.

January 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Testing

Density Takes Center Stage in the Pandemic, Again

The latest in a series of compendia tackling the effects of the pandemic, now and in the future, for cities and communities.

January 7, 2021 - James Brasuell

Houston, Construction

Watch: Planning Without Zoning, Explained

Fans of Houston probably won't want to watch this video that calls the Space City a "jumbled up garbage town."

January 7, 2021 - Half as Interesting

Baltimore Rail

Report Highlights the Need for Local Governance in Baltimore Transit

The unique structure of the Maryland Transit Administration leaves local stakeholders out of decision-making.

January 7, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Washington State

Small Cities Relax Accessory Dwelling Units Regulations Too

A city of about 40,000 residents across the Puget Sound from Seattle has relaxed zoning regulations to entice more homeowners to build accessory dwelling units.

January 7, 2021 - The Urbanist

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

'Housing Choice' Approved in Massachusetts

The Housing Choice initiative, one of the country's most sweeping planning and development reforms to date, was included in a large economic development package approved by the Massachusetts Legislature earlier this week.

January 7, 2021 - Mass Live

Venice Beach Coronavirus

Los Angeles Mayor Blames COVID Outbreak on Density

Appearing on a Sunday news show, Mayor Eric Garcetti noted that the Los Angeles metropolitan region is the nation's densest and one of two primary reasons why "we're seeing a person every six seconds contract COVID-19 here in Los Angeles County."

January 6, 2021 - CBS News

Atlanta, Georgia

First Wave of Affordable Housing Bonds Ratified in Atlanta

A down payment on a $100 million investment in affordable housing is moving forward in Atlanta.

January 6, 2021 - The Atlanta Voice

Diverging diamond interchange in Springfield, Missouri.

Diverging Diamond Interchange Puts Drivers on the Left Side of the Road

The unusual design improves traffic flow and reduces the danger of head-on collisions as cars enter the I-5 freeway.

January 5, 2021 - Seattle Times

Houston's downtown skyline

From Dumps to Solar Farms, One Houston Neighborhood Is Planning its Own Future

After decades of fighting landfills and pollution in their community, residents of Sunnyside are working to build a more sustainable future.

January 5, 2021 - One Breath Partnership

East Nashville

What Biden's First 100 Days Will Look Like for Transportation

The new administration's policies are likely to promote clean energy and equity goals and focus resources on maintenance of existing infrastructure.

January 5, 2021 - FreightWaves

Ohio

Ohio Approves New Tax Credit and Crowdfunding to Boost Downtown Development

Two pieces of legislation signed by Gov. DeWine promote investment in "legacy" cities.

January 5, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Palm Court

Reconsidering the 'Special Area Plans' of Miami 21

Insider knowledge on one of the most controversial components of a groundbreaking plan.

January 5, 2021 - Globe St.

Elevator Public health

Against 'Pandemic-Friendly' Planning

Since COVID-19 won't last forever, planners should not act as if it will, according to this opinion.

January 4, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

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.