Urban Development

Delaware

Property Tax System in Delaware Ruled Unconstitutional

A property tax shake up is coming to the state of Delaware. Some will pay more, and some will pay less as the ruling forces assessments to come in line with reality.

May 11, 2020 - Delaware News Journal

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Reopening Main Street

A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.

May 10, 2020 - studioneleven

Central Park from Rockefeller Center Historic Photo

Design in the Time of Cholera: How Pandemics Reshaped the Built Environment

Some of the most beloved public parks and essential advances in public sanitation can be traced back to their roots in the Cholera outbreaks in the 1800s.

May 8, 2020 - History

Illinois

Another City Opens Street Space for Restaurants—This Time in Suburban Chicago

Tampa, Brookhaven, Vilnius, Hinsdale. These cities will be the answer to a COVID-themed trivia night some time soon.

May 8, 2020 - Chicago Tribune

Quayside, Toronto

Sidewalk Labs Cancels Smart City Plans for Quayside on Toronto Waterfront

The high-profile experiment in smart city planning and technology seems to have suffered a final setback.

May 7, 2020 - Sidewalk Labs

Home Sold Sign

Home Prices Expected to Hit a Coronavirus Speed Bump in 2020

A report by Zillow predicts a sudden reversal for the housing market, which has been soaring in many places around the country ever since the worst of the financial crisis and housing market crash of the Great Recession.

May 7, 2020 - CNBC

Coronavirus Volunteering

100 Million 'New Poor' Predicted as a Result of the Pandemic

The fiscal effects of the pandemic are likely to make it very difficult for governments to invest in economic and quality of life improvements for people on the edge of poverty.

May 6, 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation

Bank Owned

Lessons From the Great Recession

Professionals working in the built and natural environments have been through tough times before. A recent webinar offered a few prominent urban designers a chance to discuss how they coped with the last big economic downturn.

May 5, 2020 - CNU Public Square

Retail Apocalypse

J. Crew the First National Apparel Chain to Fall During the Pandemic; More Expected to Follow

Another brutal chapter of the retail apocalypse is underway.

May 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus

Poll: One-Third of Americans Thinking of Moving to Less Densely Populated Areas

In the midst of the pandemic, Americans are expressing a new preference for less crowded spaces, according to the results of a Harris Poll conducted last week.

May 5, 2020 - Axios

Single-Family Homes

Owner-Renter Hybrid, a Viable Homeownership Alternative?

In the co-investing model, companies are part owners of homes. While this arrangement gives potential homebuyers more options, this isn’t a real solution to the country’s housing affordability crisis.

May 4, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Hygiene

Urban Planning Resources for COVID-19

Online misinformation has been unavoidable, but the Internet is also full of tools essential for understanding the changed world of COVID-19.

May 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

Coronavirus Economy

The New Normal for the Construction Industry

The changes coming to the construction industry to protect the safety and health of workers during the pandemic could stay in place for the foreseeable future.

May 3, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Dallas

Coronavirus Presents Opportunities for Resilience in Dallas

Dallasites have a history of responding to times of crisis with plans for reinvention. What could the city do to improve public life after the coronavirus pandemic?

May 1, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Public Wi-Fi

Outdoor Dining Over Cars—Could it Happen in the United States?

Could New York City follow in the footsteps of...Vilnius?

May 1, 2020 - Eater New York

San Francisco, California

1,100 New Homes Planned in the Middle of San Francisco

The prospect of a large mixed-use development on a 17-acre parking lot in the center of San Francisco took a substantial step forward this week.

April 30, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

East Harlem

Urbanism Pays the Price for High COVID Death Toll in New York and New Jersey

Opponents of dense housing and public transit have seized on the disproportionate death toll originating from the epicenter of the nation's coronavirus outbreak. Is it time for the leaders of New York and New Jersey to admit they acted late?

April 30, 2020 - Slate

Utah

Criticism for Plans for Massive Inland Port Plan Near the Great Salt Lake

The Utah Inland Port Authority has moved forward quickly with a plan to build a massive inland port complex, despite the objections of local officials in Salt Lake City.

April 29, 2020 - High Country News

Seattle Light Rail Construction

30 Health and Safety Requirements Determine Which Construction Projects Can Restart in Washington

New construction projects are still on hold, but the state of Washington is allowing some projects to restart under strict health and safety guidelines.

April 29, 2020 - The Urbanist

Lithuania

Public Spaces Converted to Open-Air Cafes to Make Space for Social Distance

The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius has taken an incredible step in reopening for business while requiring strict social distancing practices.

April 29, 2020 - The Guardian

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.