Urban Development

Amtrak

How Virginia Became a Leader in Passenger Rail

The state's consistent investment in passenger rail has resulted in one of the nation's most effective regional rail networks.

June 24, 2021 - The Washington Post

Exurban Development

What Are Exurbs?

Farther out than suburbs but still connected to a major urban center, exurbs lie at the ever-shifting border between urban and rural spaces and are defined by economic ties to a city, low density housing, and high population growth.

June 23, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Wildfire

Visualizing the Western Drought

Lower-than-average rainfall and reduced snowpacks have led to one of the driest and most dangerous fire seasons in history.

June 23, 2021 - The New York Times

The Eje Central station of the Mexico City Metro

Report: Collapsed Mexico City Train Line Had Major Structural Flaws

A New York Times investigation uncovered years of government documents showing that officials ignored warnings about major structural flaws and poorly performed work on the train line before its fatal collapse in May.

June 23, 2021 - The New York Times

Metrorail Station Area

Amazon Financing Affordable Transit-Oriented Housing Near its New Headquarters

The company announced a $125 million investment in housing near Metro stations in northern Virginia, where the promise of jobs at its new Arlington headquarters sparked rising demand for housing.

June 23, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Denver Golf Course

Denver Voters Will Weigh Open Space Development

Two competing initiatives seek to change city regulations for residential and commercial development on the city's parklands and open spaces.

June 22, 2021 - Denver Post

Project site, New Orleans waterfront.

River District Megadevelopment Moving Forward in New Orleans

The project, led by Gensler, will span 39 acres of residential units, retail, and cultural attractions.

June 22, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Billionaires' Row

World's Tallest Residential Building Nears Completion in Manhattan

Central Park Tower, coming soon to New York City's "Billionaires' Row" was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill architecture.

June 22, 2021 - ArchDaily

NYC-crosswalk

Why Pedestrian Deaths Are Rising

Jarrett Walker offers insights into "Right of Way," a book written last year by Angie Schmitt that is influencing the traffic safety conversation and pushing the fields of planning and engineering in new directions.

June 21, 2021 - Human Transit

Dallas

Dallas City Council Approves Urban Forest Master Plan

The plan seeks to mitigate the effects of urban heat islands by preserving and growing the city's tree canopy.

June 21, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

SMART Bus

Opinion: Detroit Area Stunted by Lack of Regional Transit

Improved connectivity and reliability in the region's public transit could stimulate growth and help build a more vibrant local economy.

June 21, 2021 - Michigan Advance

View east along Maryland State Route 927 (Montrose Road) at Interstate 270 (Washington National Pike) in Potomac, Montgomery Cou

Maryland Beltway Project Tentatively Moves Forward

The state transit authority has granted preliminary approval to the revised plan to expand the Capital Beltway and add new high-occupancy and toll lanes.

June 21, 2021 - DCist

Deliveries Truck

Cities Must Act to Curb Delivery Van Congestion

With more and more products available for doorstep delivery, Janette Sadik-Khan argues that policymakers have to proactively face the imminent "delivery deadlock" and take control of curb management.

June 20, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

New Urban Agenda

Will Planners Lead the New Urban Agenda?

The United Nation’s New Urban Agenda has created a playbook for planning advocates. It opens possibilities for building inclusive, integrated urban planning in countries where planning has been top-down and limited in scope.

June 20, 2021 - Bruce Stiftel

Black Likes Matter

White House Marks Juneteenth by Pushing for Zoning Reforms

On a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, the White House marked the occasion by discussion exclusionary zoning.

June 20, 2021 - WhiteHouse.gov

New York City

How the Built Environment Impacts Public Health

New research sheds light on how the brain responds to urban environments and architecture.

June 18, 2021 - American Society Of Landscape Architects

Loking down Flagler Street, Downtown Miami, Florida

Miami Funds Protected Bike Lanes With E-Scooter Fees

The city, which has some of the nation's most dangerous streets for pedestrians and cyclists, is installing 3 miles of new bike lanes and pedestrian ramps on some of its busiest downtown corridors.

June 18, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

California Sprawl

What Is Sprawl?

Sprawl is one of the most common terms used to describe built environments in the United States and the world. It can be applied to urban, suburban, and exurban settings, and it's almost never a compliment.

June 17, 2021 - James Brasuell

Pacific Electric streetcar

What Are Streetcar Suburbs?

Named after the mode of transportation that made their existence possible by dramatically reducing travel times, streetcar suburbs are communities located along streetcar lines farther out from city centers, on the periphery of the urban areas in the late 19th century.

June 17, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Springdale Green

New Building Heights Coming to East Austin

The center of commercial gravity will be located a little to the east in Austin after two six-story office buildings are complete.

June 17, 2021 - Urbanize Austin

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.