District of Columbia

Georgetown

D.C.'s Comprehensive Zoning Update Takes Effect

After nine years of controversy, the District's first zoning revamp since 1958 is officially on the books.

September 14, 2016 - Washington City Paper

Washington D.C. Metro

Planetizen Week in Review: September 10, 2016

The fastest two minutes in planning news.

September 10, 2016 - Planetizen

D.C. Metro

Three Proposals to End Late Night Rail Service on D.C. Metro

Three proposals, that is, save one. David Alpert wants to know why the public isn't considering another option for delivering necessary repairs to the D.C. Metro system.

September 8, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Is a Massive D.C. Project Transit Oriented Development Done Well?

Greater Greater Washington gives positive reviews for the Rhode Island Center project, planned for the Edgewood neighborhood in D.C.

September 2, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro to Test Free WiFi at Six Subway Stations

The beleaguered D.C.-area transit agency finally had something to talk about besides repair schedules, delays, and debt.

August 30, 2016 - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Amtrak Receives $2.45 Billion Federally Secured Loan for New Acela Trains

Amtrak will replace, rather than overhaul, aging Acela trains with new, 186-mph trains from French manufacturer, Alstom, though they won't exceed 160 mph. The agreement was announced Friday by VP Joe Biden at Biden Station, Wilmington, Del.

August 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Pop Up Plaza in Louisville

Six U.S. Cities to Workshop the Methodologies of Tactical Urbanism

Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a recently announced series of tactical urbanism workshops will take place in six U.S. cities.

August 17, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Los Angeles Subway

Los Angeles' Purple Line Moves Past Legal Opposition

A subway extension that would cut across the Los Angeles basin has cleared another legal hurdle, despite the efforts of a coalition of opponents in the city of Beverly Hills.

August 16, 2016 - The Source

U.S.'s First Mall for the Home to Open in 2019

The home-themed mall, opening outside Washington, D.C., hopes to attract a new generation of customers and investors.

August 15, 2016 - Bisnow

Lincoln Limos

Transportation Network Companies Increase Mobility for Underserved Communities

A recent op-ed posted here warned against new transportation technologies and instead encouraged cities to invest in public transit and walkable communities. However, transportation network companies claim to have increased transportation equity.

August 12, 2016 - The American Prospect

D.C. Streetcar

D.C. Streetcar Reports First Six Months Better-Than-Expected Performance

It's been six months since the D.C. Streetcar finally opened after years of planning and delays. So far, so good for the performance of the line, and now District DOT has some decisions to make regarding the near future of the line.

August 9, 2016 - WAMU

Bicyclists White House

Bike and Pedestrian Advocates Rejoice: 'Contributory Negligence' on its Way Out in D.C.

A new law with the support of the mayor and an initial approval by the D.C. council will make it easier for bicyclists and pedestrians to collect insurance after a crash with a motor vehicle.

August 2, 2016 - Washington City Paper

Car Share

Good News on Car Sharing

Car sharing networks that allow the vehicle to be returned to any location were found to have the impact of removing seven cars for each rented car in San Diego in a three-year study released July 19.

July 27, 2016 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Transit Fail

D.C. Metro to Consider Reduced Rail Service Hours After SafeTrack Concludes

What was thought to be a temporary end to late night weekend service could become a permanent reality on the tracks of Metrorail.

July 27, 2016 - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

New Player Emerges in Car Sharing Services

Arriving just in time in the District of Columbia, as Safe Track disrupts Metro service, General Motors launched 'Maven' to compete with ZipCar, Car2Go, and Enterprise car sharing services.

July 21, 2016 - The Washington Post

Kennedy Center

Big Kennedy Center Expansion Includes Pedestrian Bridges to the Potomac

A missed opportunity, famously criticized by Ada Louise Huxtable, will be rectified when the Kennedy Center's $175 million expansion project is complete.

July 16, 2016 - Architect

Washington D.C. COnstruction

Review of D.C.'s 2005 Comprehensive Plan: Trying to Be All Things to All People

A look back at Washington, D.C.'s most recent Comprehensive Plan reveals lessons for how the city should plan for the future next time it undertakes a comprehensive planning process.

July 15, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Rainy Biker

How Contributory Negligence Punishes Cyclists

In Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama, the legal policy known as contributory negligence blocks cyclists from claiming damages if they're involved in a crash.

July 8, 2016 - CityLab

Contraflow

Washington, D.C. Has New Contraflow Bike Lanes

Sometimes small additions can make a big difference when it comes to bike infrastructure.

July 4, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Empty Subway

D.C. Metro to Layoff 500 Employees

More bad news for the beleaguered transit agency of our nation's capital, as declining ridership and prolonged service disruptions have now given way to large-scale layoffs throughout the organization.

June 27, 2016 - The Washington Post

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.