District of Columbia

Other Cities May Follow D.C. in Lifting Handgun Ban

Washington D.C.'s recent lift of its citywide handgun ban could signal a change for other cities with similar bans, like L.A. and Atlanta.

June 27, 2008 - NPR

Learning from Arlington

Columnist Roger K. Lewis reflects on Arlington's Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and what other cities can learn from their success.

June 22, 2008 - The Washington Post

Police Take Control of D.C. Neighborhood

Washington, D.C. police decide to stop everyone entering a neighborhood that has seen 22 killings so far this year, including a recent triple homicide.

June 5, 2008 - The Washington Post

Challenges Ahead for Tyson's Corner To Become Livable City

Tyson's Corner, an auto-oriented suburb of Washington, D.C., reveals ambitious plans to become a dense, urban community. Officials are bracing themselves for tough opposition from locals. The Washington Post story includes a video report.

May 29, 2008 - The Washington Post

Pentagon Memorial Previews to Families

The Pentagon Memorial, dedicated to the 194 people killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11th, opened today to families and journalists. Architects Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman sought to evoke individual memories but express a collective whole.

May 26, 2008 - WJLA-TV

Fears Over Immigrants Stymie Accessory Unit Ordinance

Planners in Arlington, Virginia want to allow rental units in single family neighborhoods, but residents are strongly opposed to the proposal, many of them worried that the units will attract low-income immigrants.

May 14, 2008 - The Washington Post

District of Rats

Washington D.C. has successfully invested more than $600 million in a new baseball stadium, but the city's infamous infestation with rats is nowhere near resolved. Reason's Matt Welch asks why.

May 12, 2008 - Reason

Feds Revive D.C. Metro Airport Extension

After declaring the planned Metro extension through Northern Virginia unfit for federal funds, the Federal Transit Administration has given tentative approval for the project, provided local governments contribute additional funding.

May 2, 2008 - The Washington Post

Bike-Sharing Comes to D.C.

Based on Paris' Velib bike-share program, private sponsorship will support SmartBike in Washington, DC. For a $40 annual membership fee, SmartBike users can check out three-speed bicycles for three hours at a time.

April 29, 2008 - The New York Times

D.C.'s 'Mystery Rider' Metro Evaluation Plan Panned

The Washington D.C. Metro transit system is planning to hire a group of "mystery riders" to discretely monitor the system and identify areas for improvement. Critics call the plan a waste of money.

April 28, 2008 - The Washington Post

Growth Slows Down in D.C. Suburbs

Census data shows that growth rates in the formerly high-growth counties surrounding Washington D.C. are beginning to drop off, and in some cases, are going in to the negative.

April 24, 2008 - The Washington Post

The Alternative To Building Bus-Only Lanes: Highway Shoulders

With the region's traffic getting increasingly worse, and little funding in the pipeline, Washington D.C. transit officials have proposed a plan to develop new bus-only lanes on the shoulders of highways.

April 19, 2008 - The Washington Post

Missed Opportunity at D.C. Retail Development

In a part of D.C. that has been largely ignored as the rest of the city reinvents itself with mixed-use development and pedestrian friendly design, one new single-use retail development stands out as an example of what not to build.

April 10, 2008 - Capital Community News

40 Years Later, A Neighborhood's Comeback

The U street corridor in Washington D.C. was a flash point during the 1968 riots. Four decades later, the neighborhood is finally recovering from the aftermath.

April 8, 2008 - National Public Radio

Welcoming Traffic Circles To Town

In and around Washington D.C., traffic planners are experimenting with converting intersections to traffic circles. Residents are slowly embracing the new roundabouts.

April 3, 2008 - The Washington Post

Designing Public Places in D.C.

Redevelopment plans for Washington D.C. highlight the increased emphasis on public spaces.

March 31, 2008 - The Washington Post

Comprehensive Tolling Idea Meet Criticism in D.C.

A proposal to place tolls on many of the highways around Washington D.C. is being blasted by critics, who say planners should place more emphasis on providing better transit services than charging commuters left with few options.

March 21, 2008 - The Washington Post

Economy Boosted By Renovated Buildings

Buildings are being renovated all over downtown Washington D.C., and as they rise so does the city's tax revenue.

March 19, 2008 - The Washington Post

D.C.'s Green Parking Reform Takes Root

Washington D.C. has begun to make key green parking reforms that will plow parking revenue into neighborhood bicycling and walking improvements.

March 17, 2008 - Streetsblog

D.C. Plans Crackdown on Abusive Landlords and Condo Conversions

City councilors in Washington D.C. have proposed a plan to throw out exemptions that allowed hundreds of landlords to evict residents with little or no notice so they could convert buildings to high priced condos.

March 14, 2008 - 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.