Oregon

Numerous orange Portland Biketown bikes are parked at a facility in Northwest Oregon.

Draft West Portland Town Center Plan Seeks Public Comment

Always a closely watched planning jurisdiction, Portland, Oregon is proceeding with a new vision for the future of the western end of the city.

September 15, 2021 - BikePortland

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

The Long Road to Portland's Historic Residential Infill Project

How the journey of one zoning reform campaign can inform future efforts.

August 16, 2021 - Sightline

A single bike rider wearing a mask rides along a waterfront in Portland, Oregon.

Can Portland's Bike Boom Outlast the Pandemic?

"Anytime the city does something to dramatically improve streets for people and limit car access...it’s hard to take them back."

August 13, 2021 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

 on I84 in Northern Oregon…one hand on the wheel and one on the shutter, at 75 mph

In Extreme Heat Waves, Cities Need 'Social Resilience' to Help the Most Vulnerable

This summer's heat waves wreaked havoc on physical infrastructure, but also highlighted vulnerabilities in our social support systems.

July 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

Rendering of Broadway Corridor redevelopment project

'Unprecedented' Portland Community Benefits Agreement Prioritizes Racial Equity

The Broadway Corridor CBA is designed to create high quality jobs, housing, and opportunities for historically excluded communities.

July 22, 2021 - The Brookings Institiution

Flood waters overwhelm a park, full of empty benches, on a sunny day.

Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change

The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.

June 30, 2021 - Daily Detroit

Motel 6 hotel room in Braintree, Massachusetts in 2015

Oregon's Version of Project Roomkey Offers Housing to Those Who Lost Homes to Wildfires

The program funds the purchase of hotels for housing people experiencing homelessness as housing costs in the state continue to rise.

June 15, 2021 - High Country News

Dublin, California Freeway

Innovative Road Funding Pilot Program Advances in California

State Sen. Scott Wiener authored legislation dubbed the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot to extend the California Road Charge Program that completed its pilot in 2017. The program takes on more significance with the 2035 sales ban of gas-powered vehicles.

June 14, 2021 - Office of California State Senator Scott Wiener

Tilikum Crossing

A Game-Changing Bike and Pedestrian Bridge Opens in Portland

A bridge in the works since the 1970s marks significant progress for active transportation in Portland, Oregon.

June 10, 2021 - Bike Portland

Alternative Pedestrian Walkway, 60th Avenue, Portland

Portland Installs 'Alternative Pedestrian Walkway'

The walkway is simpler and faster to build than a sidewalk, letting the city quickly and cost-effectively improve pedestrian safety on important walking corridors.

June 2, 2021 - Bike Portland

walkable street

Cities Seeking '20-Minute Living'

Reducing car dependency can improve air quality, increase access to jobs and opportunities, and help cities meet emissions reduction goals.

May 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

Washington State Electric Car Infrastructure

A Green Governor Vetoes Electric Vehicle Legislation

Washington Gov. Jay Insee distinguished himself in the 2020 presidential Democratic primary as the "climate candidate," yet he vetoed a section of a transportation electrification bill that set a goal of ending sales of gas-powered cars by 2030.

May 19, 2021 - Electrek

I-5 Bridge

Opinion: Columbia River Crossing Just Another Highway Expansion

Billed as a "bridge replacement," the latest iteration of the Columbia River Crossing project is a costly expansion that will impose new tolls and cost upwards of $5 billion, according to an article by Joe Cortright.

May 12, 2021 - City Observatory City Commentary

Coronavirus and Homelessness

Homelessness During the Pandemic

A comic strip illustrates the humans behind remarkable resilience in the face of incredible risks.

May 10, 2021 - The Nib

Los Angeles, California

Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California

The nation's most populous state learned from the Census Bureau last month that it would lose a congressional district for the first time in its history. On Friday, it revealed that 2020 was the first year since 1850 to experience a population loss.

May 10, 2021 - CALmatters

COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemic Still Surging in Parts of the U.S.

Bloomberg News' 'Evening Briefing' on April 29 looked at the global pandemic, noting the horrific scenes in India, Brazil's rising death toll, and added, "Coronavirus mutations are also wreaking havoc in America." Oregon is their focus.

May 2, 2021 - Bloomberg News

COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Pandemic's Next Phase in the U.S.: When Vaccine Supply Exceeds Demand

The 'light at the end of the tunnel' has become brighter after the vaccination rate tripled since President Biden took office. According to an analysis, a vaccination enthusiasm tipping point will be reached in 2-4 weeks that could dim the light.

April 22, 2021 - Kaiser Family Foundation

Idaho

2021 Most Endangered Rivers List Highlights Environmental Justice

The annual list of endangered rivers created by American Rivers has always documented pollution and other threats like dam construction, but this year, the confluence of water and systemic racism warrants extra attention.

April 19, 2021 - American Rivers

Transportation Planning

North Portland in Motion Launches with Goals to Improve Walking, Biking, and Transit

The Portland Bureau of Transportation continues its work of drafting transportation plans targeted to specific geographic corners of the city,

April 14, 2021 - BikePortland

Coronavirus and Transportation

Tech and the Post-Pandemic City

To steer American cities into the future, public and private sectors—and citizens—must work together to build broad, lasting support around complicated issues such as transparency and data privacy.

April 6, 2021 - Sara Maffey

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.