South Dakota

 A bridge stretches across the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states

Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.

October 30, 2026 - South Dakota Searchlight

A sign reading Pe’ Sla in a grassy prairie.

South Dakota tribes drove a mining company off sacred land in one week

Land disputes between tribes and the federal government often take much longer to resolve.

August 26, 2026 - Yahoo News

Aerial of Hot Springs, South Dakota in winter.

A South Dakota hospital is funding a new subdivision for its employees

Some employees see investing in housing as the only way to stem the loss of workers moving away due to high housing costs.

June 11, 2026 - The Washington Post

Square in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota with decorative clock.

Hundreds of affordable homes in the pipeline in Sioux Falls

The city is supporting three projects with no-interest loans.

May 24, 2026 - Sioux Falls Simplified

Former railroad bridge in Iowa over Big Sioux river that has been turned into pedestrian bridge.

Now you can cross from Iowa to South Dakota on a pedestrian bridge

The Big Sioux Pedestrian Bridge connects a park and a golf course on the other side of the Big Sioux River.

May 12, 2026 - KTIV

Ornate, tan stone capitol building with a gold dome roof and low-rise city buildings in the background.

States Are Banning Guaranteed Income Programs

Four states now have laws in place that prevent cities and counties from creating or continuing guaranteed income programs, and several more have tried or are trying.

May 23, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

View of downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls Downtown Plan Targets Mobility, Safety, Community

The South Dakota city is taking public input on its proposal for improving transportation, job opportunities, and culture downtown.

July 27, 2023 - Dakota News Now

Aerial view of Sioux Falls, South Dakota at sunset

Sioux Falls Multi-Family Development Outpaces Transportation Improvements

Sioux Falls, South Dakota is undergoing a multi-family development boom. Residents are increasingly concerned about the traffic the development brings, according to local news reports.

June 25, 2023 - KELO

Aerial view of Sioux Falls, South Dakota at sunset

Sioux Falls To Update Bike and Pedestrian Plans

The South Dakota city wants to encourage more biking and develop a comprehensive bike trail network.

May 12, 2023 - Sioux Falls Simplified

Wooden roadside sign "Entering Pine Ridge Indian Reservation" with mountains in background

Wealth Building Program Promotes Native Homeownership in South Dakota

The program connects tribal communities with resources to help households in some of the nation’s most underresourced reservations access homeownership.

January 23, 2023 - Next City

Hospital Signs

Living (and Dying) with COVID: How Many Deaths are Acceptable?

Political analyst Philip Bump asks the "unstated, unpleasant question" that the U.S. has struggled with since the inception of the pandemic, more relevant now with the widespread availability of vaccines that are effective at preventing most deaths.

July 28, 2021 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus

North Dakota's Mask Mandate Expires as Infections Plummet

North Dakota led the nation in COVID cases for months before Gov. Doug Burgum issued a mask mandate last November. Since then, active cases have dropped by 80 percent. The mandate was extended last month but was allowed to expire on Jan. 18.

January 24, 2021 - Grand Forks Herald

Ambulance

Hospitals and Healthcare Workers Brace for Influx of COVID Patients

Coronavirus infections, while at record-high levels, have decreased during the past week, unlike hospitalizations, which are still surging. Public health experts expect it to get a lot worse due to the Thanksgiving holiday travel.

December 3, 2020 - Bloomberg News

COVID-19 protests

Election Post-Mortem: Politics Trumps Public Health

An analysis by the Associated Press found that voters in counties that are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus were far more likely to support President Trump's reelection than voters in less-impacted counties.

November 9, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus

North Dakota Physicians Plead for State and Local Leaders to Mandate Masks

The medical community is sounding the alarm in North Dakota, where hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients. With the governor opposed to issuing a statewide mask mandate, physicians are asking local governments and the public for help.

October 21, 2020 - Grand Forks Herald

Rural Pandemic

Can the Public Be Educated to Wear Masks?

The Midwest has been the epicenter of coronavirus since late August, led by North and South Dakota. Masks have the potential to significantly reduce viral transmission, but neither state mandates their use. Will a public health campaign help?

October 5, 2020 - Grand Forks Herald

Iowa City

Coronavirus College Clusters Stress Town and Gown Relationship

College towns that have been observing public health guidelines and seen relatively few COVID-19 cases are now seeing infections spike as young people return to take classes. The New York Times has been tracking cases in colleges and college towns.

September 14, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus COVID-19

The Changing Geography of the Pandemic

During the pandemic's first phase in March and April, the Northeast was devastated by COVID-19. After Memorial Day, the surge was in the South and West. As cases decrease nationwide, they are now spiking in the Midwest, particularly North Dakota.

August 27, 2020 - The Washington Post

Custer, North Dakota

Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy

As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."

April 19, 2020 - The Washington Post

Wisconsin

Will the Coronavirus Spare Rural America?

Many counties throughout the nation have recorded no deaths from COVID-19. A perception exists that population density is responsible for the massive death toll in New York and New Jersey and that exurban and rural counties may be spared.

April 13, 2020 - The New York Times

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.