United States

Noise

Using Tech to Control Noise Pollution

Several cities are piloting programs that use machine learning to identify and understand urban noise patterns and enforce noise ordinances.

December 13, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Electric Cars

Study: EV Adoption Isn't Enough. Car-Centric Culture Needs To Change.

The focus on electrifying personal vehicles misses the opportunity to transform urban transportation systems, reduce congestion, and make cities more affordable.

December 13, 2021 - Fast Company

An image of a bridge in Vermont with a sign in front of it announcing a COVID-19 quarantine order.

Revisiting Vermont: A COVID Update

PBS NewsHour investigates the surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Vermont which, along with Rhode Island, has 75% of its total population fully vaccinated, the nation's highest, as the U.S. appears to enter a winter surge.

December 13, 2021 - PBS NewsHour

de Blasio Administration

New York City Mayor Goes Out With a (Covid Policy) Splash

Mayor Bill de Blasio's second term ends on New Year's Eve. On Dec. 6, he announced the nation's strictest COVID mandate: All workers in New York City must be at least partially vaccinated by Dec. 27. Did he consult with his successor, Eric Adams?

December 12, 2021 - The New York Times

The top floors of a row of pre-fab apartments or condos are shown against a blue sky.

Prefab Custom Homes: Urban Multi-Family Game Changer

Steve Glenn, CEO of Plant Prefab, shares how his company is infiltrating single and multifamily housing markets with custom designed prefabricated homes to deliver healthy and sustainable buildings by design and at scale.

December 10, 2021 - The Planning Report

Empty Retail

Opinion: 'Instant' Delivery Services Could Decimate Street Vitality

The race to deliver goods at lightning speed has the potential to create 'dark cities' as street-level storefronts give way to closed-off warehouses only frequented by delivery workers.

December 10, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Affordable Housing

How Affordable Housers Perpetuate Past Harms, and How They Can Do Better

Some elements of affordable housing—from the development process to the way buildings are managed—are rooted in racist assumptions that dehumanize residents. Here are some simple ways you can be a better housing provider.

December 9, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

An electric scooter blocks the sidewalk near a street festival in Chicago's West Loop.

Lessons From Five Years of E-Scooters

As cities continue to adapt micromobility regulations to address new devices and technologies, what can we learn from Chicago's five years of e-scooter pilots?

December 9, 2021 - Streetsblog Chicago

Crash

Experts Fear a Permanent 'Arousal Breakout' on U.S. Roadways

The reckless and dangerous driving that has been a hallmark of the Covid-19 pandemic could become a more common, permanent feature of life in the United States.

December 9, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

President Joe Biden speaks at a podium in front of flags from the United States and Italy at the 2021 G20 conference in Rome, Italy.

Biden Commits Federal Government to Carbon Neutrality

President Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday that aims to cut 65 percent of the government's carbon emissions by the end of this decade and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

December 8, 2021 - The Washington Post

U.S. Capital

Senate Will Vote to Repeal OSHA's Vax-or-Test COVID Rule

Senate Republicans will target the Biden administration's private employer vaccine-or-test mandate using a law they successfully employed during the beginning of the Trump administration to recall a slew of environmental regulations.

December 8, 2021 - FOX News

Biking in Denver

Study: More Bike Infrastructure Could Prevent 15,000 Deaths Annually

In addition to reducing air pollution and congestion, improving bike infrastructure could save thousands of lives each year, according to new research.

December 8, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Two people carry groceries in plastic grocery bags.

'Nudges' Can Reduce Plastic Bag Use Even Where Bans or Fees are Banned

Even in cities where state law pre-empts plastic bag fees, there are ways to reduce plastic waste.

December 7, 2021 - Next City

A sin on a street in Chur, Switzerland lists public health precautions.

Swiss Vote to Retain COVID Mitigation Measures

A nationwide referendum held on Sunday, Nov. 28, on coronavirus measures enacted by the Swiss federal government, including the controversial Swiss Covid certificate (vaccination verification), passed with 62% of the vote.

December 7, 2021 - The New York Times

Denver Light Rail

Where Mayors Want to Spend Federal Aid

An annual survey reveals that mayors want to prioritize spending federal funding on homelessness, transportation, and social services.

December 6, 2021 - Route Fifty

A sign on a door says proof of vaccine is required to enter.

Compulsory Vaccination in the Birthplace of Democracy

Unlike the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination strategy that has largely been paused by federal judges, compulsory vaccinations have been approved by Greece's highest court. Mandates are passed by Parliament rather than by executive order.

December 6, 2021 - Deutsche Welle

An image of President Joe Biden at a meeting in the White House while wearing a mask in February 2021.

Biden's 'Path Out of the Pandemic' Imperiled by Multiple Court Decisions

The vaccine mandate that applies to federal contractors included in President Biden's COVID plan announced in September to slow the Delta surge was halted by a federal judge in Kentucky. That's the third requirement to be paused, leaving only one.

December 5, 2021 - Lexington Herald-Leader

Main Street

Inequality Grows in Western Zoom Towns

As demand for housing grows, small Western towns are experiencing skyrocketing housing costs and rising displacement.

December 3, 2021 - High Country News

A Metro Los Angeles bus driver is behind the wheel while wearing a mask.

Equity and Transit Go Hand in Hand for the Pandemic Recovery

Equity illuminates the light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. transit agencies, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute.

December 3, 2021 - Urban Institute

NYC Subway Construction

Why Big Infrastructure Projects Go Over Budget

Most major infrastructure projects fail to meet projected timelines or budgets. Some experts say this is a structural flaw built into "systematically deceptive" estimate practices.

December 2, 2021 - The New York Times

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.