United States

Empty living room/dining room in an apartment in a 1920s apartment house, Los Angeles, California.

Spiking Rents Putting More People at Risk of Eviction

Housing costs across the country are becoming more and more unaffordable for low- and moderate-income households, a trend that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 26, 2021 - The New York Times

The exterior of the Civic Opera Building in Chicago, an art deco building built in the 1920s.

Signs of Financial Distress Among Office Properties

The foreclosure risk facing a pair of high-profile office buildings highlight the debt difficulties facing the office sector as it deals with the fallout of the pandemic. The trend could be on the verge of picking up steam.

October 26, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

The exterior of a large Amazon distribution center located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Amazon Shifting From Land Lessee to Land Owner

Amazon has been tending to buy when previously it would have leased, and the trend has massive implications for the industrial real estate market.

October 25, 2021 - Bisnow

Intercity Buses

Greyhound Sold to the King of European Intercity Bus Operators

With revenue tanking during the pandemic, Greyhound has been sold from one European company to another—the new owner also happens to be the new kid on the Intercity bus block.

October 25, 2021 - The Dallas Morning News

Delivery Trucks

How Street Configuration Impacts Equity

With urban pollution and traffic violence disproportionately affecting communities of color, better management of public space and streets could improve equity in cities.

October 25, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

First-Time Buyers

Study: Half as Many Metro Areas Affordable to Low-Income Homebuyers in 2021 as in 2020

Over 13 million potential first-time homebuyers were priced out this year, putting homeownership out of reach for low-income households in most of the largest U.S. cities.

October 25, 2021 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Bike Lane New York

Watch: Even With Bike Lanes, 'Right Hooks' Are a Risk

An eight-minute video explains the importance of bike lanes for traffic safety and illustrates some of the risks for people on bikes even with higher-quality bike lane infrastructure in place.

October 25, 2021 - Cheddar via YouTube

A screengrab of the Caharlotte Future virtual open house.

Top Websites for Urban Planning – 2021

Planetizen's annual list of the best of the urban planning Internet.

October 25, 2021 - James Brasuell

Highway 520

New Tool Calculates Induced Demand Caused by Road Widening Projects

The calculator can help transportation advocates and agencies project how many additional miles and emissions a highway widening project would create.

October 22, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Family Parking

Census Data: U.S. Household Growth Slower Than Ever in the 2010s

A growing number of signs show major shifts in U.S. population growth—most emerged before the pandemic.

October 22, 2021 - Pew Research Center

Chicago Street

Recommendations for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant Program

The Capital Investment Grants program should focus on improving service on heavily-used lines, expanding access to jobs and amenities, and increasing multimodal accessibility.

October 21, 2021 - TransitCenter

COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Major Shortcoming in Biden's COVID Action Plan

Dr. Leana S. Wen, an emergency physician and public health expert, writes that Covid will become a 'manageable problem' with three key actions, only one of which hasn't received the attention it deserves in the Biden administration's action plan.

October 21, 2021 - The Washington Post

Emergency Response

Sirens May Do 'More Harm Than Good,' Research Shows

The ear-piercing sirens used by emergency vehicles are shown to have little impact on patient outcomes while contributing to more dangerous road conditions, experts say.

October 21, 2021 - The New York Times

Detroit

How Legacy Cities Can Leverage Federal Funds for 'Transformative' Projects

Now is the time for cities to make strategic investments to scale up existing revitalization efforts.

October 21, 2021 - The Brookings Institiution

Housing Construction

Opinion: Biden's Housing Plan is 'Both Necessary and Excellent'

The housing programs proposed in the reconciliation bill could help millions of Americans who desperately need housing assistance and begin to mitigate the damage of a stagnant housing supply.

October 20, 2021 - The Week

Germany Capital City

What Housing Organizers in the U.S. Can Learn from Berlin's Re-Socialization Campaign

More than half of Berlin voters approved a non-binding referendum to resocialize a quarter-million apartments. What can housing organizers in the U.S. learn?

October 20, 2021 - Next City

Climate Change

Visualizing the Effects of Sea Level Rise on U.S. Cities

A report from Climate Central calls for urgent action, illustrating the potential devastating impact of even a small rise in global temperature on the coastline of major cities.

October 19, 2021 - Yahoo News

The exterior of the Natural History Museum of Utah.

ASLA 2021 Professional Awards Announced

The ASLA's 2021Professional Awards offer eye candy and design inspiration in equal measure—reflecting a profession continuing to increase its role in advancing social issues in the built and natural environments.

October 18, 2021 - American Society Of Landscape Architects

COVID-19 Pandemic

Boosters Bring Normalcy Back to Tel Aviv

Life in Tel Aviv is bustling again since COVID-19 vaccine boosters became accessible to anyone over 12 years of age. Traffic is now more of a concern than COVID, Mayor Ron Huldai told Bloomberg CityLab during a visit to 'quiet' Manhattan.

October 18, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Hope VI Housing

New Public Housing? HUD Has Found a Way

For decades, the number of public housing units across the U.S. has been shrinking. But within the limits of the law and funding, HUD has figured out a way to get back some of the housing that has been lost.

October 18, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

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.