United States

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

A man passes by a store in an empty mall. A sign in the window of the store reads "Covid-19 Essentials."

Downtown Foot Traffic Recovering Slowly, Report Says

Pedestrian activity in U.S. downtowns is still way down compared to pre-Covid levels, but the numbers are ticking back up month by month.

December 1, 2021 - Globe St.

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

Another Biden COVID Vaccine Mandate on Hold

Last month, a court stayed Biden's large private employer mandate that requires workers to be vaccinated or test-and-mask. On Tuesday, a federal district court judge stayed the vaccine mandate that applies nationwide to most health care workers.

December 1, 2021 - The New York Times

Dearborn Street Bike Lane

Cycling Rates Remain High Across the Country

The bike boom that began during the pandemic shows no signs of abating, according to a new report.

December 1, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Highway Construction

How RAISE Grants Promote Car-Free Mobility

While there are many reasons to break away from automobile dominance, the RAISE grant program is the only federal effort fully reflecting a public transit and active transportation priorities.

December 1, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Coronavirus and Transportation

Lessons for Transit Ridership From Past Pandemics

While COVID-19 is a unique moment in American history, experiences from past pandemics shed light on how the pandemic might shape public transit ridership.

December 1, 2021 - Governing

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.