United States

Moving

Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative

Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.

November 30, 2021 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

An image showing a smart phone with information from the World Health Organization about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Omicron Variant: No Good Science Goes Unpunished

The discovery by South African scientists will enable the world to prepare for the newest coronavirus variant, but it will also cause enormous hardship due to the travel restrictions on flights to/from eight nations in southern Africa.

November 30, 2021 - The New York Times

HUD

Opinion: The Housing Crisis Isn't Going Away With the Pandemic

As the housing crisis rages on, the housing assistance infrastructure put in place during the pandemic can provide a model for long-term aid programs.

November 30, 2021 - Governing

San Francisco Muni

Climate Change Law: A Primer for Cities

A report from the Sabin Center provides a legal framework for municipal-level action on climate change policy.

November 30, 2021 - Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Eviction Crisis

Dissecting the Eviction Crisis

Attention to the human and economic costs of evictions predate the pandemic, but the economic disruption of the past two years has increased the need for better tools to measure and respond to evictions.

November 29, 2021 - National League Of Cities

Suburban Tract Homes

Fast-Rising Rents: Cause or Effect of Institutional Real Estate Investors?

More media attention for the growing influence of large, institutional investors on the housing market.

November 29, 2021 - The Seattle Times

pallets of green oil barrels stacked

Biden Orders Release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve: What's the Emergency?

The purpose of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to maintain oil flow to refineries during national emergencies when oil supplies are disrupted. What national emergency prompted President Biden to order the release of 50 million barrels?

November 29, 2021 - CNBC

Suburban Homes

What Is NIMBYism and How Do Affordable Housing Developers Respond to It?

NIMBYism is often expressed as concerns about crime, congestion, schools, property values, and “quality of life.” But when developments are built these fears rarely come to pass.

November 28, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Coronavirus

Update: Coronavirus Vaccination Litigation against Biden Administration

The U.S. Justice Department filed its appeal on Nov. 23 before the 6th Circuit Court to reinstate the large private employer vaccination status requirement that the 5th Circuit had stayed after Republican governors and state attorneys general sued.

November 28, 2021 - The Washington Post

The New York Public Library's stone lions Patience and Fortitude have donned face masks to remind New Yorkers to wear face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021

Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.

November 26, 2021 - James Brasuell

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

Bill Gates' Nuclear Power Company Takes Giant Step in Cowboy State

A Wyoming coal power plant will be transformed by a company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to run on nuclear power. With the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure act, $1.5 billion will help produce zero-emission power by 2028

November 24, 2021 - CNBC

Subway Turnstiles

Voters Approved 100 Percent of Pro-Transit Ballot Measures This Year

In 2021, public transit-related ballot measures passed with strong support across the country.

November 24, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

South San Jose houses

Report: How States Can Improve Housing Policy

While many policies that affect housing are decided on at the local level, there are several steps state officials can take to pave the way for healthier housing markets.

November 24, 2021 - The Brookings Institution

Atlanta Skyline

Atlanta’s Night Mayor Will Govern More Than Parties

Atlanta is planning to focus on night-shift workers, part of a growing consciousness around night mayors’ responsibility to everyone who shares the night, whether that’s workers, people who are homeless or leisure seekers.

November 23, 2021 - Next City

View of the National Biscuit Company Building, 1850 Industrial Street, Los Angeles from the corner of Mateo Street. It has been renovated into lofts, with a restaurant on the ground floor.

Paper Series Sheds Light On Adaptive Reuse

A series of reports from Berkeley's Terner Center assess the potential of commercial-to-residential conversions to help ease the housing crisis.

November 23, 2021 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Empty Parking

Parking Reform Map Shows Which Cities Have Eliminated Parking Minimums

As part of #BlackFridayParking week, a crowd-sourced map tracks the growth of the parking reform movement in U.S. cities.

November 23, 2021 - Strong Towns Blog

Mass Vaccination

Austria to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

Life for the unvaccinated in many European countries is becoming more difficult as infections surge. Austria will take the ultimate step in February and require residents to become inoculated unless medically exempt. A lockdown begins Monday.

November 22, 2021 - The New York Times

Baltimore Rowhouses

'Supporting Shrinkage': Lessons for U.S. Cities

An excerpt from "Supporting Shrinkage: Better Planning and Decision-Making for Legacy Cities," written by Michael P. Johnson, Justin B. Hollander, Eliza W. Kinsey, and George R. Chichirau and published by SUNY Press.

November 22, 2021 - Michael P. Johnson

Homeless encampments on the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk.

The Blue State Problem

The New York Times and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have a message for progressives living in liberal cities in Blue States: you're part of the problem.

November 21, 2021 - The New York Times

Vaccination

CDC: Time to Rethink Herd Immunity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be changing its thinking about how herd immunity fits in with the goal of controlling the coronavirus. At the same time, the waning immunity of vaccinated Americans has taken on more urgency.

November 21, 2021 - Los Angeles 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.