United States

One man, wearing a mask, walks down an otherwise empty 16th St in Denver.

COVID: Colorado Activates Partial Crisis Standards of Care

In a sign that the pandemic is far from over, Colorado reactivated its crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems on Nov. 9 as infections increased modestly nationwide. Gov. Polis made all vaccinated adults eligible for a booster.

November 14, 2021 - Bloomberg Prognosis

20 MPH speed limit sign

Latest to Say '20 Is Plenty': Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk joins several other cities in smoothing the way for 20 MPH speed limits on neighborhood streets to promote its Vision Zero goals.

November 12, 2021 - WTKR

Contracting with the Community

To connect with hard-to-reach communities, a Twin Cities agency diverted some of its consulting budget away from national firms and to organizations that already had those relationships.

November 12, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Chicago Chinatown

In Defense of Asian American Neighborhoods

How do you address a history of anti-Asian housing discrimination? Not by destroying Asian American communities.

November 11, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Cool shops along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

An Expanded Approach to the Analysis of Cities

Even with so much data in the world, cities are a slippery subject. What if an everyday part of life in cities—the "scenes" comprised by businesses, people, and practices of similarly distinct aesthetics—can help our understanding?

November 11, 2021 - Martha Frish

Bike Infrastructure

Opinion: Sharrows Are 'Make Believe Infrastructure'

The road markings known as 'sharrows' are meant to make streets safer for cyclists, but critics argue they're nothing but a convenient compromise that favors drivers and fails to improve road safety.

November 11, 2021 - Medium

A black and white photo of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Robert Moses, Robert Caro Back in the News, Along With a Debate About Systemic Racism

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off a social media frenzy by referencing an anecdote from "The Power Broker." While some didn't understand the reference, others repeated long-standing questions about the source.

November 10, 2021 - The Washington Post

Wildfire

Fire Experts Weigh In On Management Practices

To fight increasingly devastating wildfires, government officials and landowners must develop new strategies that proactively address the biggest risk factors.

November 10, 2021 - High Country News

COVID-19 Test

Global COVID Death Toll Reaches Another Grim Milestone

The official death toll due to COVID-19 since the first recorded death in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 10, 2020, passed 5 million on Nov. 1, although The New York Times stresses that's a vast undercount. The WHO points to Europe as the latest hot spot.

November 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Bike Parking

Let's Stop Overlooking Bike Parking

Bike advocates focus, with good reason, on bike lanes and safe routes. But secure bike parking and storage plays an essential role in encouraging more people to get on two wheels.

November 10, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Los Angeles High Rise Construction

Downtown Neighborhoods Lead In New Apartment Construction

Neighborhoods in urban cores are seeing the highest rates of new apartment construction in the last five years, signaling a continued interest in downtown living despite fears of an 'urban exodus' brought on by the pandemic.

November 10, 2021 - RentCafé

An image of the Raleigh skyline, with older residential buildings in the foreground and taller commercial buildings in the background.

Study: Low-Rise Density Is Better for the Climate

New research analyzing carbon emissions throughout the life cycle of buildings shows that high-rises create more carbon emissions than dense, low-rise developments.

November 9, 2021 - The Conversation

Billboard Flag

Supreme Court Case Could Transform Sign Regulations

If the Supreme Court upholds a lower court decision, cities could lose a long-standing right to regulate 'off-premises' billboards.

November 9, 2021 - American Planning Association

Pedestrian Safety

Data-Driven Analytics at the Heart of Vision Zero Goals

Data is the key to crafting Vision Zero plans with community buy-in.

November 9, 2021 - Next City

Carmel, Indiana street

Americans Continue to Move to Smaller Cities

Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 continue to see an influx of migrants lured by lower costs of living and high quality-of-life metrics.

November 9, 2021 - Governing

Broadway Bike Lane

Faster E-Bikes Pose Regulation Dilemma

As a growing number of devices fall outside of traditional vehicle classes, policymakers must decide how to classify and regulate high-speed e-bikes.

November 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Smart City

Mayors Define the 'Smart City'

As the pandemic forces cities to redefine their priorities, mayors around the country express their plans and hopes for technology and the 'smart city' of the future.

November 8, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Masks and Home Sales

Zillow's 'iBuying' Algorithms Overpaid For Homes

After investing more than $1 billion in buying homes over the last few years, Zillow has ended its 'iBuying' experiment as anticipated profits fail to materialize.

November 8, 2021 - Curbed

Millennials

Has the Millennial Housing Boom Only Just Begun?

The largest, most diverse generation in U.S. history has experienced setbacks, but many are now moving past student debt and the effects of the Great Recession into their prime buying years.

November 8, 2021 - Barron's

A public plaza along a main street in downtown Wheaton, Illinois.

Suburban Revival: How the 21st Century will Redefine Life Outside the City

America’s suburbs are increasingly diversifying, expanding, and evolving as COVID-19 and new economic realities shape behavior. New stories are unfolding in these suburban places as they change and grow. Is it time for a suburban revival?

November 7, 2021 - Chris Freda

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.