United States

Oil and Gas Extraction

Biden Administration's Energy Hypocrisy Exposed

World Oil, an energy publication, slightly annotated a Bloomberg News article to expose the hypocrisy of the Biden administration: curtailing oil production at home while pushing to increase it abroad.

July 15, 2021 - Bloomberg Quint

Young man cruises on by on an empty Grand Ave. in the heart of Los Angeles.

E-Bike Sales are Booming in the U.K. and U.S.

As more people buy e-bikes for regular commuting and transportation, cycling advocates are calling for cities to beef up investment in safe infrastructure.

July 15, 2021 - Treehugger

Los Angeles Skyline

New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities

A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.

July 15, 2021 - WBUR

Asphalt

To Make Cities More Livable, Get Rid of Pavement

Paved surfaces take up close to a third of space in U.S. cities, polluting waterways and contributing to the urban heat island effect.

July 14, 2021 - Next City

Biden administration

How to Get Racial Equity Into Biden's Infrastructure Plan

Congress has an opportunity to acknowledge the racial inequity built into our failing infrastructure and to put into operation the promise of equity in Biden’s infrastructure plans.

July 14, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Empty Parking Garage

Converting Unused Parking Garages to Affordable Housing

As garage operators find their businesses increasingly unsustainable, some are looking to affordable housing as the logical next incarnation of their buildings.

July 14, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Dallas Freeway Removal

The Freeway Removal Cause Gains Momentum—But Don't Forget Gentrification and Displacement

The case for freeway in urban areas isn't as unequivocal as it might seem. Plans to undo the damage of the legacies of past freeway planning need to ensure an inclusive future.

July 14, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

National Parks

How the National Park Service Uses GIS

A new book demonstrates how the National Park Service uses GIS technology to meet its mission and showcases a selection of maps used for effectively managing national parks.

July 13, 2021 - ESRI

MARTA Station

Challenges for Post-Pandemic Public Transit

After adjusting to COVID-19 protocols and pandemic-era budget cuts, transit agencies must again reorient their service to the post-pandemic world.

July 13, 2021 - TransitCenter

Lower Manhattan

The Death and Life of the 'Death of the City' Narrative

At the onset of the pandemic, certain media figures were quick to jump on the bandwagon of anti-urbanism. While many of the anti-urban predictions failed to come about—neither did the problems of cities disappear.

July 13, 2021 - The New York Times

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Prolonging the Pandemic: A Public Health Expert Faults the Biden Administration

Over 100 million eligible Americans have chosen not to be inoculated against COVID-19, posing a risk to vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. A July 4th White House celebration was a "missed opportunity" to model health policies, opines one expert.

July 12, 2021 - The Washington Post

Birds Eye View of the George Washington Bridge

Updated: Strong Towns: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Would 'Make our Infrastructure Crisis Worse'

To some, the agreement promises too much funding for traditional infrastructure programs rather than 'adaptations and innovations.'

July 12, 2021 - Strong Towns

Bike Lane New York

Biking's Billion-Dollar Value, Right Under Our Wheels

A strategic switch to biking would dramatically reduce the depth of roads, saving untold billions over the next generation.

July 12, 2021 - Richard Dion

Dog Days of Summer

Ranking the Best Cities for Dog Parks

A lawn service company has created a ranking of the U.S. cities with the best dog parks.

July 11, 2021 - LawnStarter

Seattle Transit

Well Funded Transportation Networks Promote Economic Development

Traditional strategies seek to attract major employers but often neglect the transportation networks that make commuting possible and convenient for more workers.

July 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Open Space

Assessing Biden's '30 by 30' Conservation Plan

The president's ambitious commitment to protect 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030 might be too broad in attempting to satisfy all land users.

July 9, 2021 - High Country News

Downtown Cincinnati

Why Central Business Districts Need Diverse Users

Central districts benefit from diversity, but a century of disinvestment and exodus has put many in a precarious position.

July 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Chicago, Illinois

What Makes a High Quality Park?

A new report can help park developers and managers assess quality, park by park and systemwide, to make investments and address disparities in access to high quality parks.

July 8, 2021 - Urban Land Institute

Front of Stonewall Inn, New York City, April 2019

'Mapping the Gay Guides' Highlights LGBTQ Safe Spaces

Using a series of mid-century guidebooks, a new project seeks to uncover historic LGBTQ spaces around the country.

July 8, 2021 - Next City

Rent Jubilee

Opinion: CDC Eviction Moratorium Is Ineffective, Unnecessary

The effects of the pandemic economic shutdown on the rental market have been far lower than feared—at least at aggregate, not individual, levels. Is an eviction moratorium the most helpful tool at this point in the pandemic?

July 8, 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.