United States

New York City Bike Infrastructure

Advocating for a 'Greenway Stimulus'

The pandemic bike book would seem like the perfect time for the federal government to invest in an interstate system for cyclists and walkers.

June 13, 2021 - Bloomberg City Lab

North Dakota

Five-Year Transportation Bill Has a Ways to Go

House and Senate versions of the five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill are on different tracks, headed in different directions.

June 10, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Mass Vaccination

Coronavirus Litigation: Can Employers Require Employee Vaccinations?

The plaintiffs in one of the nation's first court cases over employer-required COVID vaccinations are among the heroes of the pandemic—nurses fighting to remain unvaccinated. Houston Methodist Hospital suspended unvaccinated employees on June 6.

June 10, 2021 - JD Supra

Climate Protest

Developer Drops Keystone XL Plans

It's the latest turn of the screw for a project that has depended on the occupant in the White House.

June 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Dolores Park

Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Parks and Recreation

A newly released report by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) reveals the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities at park agencies across the U.S.

June 9, 2021 - Parks and Recreation Magazine

Downtown Flint Michigan along Saginaw Street

How Much Land Is Lost to Wide Streets?

New research assesses the land value of street space in 20 of the largest counties in the United States.

June 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Parking Sign

The Pretext Problem: The Pitfalls of Planning While Bargaining

Lots of planning is discretionary. Cities and developers negotiate what builders will do for cities in exchange for the right to build, creating an incentive for bad rules, eroding the public's faith in zoning, and enabling political corruption.

June 9, 2021 - Michael Manville

Market Street, Center City

The Future of Downtowns Still Hangs in the Balance

Center City in Philadelphia offers a case study for one of the largest and potentially most consequential contingencies of the pandemic: What happens to downtowns is most workers never come back to the office?

June 9, 2021 - Philadelphia

Los Angeles Metro Bus

Opinion: Transit Needs to Be Better, Not Cheaper

With many U.S. transit agencies facing severe gaps in service and budget shortfalls, some advocates argue that improved service matters more than free fares.

June 9, 2021 - Slate

Yosemite

Opinion: We're Loving Our National Parks to Death

A reservation system could help the struggling national parks system manage crowds and protect our public lands from overuse, according to this article.

June 8, 2021 - MinnPost

Q Arena

How Legacy Cities Can Support Equitable Development

A new report outlines seven strategies for balancing economic development and equity specifically aimed at smaller, post-industrial cities.

June 8, 2021 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Coronavirus and Urbanism

California Workplaces to Return to Normal? Not Unless Everyone is Vaccinated

Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on June 15 in California. The statewide mask mandate will align with CDC guidance, but workplaces will follow the new Cal/OSHA mask mandate: Unless everyone is vaccinated indoors, everyone masks.

June 8, 2021 - The Mercury News

Street Traffic

Latest Traffic Safety Data Adds Grim Death Count to an Already Tragic Year

The public health epidemic created by dangerous roads, dangerous cars, and dangerous drivers was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

June 8, 2021 - Curbed

San Fernando Valley

Misunderstanding Metros

The vernacular notion of "metro area" or "urban region" may not match up with standard political designations, like municipality, county, state, or city-state. Too bad. Ambiguity and complexity are hallmarks of today's mega-cities.

June 7, 2021 - Common Edge Collaborative

Coronavirus and Transportation

Taking Stock and Looking Forward: What's Next for Public Transit?

A group of 12 leading transit experts debriefed on the consequences of the pandemic for public transit, and proposed a future that centers public transit as a tool for economic recovery and righting the past wrongs of the planning profession.

June 7, 2021 - Politico

Eleanor Roosevelt talking with a project superintendent in Des Moines, Iowa. June 8, 1936. This project, sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, planned to convert a city dump into a water front park.

Biden Learning From the Unrealistic Expectations of Past Economic Stimulus Efforts

Taking lessons from his time working in the Obama administration, President Biden is tempering promises of quick job creation with long-term reinvestment.

June 7, 2021 - Governing

Town Homes

Texas Metros Lead Residential Building Permit Activity in 2020; Atlanta, Phoenix Also in the Top 5

A new report quantifies the number of housing units in the development pipelines in metropolitan areas around the United States.

June 6, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

Home For Sale Signs

A Key Housing Market Metric Hits Uncharted Territory

The nationwide house price-to-rent ratio has hit its highest level since 1975.

June 4, 2021 - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Sports Utility Vehicle

For Transportation Justice, Auto Safety Must Protect People Outside the Car

Light trucks are killing more pedestrians than ever while keeping their drivers and passengers safer. Is it time to reframe safety regulations?

June 3, 2021 - Treehugger

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.