United States

U.S. Census Bureau

Trump Decides to Cut the 2020 Census Short

The pandemic delayed the 2020 Census, and the Trump administration will cut it short. Experts say this could be the most flawed Census in the country's history.

August 10, 2020 - Newsweek

Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines as an Urban Planning Tool

Computer simulations continue to play a novel and important role in urban planning, especially in finding new ways to engage the public and add some fun to the process of planning for the future of cities.

August 10, 2020 - parCitypatory

Sprawl

Connecting Sprawl to Inequality and Climate Change

The consequences of more than a century of planning and zoning are gaining more attention in the media as the country struggles through a pandemic. Will these lessons win new political support for more density in residential neighborhoods?

August 10, 2020 - NPR

Hyperloop

It's Time To Reconsider How Speed Limits Are Set

Speed limits are currently determined by a calculation that considers only the status quo of vehicular velocity. Standard practices for speed limit setting and legislators should prioritize the safety of community members, according to this article.

August 9, 2020 - Forbes

Social Distancing

Pandemic's New Phase: Spreading to Rural and Urban Areas Alike

A top public health expert in the Trump administration warned that the U.S. is in a "new phase" of the pandemic, different from March and April when the coronavirus largely affected a few big cities. Now urban and rural areas alike are vulnerable.

August 9, 2020 - CNN

George Floyd Protests

Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms

A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.

August 9, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Subcompact Cars

Good Luck Buying a Small, Affordable Car in the United States

Honda recently ended the Fit, a small, affordable subcompact car favored by urban dwellers (like the managing editor of Planetizen). The U.S. car market is now completely dislocated from the reality of the rest of the world.

August 7, 2020 - Vice

Los Angeles, Hollywood Sign

A 10-Minute Walk to a Park for Your Health and Well-Being

The “10-Minute Walk Campaign” is a nationwide movement to ensure that everyone has safe access to a quality park or green space within a 10-minute walk. In the midst of a pandemic, it is especially important now to have a park close to home.

August 6, 2020 - Planning Magazine

Coronavirus

The Geographic Disparities of Pandemic Unemployment

Neighborhood level unemployment data estimates reveal the deepening social inequality of the current economic crisis.

August 6, 2020 - The New York Times

HUD

The Policy That Will Replace the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule

The Trump administration didn't just dismantle an Obama-era fair housing rule—it replaced it with a new policy of its own called Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice.

August 6, 2020 - Politico

Hiking Trail

The 'Great American Outdoors Act' Signed Into Law

By signing this new law into effect, President Trump seems ot have departed from his administration's previous actions on public lands.

August 5, 2020 - The Mercury News

Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

Affordable Housing Production Grinds to a Halt During Pandemic

Just when the nation needs a functional market for affordable housing, the industry that builds affordable housing supply has stopped functioning, like to many other parts of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 5, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

North Dakota

Toward a New Housing Paradigm

Neoliberal politics have built an artificial wall between the public and private sectors when it comes to housing. It’s time for a different paradigm.

August 4, 2020 - Shelterforce

COVID-19 and Public Health

Mask Mandates Without Enforcement Amount to Half-Measures

Issuing a ticket to a pedestrian for not wearing a mask in Miami is like issuing a ticket to a motorist for not wearing a seatbelt, states a specially-detailed Miami police officer. Welcome to the "new normal" in this coronavirus hotspot.

August 4, 2020 - The Washington Post

COVID-19

Staying Healthy During the Pandemic

Local parks and green spaces that enable safe social distancing have never been more important to people living in cities. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report showing their importance and the challenges they are facing.

August 4, 2020 - The Washington Post

Trump Sign

How Trump's Version of the Suburbs Gets it Wrong

Analysis of Trump's favorability ratings with suburban voters and the demographic trends of recent years could doom his recent messages regarding the Democratic agenda for the suburbs.

August 4, 2020 - The New York Times

Derelict Commercial Buildings

Opinion: The Zoning Reform Discourse Needs a Dose of Reality

Lately it seems like people are forgetting that zoning is a legal process, requiring the support of elected officials.

August 3, 2020 - Notes from the Underground

United States map

One U.S. State Boasts 33% Fewer Carbon Emissions Per Capita Than Any Other

California, the largest state by population in the United States, is responsible for 33% fewer carbon emissions per capita than any other state, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

August 3, 2020 - The Mercury News

Congestion

Report: Vehicle Miles Traveled Almost Fully Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Reports last week that the U.S. economy is about 30 percent smaller than before the pandemic aren't reflected in driving trends.

August 3, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Parking and Driving

NACTO Recommends Default Safety Setting for Speed Limits

A step toward an overhaul of the way speed is managed on city streets around the country.

August 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.