United States

Capitol Hill

House Democrats Would Increase Transit Spending, Still Spend More on Highways

House Democrats proposed the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act as a five-year plan for transportation spending at the federal level. The bill is unlikely to make it any further than the House.

June 4, 2020 - Yonah Freemark via Twitter

George Floyd Protests

Advocates Respond to the Role of Public Transit in Protests and Arrests

The commandeering of buses for police to transport arrested protestors is raising questions about the allegiances of transit agencies in the United States.

June 4, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Social Justice

Connecting the Dots Between Planning and Policing

The newest issue the Journal of Planning and Education Research responds to a clear need of the time: the need to address social justice in the public realm while reforming planning practices in the United States.

June 4, 2020 - Journal of Planning and Education Research

Rent Jubilee

The Looming Eviction Crisis

Of all the nightmare scenarios that became possible when the coronavirus hit the shores of the United States, the possibility of massive evictions and a rental market failure seems to have averted the worst possible outcomes. That could still change.

June 3, 2020 - The New York Times

Missouri

Surveying the Fiscal Nightmare for Cities and States

Governing takes a tour through the fiscal impacts of a suddenly cratered economy and an ongoing public health crisis.

June 3, 2020 - Governing

Columbus, Ohio

Laying the Groundwork for Cheaper Multi-Family Housing Construction

The processes of clearing land, building foundations, and making space for parking are three of the most expensive components of the construction process. Zoning can help reduce the costs to deliver more affordable housing supply.

June 3, 2020 - Brookings

Vacant Properties

Poverty Concentrating in Already High-Poverty Neighborhoods

A pair of reports analyzing U.S. Census Bureau poverty data from the last two decades show that high-poverty neighborhoods have become further impoverished.

June 3, 2020 - CityLab

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Did the CDC Toll the Death Knell for Public Transit?

It's official—the nation's leading public health agency would prefer that Americans drive alone to work to reduce exposure to the coronavirus. New CDC guidance call for government to subsidize drive-alone and single ride-share commutes.

June 2, 2020 - The New York Times

New York Cyclist

Making Space for the 'Invisible Cyclists' in Post-Pandemic Transportation Planning

As biking gains popularity as a transportation mode during the pandemic, planners are called on to elevate the role of "invisible cyclists"—people of color on bikes—in the process of redesigning and re-engineering streets.

June 2, 2020 - The Conversation

Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Rules on State-Imposed Social Distancing Restrictions

In a 5-4 decision, the court voted to uphold the prohibition of religious services that was part of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order. While the restriction had since been loosened, the plaintiff wanted all restrictions removed.

June 1, 2020 - The Washington Post

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge

The '30 by 30' Framework Sets an Ambitious Goal for Nature Conservation

California State Legislature committee approved AB 3030 in May, adopting a plan to save 30% of land and sea from development by the year 2030. The Convention on Biological Diversity is likely to follow in adopting the 30 by 30 framework.

June 1, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Charlottesville Downtown mall

Post-Pandemic Era of Shopping Malls Creates Opportunities for Downtowns

The COVID-19 pandemic and massive mall-retailer closings has left millions of highly skilled workers from the retail and food and beverage industries unemployed and eager to work. Many will seek to open their own businesses in downtowns.

June 1, 2020 - ASLA The Dirt

George Floyd Protests

Commandeered Buses, System Shutdowns—Transit on the Frontlines of Protests

The optics of public transit suffered over the weekend, as a few transit agencies have been commandeered by police and even shut down entirely with little or no notice, stranding protesters and essential workers alike.

June 1, 2020 - New York Daily News

Greece

The Urban Project: Urbanization, Urbanisms, and the Virus—A Historical Take

Perceptions of what makes density either "good" or "bad" have shifted over the years, and the pandemic is likely to precipitate another shift.

June 1, 2020 - Fanis Grammenos

COVID-19 Mobility

Guide to Planning for Public Health, Published by WHO and the UN

There is no planning without public health, according to a new guide released in a moment of global crisis for both professional fields.

May 31, 2020 - World Health Organization

Rich Suburban House

Tight Housing Market Could Prime Economic Recovery

A recession is coming, though we don't know how big it will be or how long it will last. Compared to the Great Recession, the housing market could potentially help, rather than hurt, economic recovery, according to the analysis shared here.

May 29, 2020 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Neighborhood-Based Apps

Nextdoor Getting Cozy With Local Officials

CityLab investigates the practices of company officials at Nextdoor to cultivate relationships with police and local officials.

May 28, 2020 - CityLab

Home Repairs

Code Enforcement as Coronavirus Response Policy

The Center for Community progress offers advice on effective code enforcement during a time of extreme economic duress.

May 28, 2020 - Center for Community Progress

Office Building

Who Pays When Corporate Campuses Leave the Suburbs?

When corporations move out of the suburbs, they leaving behind largely unprofitable corporate campuses. Loss of property value and tax revenue follow in the communities they left.

May 28, 2020 - ProPublica

Base Camp Village

New Census Report Captures the Housing Effects of Disasters

A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau offers a new approach to understanding the impact of disasters on local housing markets.

May 28, 2020 - U.S. Census Bureau

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.