United States

Bears Ears National Monument

President's Record on Conservation Criticized

President Trump has weakened protections for 35 million acres of public land, despite repeating his intentions to surpass the model for conservation set by President Teddy Roosevelt.

May 27, 2020 - Center for American Progress

Bangkok, Thailand

Second Wave or Second Peak?

The terminology of the coronavirus pandemic isn't applied consistently, particularly when dealing with areas seeing a resurgence of infection after states have relaxed social distancing restrictions. The World Health Organization added some clarity.

May 27, 2020 - Reuters

Organic Agriculture

Many Small Farmers Predict Bankruptcy by the End of the Year

As peak harvest season approaches, about a third of small farmers expect that their short-chain food business will not survive to continue production in 2021.

May 27, 2020 - The Counter

Growth Chart

The 2010s Didn't Live Up to Potential as the 'Decade of the City'

The renaissance predicted for urban areas in the United States started strong during the 2010s but slowed in the years leading up to a potentially generation defining pandemic.

May 27, 2020 - Brookings

Coronavirus Social Distancing

New Coronavirus Hotspots Flaring Up in Rural America

The novel coronavirus is outlasting the narratives of March 2020, and the country will have to reevaluate its assumptions to understand and respond to shifting threats as the public health crisis deepens.

May 26, 2020 - The Washington Post

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Scooter Revenue, Empty Streets Allow for Quick Construction of Bike Lane in L.A.

A busy corridor, popular with bike and scooter riders, is gaining a new protected bike lane in Los Angeles.

May 26, 2020 - Urbanize Los Angeles

Quarantine

Nursing Homes With Black and Latino Residents Have Much Worse Covid-19 Rates

Age segregation has contributed to the tragic outbreaks of Covid-19 in nursing homes all over the country, but racial data adds another layer of tragic consequences of the pandemic.

May 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus

Study: 36,000 American Lives Would Have Been Saved if White House Acted One Week Earlier

Research from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health looks at the timing of the imposition of public health control measures, at the start of the pandemic and in the present if infections increase, to project lives saved or lost.

May 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Dearborn Street Bike Lane

Criticism for Transportation Spending in House-Approved $3 Trillion Relief Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act earlier this month. Transit advocates say the bill reinforces the car-centric status quo.

May 26, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Coronavirus Streets

NACTO Releases Pandemic Streets Design Guide

After three months of study and analysis, NACTO is providing authoritative guidance on new ways of thinking about rights of way now that the coronavirus has changed the way we live and work in cities.

May 25, 2020 - National Association of City Transportation Officials

London Traffic

Overcoming the Obstacles to Congestion Pricing

The technology for congestion pricing already exists. The leadership and vision required to implement congestion pricing is still a work in progress, according to a report.

May 25, 2020 - Eno Center for Transportation

California Shelter-in-Place

Recording the Quiet of Cities During the Pandemic

The usual sounds of the city have subsided, replaced by birds and quiet that at times can be eery and unsettling.

May 25, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus

Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety

Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.

May 24, 2020 - The Oregonian

Boise Idaho

Popularity of Opportunity Zone Program Grows During the Pandemic

Investors are looking for safe places to park capital gains as volatility roils the stock market. Opportunity zone programs fit the bill.

May 22, 2020 - Bisnow

U.S. Census

New Weekly Survey from U.S. Census Bureau Provides Crucial Insight for Recovery Efforts

Weekly releases of key data sets illustrate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on U.S. citizens as a U.S. Census Bureau effort to enable data-driven decision-making in recovery planning.

May 22, 2020 - U.S. Census Bureau

New York City Restaurant

Cities Are Suddenly a Little Less Car-Centric

(Opinion) After devoting more than a century of planning and engineering effort to the movement and storage of cars above all other considerations, U.S. cities have suddenly, temporarily shifted priorities.

May 21, 2020 - James Brasuell

New York City Traffic Cop

Fatal Collisions Increase Per Vehicle Miles Traveled During Pandemic

Data from the National Safety Council show the first evidence that with fewer cars on the road during the pandemic, fatal collisions have actually been more common for every mile driven.

May 21, 2020 - The Washington Post

Active Transportation

2020's Hot Transportation Trend: The Bike

A prominent consequence of the stay-at-home orders and social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States has been a dramatic surge in the popularity of bike transportation.

May 20, 2020 - The Guardian

Social Distancing

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced 17% Worldwide in April, Study Says

A recently published study predicts a 4 to 7 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 compared to 2019.

May 20, 2020 - The Washington Post

Urban Planning Model

New Ideas in Urban Research

Findings from graduating doctoral students undertaking urban-related research.

May 20, 2020 - Penn IUR Urban Link

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.