United States

Black LIves Matter

Valuing Black Lives and Black Cities

Andre M. Perry’s "Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities" reveals the web of historical and contemporary socioeconomic barriers that maintain the racial wealth divide.

October 21, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Paris Mobility

Most Scoter Riders Crash on the Sidewalk, Study Finds

New data on scooter safety highlights the ongoing need for cities and micromobility companies to figure out how to keep scooter riders safe in cities.

October 20, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Trump and Biden Ballot

Potential Presidential Election Outcomes for U.S. Transportation Policy

Experts opine on the consequences of the presidential election for U.S. transportation policy.

October 20, 2020 - CNN

Vancouver, British Columbia

A New App Helps Identify 15-Minute City

The new 15-Minute City App generates maps which show the number of services and activities within a 15 minute walk, and and therefore whether an area can be considered a 15-minute neighborhood.

October 19, 2020 - 15-minute City Map

Second Home

The State of the Market for Second Homes, Prior to the Pandemic

Half of the nation's second homes are found in nine states, according to recent data analysis by the National Association of Home Builders, and building is likely to increase in vacation areas soon, according to one expert.

October 19, 2020 - National Association of Home Builders Eye on Housing

Streetlighting

Seeing the Street

A San Francisco-based design studio describes the thought process behind an effort to push outdoor lighting design beyond the lowest common denominator allowed by bureaucracy and status quo thinking.

October 18, 2020 - Nash Hurley

Coronavirus

Herd Immunity Finds Receptive Audience in White House and Florida

A trio of epidemiologists from Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Oxford have joined the president's new coronavirus medical advisor, Scott Atlas, in promoting an alternative approach to dealing with coronavirus infections.

October 18, 2020 - The Washington Post

Tennessee

Development Codes Have a Crucial Role in Traffic Safety

It's not enough to focus solely on the design and engineering of streets when looking for ways to improve traffic safety. The fruits of the planning profession must be held to account, too.

October 16, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Washington D.C.

Environmental Agencies Failing at Civil Rights, Report Says

A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General calls out state environmental agencies for a lack of civil rights enforecement and makes recommendations for resolving shortcomings.

October 15, 2020 - Grist

New York Public Transit

Trump Administration Puts Covid Funding at Risk for Transit in 'Anarchist Jurisdictions'

A September 2 memo by the Trump administration warned of punitive actions against New York City, Seattle, Portland, and Washington, D.C. A recently announced federal funding opportunity makes good on the threat.

October 15, 2020 - The New York Daily News

Dayton, Ohio

The 3 Types of Developers and Why the Difference Matters

Developers are frequently cast as a kind of monolithic bad guy in the politics of development, but developers are cut from different cloths, each with distinct interests and motivations.

October 14, 2020 - Strong Towns

COVID-19

The U.S. Might Soon Be Surpassed in Coronavirus Infections

India could be on track to overtake the United States in the number of COVID-19 cases. The surge is explained by a sharp and growing urban-rural divide in the ability and willingness to follow public health measures.

October 13, 2020 - The New York Times

Northridge Earthquake, 1994

Earthquake Preparation for Resilience

A look at San Francisco's building resilience plan illustrates the pertinent need to include earthquake preparedness in resiliency planning.

October 13, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

The Underline

Dreaming Big with Bike Infrastructure

A nationwide network of bike and pedestrian trails could give drivers new options for planning their next cross-country adventure.

October 12, 2020 - Fast Company

Hiking in Nature

The Happiest State in America

According to a new study, Hawaii is the happiest state in the U.S. in 2020.

October 12, 2020 - Travel + Leisure

Highway Construction

$1 Billion in Transportation Grants Announced by U.S. DOT

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced $1 billion in BUILD transportation grants, once again showing a preference for car-centric, rural projects in selecting the winners of this competitive grant process.

October 12, 2020 - Transport Topics

Complete Street

Safe Streets 'Champions' Announced

Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition announced a new initiative designed to help cities achieve the potential of a new approach to street design.

October 11, 2020 - Smart Growth America

New York City Mayor

Most Mayors Share Similar Priorities in Coronavirus Recovery

Infrastructure investment tops the list of common priorities for COVID recovery among mayors surveyed.

October 8, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Highway Speed

The 85th Percentile Rule, Explained

A video explainer of the notorious traffic law that explains why some cities have to raise speed limits to enforce traffic safety.

October 8, 2020 - Grist

Small Jazz Club New York

Trump Decision to Bail on Federal Stimulus Pushes Music Venues Over the Brink

Public transit, employment, homelessness, foreclosures—all hang in the balance as the federal government falters with a proposed economic recovery package. So does the prospect of going to a show after the pandemic.

October 8, 2020 - Vice

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.