United States

Homeless Camp Portland

Intercity and Intracity Data on Homelessness Needed for Effective Policies, Study Says

A broader evidence base can more effectively evaluate policies for preventing and ending homelessness, according to a recent study published by Housing Policy Debate.

March 4, 2020 - Homeless Hub

Epdemiology

NIMBY Politics Sway the Fight to Contain Coronavirus

A week after the Orange County city of Costa Mesa filed a restraining order against the federal government and the state of California over the use of a state-owned facility as an isolation site for coronavirus patients, the feds dropped the plan.

March 4, 2020 - Daily Pilot (Los Angeles Times)

San Francisco Skyline

Two Coastal Areas Face Climate Change Threats, but Their Stories Are Vastly Different

In Manila and the San Francisco Bay Area, the severe impacts of rising sea levels are indisputable. But the only similarities are that both places face very uncertain futures.

March 3, 2020 - The New York Times

Coastal Flooding

Federal Law Would Help Build Infrastructure to Weather Climate Change

A bi-partisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would inform better information sharing between federal agencies and local code-making powers to ensure more resilient infrastructure.

March 3, 2020 - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)

Electric Vehicle Charging

Electric Vehicles Quickly Improving Climate Impact

Electric vehicles and internal combustion automobiles emit vastly different sums of carbon, and electric vehicles are quickly widening the gap between the two options as the electricity generation industry cleans up its act.

March 2, 2020 - Union Of Concerned Scientists

Watch: How the Road Got Rules

A video explains the origin of the right of way concept that controls the flow of traffic through the public realm.

March 2, 2020 - City Beautiful

Capitol Hill

The Federal YIMBY Act Makes Progress in the House

A federal bill intended to increase transparency in land use and zoning decisions as well as encourage localities to eliminate barriers to housing has advanced out of a House of Representative committee.

March 2, 2020 - Financial Services Republicans

Youngstown, Ohio

How Shrinking Cities Are 'Right Sizing'

Case studies in dealing with population loss from Ohio, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

March 2, 2020 - The Guardian

Candidates for President

Evaluating the Transportation Plans of Each Presidential Candidate (Including the Incumbent)

Transportation seems like an afterthought on the campaign trail, but Transportation for America is shining light on the issue by providing an evaluation of each campaign's transportation plan.

March 1, 2020 - Transportation for America

Climate Change

Sunday Funny: The Onion Calls Out the Auto Industry for its Massive SUVs

This is satire for anyone who has noticed, with fear for the planet and pedestrians, the growing size of pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles manufactured and sold in the United States

March 1, 2020 - The Onion

Swinomish Channel Washington

Indigenous Peoples Lead Fight Against Climate Change

Tribal communities are preparing for climate impacts by drawing on their deep understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

March 1, 2020 - Yale Environment 360

Social Media

Twitter for Urban Planning

Few social media sites offer the same kind of diversity of information and opinion to a field of study than Twitter does for planning.

February 28, 2020 - James Brasuell

Bus in Snow

Report: Transit Ridership Reaches Lowest Levels Since the 1970s

The Transit Cooperative Research Program recently released a current snapshot of public transit ridership trends on bus and rail services in U.S. urban and suburban areas.

February 26, 2020 - The National Academies Press

London Ride Hailing

Ride-Hailing Companies Greatly Increase Pollution, Study Says

The reality of ride hailing has fallen well short of the wishful thinking about reduced congestion and reduced pollution that defined the early days of Uber and Lyft.

February 26, 2020 - The Verge

U.S. Census Bureau

Survey Reveals Key Knowledge Gaps Regarding 2020 Census

Most Americans are aware that the 2020 Census is underway, but many still lack information about key details of the big, national headcount.

February 25, 2020 - Pew Research Center

Presidential Campaign

Scrutinizing the Reality of Bernie's Energy and Climate Plans

CNN host Fareed Zakaria questions whether the goals of Sanders' ambitious Green New Deal are realistic.

February 24, 2020 - The Washington Post

Condos Smart Growth

Smart Growth America Promotes the Transportation and Climate Initiative

Former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening penned a local opinion for The Washington Post in support of the TCI to advance funding of alternatives to driving and ask readers to shape the controversial initiative by submitting comments by Feb. 28.

February 24, 2020 - The Washington Post

great lakes

Opinion: Climate Change Has Brought the 'Era of Extreme' to the Great Lakes

Severe flooding in these coastal areas will become the norm, but how to best address the environmental challenges is not entirely clear.

February 21, 2020 - The New York Times

Colorado Interstate

Paying for the Senate Highway Bill Would Require Additional $102 Billion

Under the new bill, the Highway Trust Fund would need more funding to get through the next five years.

February 20, 2020 - Eno Transportation Weekly

Welcome

Neighborhood Preference Splits on Partisan Lines

Preferences in the characteristics of communities—from the shape of the built environment to demographics—reveal stark partisan preferences. Planners are faced with the task of navigating ideological divides.

February 20, 2020 - Pew Research Center

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.