United States

Automated Vehicle

Pedestrian Safety Concerns and New Doubts About Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicle technology is no longer enjoying an uncritical reception. Skepticism, it seems, is becoming a more common response to the idea of setting robot cars free on the streets.

August 20, 2018 - Bloomberg

St. Petersburg, Florida Bus

Strange Bedfellows: Ride-Hailing Companies and Public Transit

While transit systems are losing riders to Uber and Lyft, the sometimes competitors have also found ways to cooperate.

August 19, 2018 - CityLab

A Black woman stands in front of a home holding an umbrella and smiling.

Lessons From Cities With Majority Black Homeownership

Locations with majority black homeownership have plenty to teach about closing the country's home ownership gap.

August 19, 2018 - Pew

Bottled Water

Taste Buds Don't Lie: Recycled Water Tastes as Good as Bottled Water

We're talking about toilet to tap. There, we said it.

August 18, 2018 - The Mercury News

Secret Stairs

A Stroll With Los Angeles' Own 'People Walker'

A cartoon strip captures the essence of Chuck, the creator of The People Walker in Los Angeles.

August 18, 2018 - The Nib

Kayaking

Federal Judge Liberates the Obama Era Clean Water Rule

The Trump administration cannot legally delay the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, according to a ruling by a federal judge this week.

August 17, 2018 - Pacific Standard

Levee

Unequal Flood Protection Makes Floods Worse for Some Communities

Levees can save towns, but they can also push water downstream making floods worse, meaning that if wealthier places are protected, it’s sometimes at the expense of poor communities.

August 17, 2018 - ProPublica

Lynx Blue Line

A Defense of the National Environmental Policy Act

A reminder of the intended purpose of environmental law.

August 17, 2018 - Center for American Progress

Colorado Multi-Modlaism

A New Treasure Trove of Data on Mobility Services Is Now Available for Researchers

A shared post by Regina Clewlow, CEO and founder of Populus.

August 17, 2018 - Populus on Medium

Hollywood Welcomes Carbon Neutral Complex Amid Revitalization

Kilroy Realty Corp. has broken ground on Academy on Vine, a long-anticipated campus of offices, apartments, and stores in the heart of Hollywood.

August 16, 2018 - The Planning Report

Seattle Light Rail Construction

The Federal Transit Administration Holding Transit Dollars, Putting Projects at Risk

The federal government approved $1.4 billion in funding for public transit projects as part of the omnibus spending bill signed by President Trump in March. The Federal Transit Administration still hasn't sent the money to local officials.

August 16, 2018 - CityLab

Los Angeles Residential

Trulia's New Feature Shows How Much Home Buyers Care About Location

Real estate site Trulia has launched a new tool that acts as a one-stop shop for information on neighborhoods.

August 15, 2018 - Curbed

Augmented Reality

Making a Place for Virtual Reality in Planning

As virtual reality technology becomes more accessible, it's time to start considering how immersive virtual experiences could help inform visioning process and design decision-making.

August 15, 2018 - IDEA New Rochelle

California REITS Have Much at Stake on Election Day

One of the most controversial measures on the November 6 ballot in California is Prop. 10: the repeal of the landmark Costa-Hawkins Act that places limits on rent control. Real estate investment trusts are donating big time to defeat it.

August 15, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Trump Adminsitration

Analyzing the Decision to Rewrite the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule

Observers have been pointing out the contradictions in Secretary Ben Carson's justifications for a new approach to the Fair Housing Act.

August 15, 2018 - Slate

163:365 - Green Energy

Five Key Energy Bills the California Legislature May Decide this Week

Energy stakeholders in California are watching five important bills to see which go forward with three weeks remaining in the legislative season. One would require the state to generate all electricity from renewable sources by 2045.

August 14, 2018 - The Desert Sun

Senate Bans Procurements of Chinese Transit Vehicles

The temporary ban applies to bus and rail projects seeking funding from a number of FTA programs.

August 14, 2018 - Eno Transportation Weekly

Sprawl

Mapping 25 Years of Urban Expansion

What comparing 25 years of urban expansion on six continents reveals about the changing nature of the built environment.

August 14, 2018 - Vivid Maps

Agriculture

Federal Appeals Court Orders EPA to Ban Harmful Pesticide

The ruling puts another stain on former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's legacy as it rebukes his denial of a petition to ban a pesticide that causes neurodevelopmental damage in children. Pruitt had rejected his own scientists' recommendation.

August 14, 2018 - The New York Times

Autonomous Vehicles

The AV START Act Raises Safety Concerns

The AV Start Act (S. 1885, Thune) is making its way through the U.S. Senate. Critics say the bill will rush autonomous vehicles to the market, and to the streets, without safety regulations.

August 13, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

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.