United States

Car Production Line

Auto Industry Reluctant to Support Trump Plan to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards

The auto industry appears to be balking at supporting the Trump administration's plan to freeze vehicle emission standards at 2020 levels even though they initially asked Trump to loosen the rigorous Obama-era fuel efficiency rule that goes to 2026.

March 10, 2019 - The Washington Post

Texas Homes

Homeownership Rebounds

It turns out that the United States isn't rapidly becoming a nation of renters after all.

March 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

Did Uber Just Get Away With Manslaughter?

Remember Elaine Herzberg, the 49-year-old woman who became the first pedestrian fatality due to an autonomous vehicle when she was hit last March by an Uber with a safety driver in Tempe, Ariz.? Prosecutors found no criminal liability.

March 8, 2019 - The New York Times

Parking Garage

Planning a More Sensible Future for Parking

The urban landscape could change significantly as cities and transportation systems evolve. Planners are envisioning what that would mean for parking and what decisions need to be made now.

March 8, 2019 - Digital Trends

Downtown Boston

Spatial Mismatch's Far-Reaching Effects

When workers can't afford to live near jobs, the results are more than just housing cost burdens.

March 8, 2019 - Pacific Standard

Painted Bus Lane

Tactical Transit Lanes Offer Big Bang for the Buck

The bus lanes can be installed quickly, requiring minimal time and resources and offering a good return on investment, says a new report.

March 8, 2019 - CityLab

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)

How the Next President Might Take on the Housing Crisis

Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren have all announced housing plans.

March 8, 2019 - The Mercury News

SimCity 2013

SimCity’s Impact and Evolution

The video game has inspired many people to pursue careers in planning. But, the newest version is also trying to better align the simulations with what planners face in the real world.

March 7, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Protesting racism

Planning and the 'Real Estate State'

A new book by Samuel Stein links planning to the causes of a global finance industry that values worldwide real estate at $217 trillion, or 60 percent of the world's assets.

March 7, 2019 - Next City

Internet of Things for Cars

Study: Self-Driving Cars Have Trouble Detecting People of Color

The automated decision-making processes of self-driving cars are ill equipped to protect that safety of people of color in public.

March 7, 2019 - Vox

Redlining Map

A Reading List on Exclusion and Racism in the Legal History in the United States

The legal history of the United States is full of laws designed to exclude and segregate the racialized other. This reading list recommends scholarship that sheds light on that history.

March 6, 2019 - Places Journal

Apartment for Rent

The Case Against Rent Control

Rent control is gaining popularity in cities and states around the country. Some economists urge caution when considering this form of tenant protection.

March 5, 2019 - Brookings

Manteo, North Carolina

The 'Decolonial Planning' Project

A potentially radical point of view that must be considered by planners: moving the field forward will require soul searching that confronts an overcomes the disposition and exploitation that defined the past and continues to influence the future.

March 5, 2019 - Progressive City

Washington

The Rise of Inclusionary Zoning as the Preferred Housing Policy Compromise

Everything you've ever wanted to know about inclusionary zoning: its history, its position in the debate about the future of cities, and its promise as a solution to the nation's housing crisis.

March 5, 2019 - Land Lines

California Governor

Yes, Trump Can Recoup the $3.5 Billion Awarded to California High-Speed Rail

The beleaguered project is still very much alive, despite some media claims to the contrary. As for the Trump administration's claim to two grants awarded to the now-$77 billion project, the state has a deadline to meet if it wants to keep them.

March 4, 2019 - Capital Public Radio

Utah Public Lands

Op-Ed: Congress Passes Public Lands Bill, Ducks Harder Questions

The Natural Resources Management Act enjoyed bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. But it left out contentious issues like wildfires, greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting wildlife corridors.

March 4, 2019 - High Country News

Commuter Traffic

Gas Prices and Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyzed Since 2000

Urban economist Joe Cortright examines the connection between gas prices and driving in the U.S. over the last two decades. Prices matter: increased gas prices results in decreased driving, providing the prices persist for the long-term.

March 4, 2019 - CityLab

Pedestrians

Pedestrian Deaths Last Year Projected to Be Highest Since 1990

Among the factors that stand out in the "Spotlight on Highway Safety" report released Thursday by the Governors Highway Safety Association is increased "death by SUV," which kill at a higher rate than cars. Distraction, however, is hard to prove.

March 4, 2019 - USA Today

Supply Chain Logistics

Walmart Getting Into the Freight Rail Business

Walmart will soon be seen side by side with CSX and BNSF.

March 3, 2019 - Supply Chain DIve

ng1_3717

Renewables Accelerator to Help Cities With Transition to Clean Energy

Cities across the country have ambitious goals to move to renewable energy, but support at the federal level is lacking. A new program will assist cities with procurement and regulation of renewables.

March 1, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

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.