United States

Millennials

'Little Evidence of a Substantial Cultural Turn' Away from Driving Among Millennials

According to an analysis of U.S. National Travel Surveys, the Millennial preference for non-automotive travel is mostly hype. Millennials show behavior similar to other age groups and respond to the economy.

May 16, 2018 - Transfers

Waste Stream

U.S. Recycling Markets in Free Fall After China Pulls Import Plug

China has stopped purchasing the recyclables that millions of Americans place curbside on recycling days, upending the industry. Recyclables are already directed toward landfills as domestic markets are sought. Berkeley, Calif. may go a novel route.

May 16, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal via MSN Money

'Father of GPS' awarded IEEE Medal of Honor

At the IEEE honors ceremony today [May 11] in San Francisco, Bradford Parkinson, a retired Air Force colonel who spent his life between maps and navigation systems, will be awarded the 2018 IEEE Medal of Honor,.

May 16, 2018 - Iot Times

Coal Power Plants to Retire Faster Under Trump

Coal plants will retire faster than analysts had figured under the Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration is repealing, yet the Department of Energy proposes to make building new coal plants a centerpiece of its energy policy.

May 15, 2018 - Forbes

Pasadena Bike Infrastructure

Shouting Down Road Diets

In car-dependent communities, road diets and bike lanes can be a tough sell.

May 15, 2018 - CityLab

Sports Utility Vehicle

SUV Boom May Be Tied to Jump in Pedestrian Deaths

The number of fatalities from SUVs is up more than 80 percent in the United States since 2009.

May 15, 2018 - Jalopnik

Refueling

Car Manufacturers Worried After Trump Administration Gave More Than Expected

The auto industry lobby is meeting with Trump Administration officials to convince them to ease off the throttle.

May 14, 2018 - The New York Times

recycled greywater

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town

Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

May 14, 2018 - Harper's

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Driving

The Future of the American Auto Industry: Not Cars

The American passenger vehicle fleet is being transformed into bigger, fuel-thirstier, and more dangerous models (for those hit by them). Americans have shown a preference for light trucks, and manufacturers are responding by ditching cars.

May 14, 2018 - Car and Driver

Food Trucks

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement

Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

May 14, 2018 - CityLab

School Buses

Campaign Launched to Electrify School Buses

U.S. PIRG wants states to use funding from multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlements to convert the nation's school bus fleet, 95% of which is diesel-powered, to zero-emission buses to reduce children's exposure to toxic air pollution.

May 13, 2018 - U.S. Pirg

Los Angeles

If You're Ignoring Transportation, You're Not Much of a Climate Mayor

Encouraging compact land use by allowing density, building near transit, and eliminating parking minimums can have a powerful effect on the emissions a city generates.

May 13, 2018 - Streetsblog

Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Trees Are Worth the Investment

Trees improve cities by controlling temperature, absorbing water and carbon dioxide, and adding beauty.

May 12, 2018 - The Conversation

Denver Rowhouses

Formerly Redlined Denver Neighborhoods Are Now Gentrification Hotspots

Prices remain depressed in most formerly redlined neighborhoods, but several such areas in Denver now boast higher home values than the city as a whole.

May 11, 2018 - The Denver Post

Homes

On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy

Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.

May 11, 2018 - Brookings

Not in my back yard

Friday Funny: I'll Do Anything to Solve Homelessness, But I Won't Do That

A satirical post for McSweeney's about the typical approach to the country's growing number of homeless brought to mind a famous song by Meat Loaf.

May 11, 2018 - McSweeney's

Chicago Bus

Buses Are Under Threat, and Cities With Them

Buses are often the best tool for making a dynamic, equitable city, but they're in a period of decline that shouldn't be allowed to become a death spiral.

May 10, 2018 - CityLab

Pedestrians

Insurance Institute: Pedestrian Fatalities Jump 46 Percent from 2009

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study on May 8 that attributes the increased number of pedestrians killed in part to road design that allows for higher speeds, fewer intersections and pedestrian crossings and more SUVs.

May 9, 2018 - The Washington Post

Target Parking Lot

6 Ways Big Box Stores Harm Communities

A compendium of big box dissent.

May 9, 2018 - Strong Towns

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.