United States

Busy Crossing Street

Where Cities Have Helped Walkers

Laura Laker surveys efforts to make cities more walkable, from Melbourne's converted alleys to Guangzhou's 60-mile ecological corridor.

September 14, 2017 - The Guardian

Crash

Study: Warm Weather Is a Factor in Increased Road Deaths

A downward trend in deaths from car crashes reversed sharply in 2015. Many blamed cell phones and the distractions they can cause, but a recent study complicates that hypothesis.

September 13, 2017 - Minneapolis Post

Bike Commuting

When Cyclists Break Traffic Laws for Their Own Safety

A study examines whether and why bicyclists break traffic laws to shed light on how rational those laws really are.

September 12, 2017 - The Washington Post

Tucson, Arizona

College Campuses Prepare for a Future Without Parking

Some college campuses need more parking than others, depending on commuting rates and walkable housing supply. Some campus planners are hoping, however, that soon all universities will need a lot less parking.

September 12, 2017 - The New York Times

Moving

Political Sorting: Americans Moving to Places That Match Their Views

Americans are more likely to relocate to places where residents share their politics. One man is making a business out of helping conservatives move to conservative districts.

September 12, 2017 - The New York Times

Amazon Fulfillment Center

Amazon's Second HQ Poised for Smart Growth

With a second headquarters, Amazon is poised to expand its preference for walkable places into a new city. However, maybe the company should take the high road and not beg for subsidies.

September 12, 2017 - Smart Growth America

Crumbling Bridge

Decreased Net Spending Equals Crumbling Infrastructure

Public spending is not high enough to keep up with normal decay, much less extreme weather events. Yet politicians focus on building new infrastructure instead of saving what we have.

September 12, 2017 - Jacobin

Seattle & Mt. Rainier

CNU Report Combats Suburban Poverty

The Puget Sound region provides a case study for the spread of poverty to suburban areas, and some region-specific recommendations for how to combat the challenges that result.

September 11, 2017 - Public Square

Florida - Hurricane Frances Approaching (2004)

Study: Hurricanes Should Be Named Exxon and Chevron

A new study, published in the journal Climate Change, is naming the names of the very few companies that have caused most of the global change in climate.

September 11, 2017 - New Republic

Minneapolis Riverfront

Polling Residents on the Cleanliness of Their Cities

The happiness and quality of life or residents is often attached to their perception of the cleanliness of their city, according to this article.

September 11, 2017 - Smart Cities Dive

Bank Owned

Report: House Flippers, Not Subprime Loans, Were Responsible for the Housing Crash

According to a new study, richer borrowers drove the economy off the cliff in the housing crash of the Great Recession.

September 10, 2017 - Quartz

Hong Kong Towers

The Pros and Cons of Concrete

A versatile building material with a long pedigree, concrete also has associations with ugliness and totalitarianism. Its reinforced variety, widely used today, can conceal a costly flaw.

September 9, 2017 - CityLab

Houston Flood

Houston Flooding: Climate Change or Development Patterns to Blame?

The Guardian's former environmental editor asks if urban sprawl is as much to blame as climate change for the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

September 9, 2017 - Guardian

City Planners

How to Improve Charrettes

In participatory planning, there is no planning without several events known as charrettes, which you probably already knew. Less likely to be common knowledge, however, is how charrettes can live up to their promise in the planning process.

September 9, 2017 - Next City

Downtown Flint Michigan along Saginaw Street

Strategies for Revitalizing Smaller Post-Industrial Cities

For every Pittsburgh or Cleveland success story, there's a story waiting to be told in smaller cities like Gary and Lowell.

September 8, 2017 - At Lincoln House

Both Ways

Ford Coins a New Term to Protect Cars from Pedestrians: 'Petextrians'

The Ford Motor Company picks a side in the traffic safety debate.

September 7, 2017 - Ford

Washington D.C.

Mass Exodus Underway at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Since the beginning of September, 400 employees have left the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The reduced staffing levels are by design.

September 7, 2017 - The Scientist

Rosa Parks, Jane Jacobs, Frederick Law Olmsted

Vote for the Most Influential Urbanists

After accepting nearly 200 nominees for consideration, we're asking for votes to determine the "Most Influential Urbanists" of all time.

September 7, 2017 - Planetizen

Texas Wind

Rural U.S. Turning On to Wind Power

Rural counties and cities around the United States are figuring out that it pays to do business with renewable energy companies.

September 7, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Buffalo, New York

5 Beloved Architectural Creations Lost to History

If you could bring one building back from the wrecking balls of the past, what would it be?

September 7, 2017 - The Conversation

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.