United States

The Tenderloin

Affordable Housing Lacking in Every State

A recent report from the Urban Institute warns of potentially expanding catastrophe for affordable housing around the country.

May 22, 2017 - Business Insider

San Francisco Mural

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents

Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.

May 22, 2017 - CityLimits.org

Straphangers

Study: Transit Really Does Reduce Obesity

It's difficult to definitively link transit use with lower rates of obesity, but it makes intuitive sense. Here's another attempt, using county-level data.

May 21, 2017 - Pacific Standard

280 Freeway San Francisco

Federal Infrastructure Grants: The Historical Trends

On the cusp of a new infrastructure proposal from the White House, how has federal spending changed over the last 70 years? What will it take to reach historical averages?

May 21, 2017 - Eno Transportation Weekly

A Deadly Crash Is an Accident Because it Isn't Terrorism

Cable news networks interrupted broadcasts on Thursday morning with breaking news: a vehicle had just driven three block on the sidewalks in Times Square, New York, resulting in massive casualties. Anchors asked, "Was it terrorism or an accident?"

May 21, 2017 - Daily News

Violin

Sunday Fun: Visualizing the Vibrations of Five Miles of Fiber Optic Cable

This new visualization helps us see the unseen: the underground fiber optic cables that lie beneath campus at Stanford University in California.

May 21, 2017 - Victoria & Albert Museum

Tenants' Rights

Op-Ed: The Shortcomings of Matthew Desmond's 'Evicted'

Matthew Desmond's ethnographic study has received critical praise. But David Adler asks whether the book's approach tacitly lets affluent non-landlords off the hook.

May 20, 2017 - Current Affairs

Harbor Beach Power Plant

Large Michigan Utility to Go Coal-Free by 2050

Apparently Michigan's largest electricity supplier did not receive the Trump memo that the Clean Power Plan will be rolled back as they are proceeding on a plan that will achieve even higher carbon emission reductions.

May 19, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

New York, New York

The Scourge of Setbacks

Accepted by planners as a way to make buildings feel less 'crowded' and baked into many zoning codes, setbacks achieve no benefit other than giving opponents of development a bargaining chip.

May 19, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Forest Lightning

Inside the Interior Department's Review of National Monuments

The fate of 26 national monuments hangs in the balance, as the Interior Department holds a review process. Public comment is open until July 10.

May 19, 2017 - CNBC

Oregon Voters Support LNG Export Facility

A proposed $7.5 billion facility to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Oregon's south coast received a resounding vote of support on Tuesday from Coos County voters who rejected a ballot measure that would have banned its construction.

May 18, 2017 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

President Obama

Op-Ed: Obama's Weak Climate Change Legacy

David Bookbinder argues that the Obama Administration dragged its feet on climate change, only implementing last-minute actions that will be easy to reverse.

May 18, 2017 - Vox

Uber

Uber App to Share Transit Departure Times

Uber recently announced a feature that could appease transit advocates concerned about the encroachment of transportation network companies on transit ridership.

May 18, 2017 - The Verge

Tailpipe

Inadequate Diesel Vehicle Testing Results in 38,000 Global Fatalities Annually

While the study stems from research that found Volkswagen diesel cars had used 'defeat devices' to pass emissions tests, the new study points to inadequacies in the tests themselves, resulting in 50 percent higher pollution than testing permits.

May 17, 2017 - The International Council on Clean Transportation

Drinking Water

The Sorry State of U.S. Water Infrastructure

Water bills are going up because pipes put in shortly after World War II are in need of repair and replacement all over the country, and federal funding for water is shrinking.

May 17, 2017 - Vox

President of the United States

Mayoral Group to Work on Infrastructure with President Trump

The U.S. Conference of Mayors, eager to work with the White House on promised legislation regarding infrastructure, has created a task force to work with President Trump.

May 16, 2017 - The Hill

No Walking

The (Irrational) Criminalization of Walking

Why people don't walk much anymore and what we can do about it.

May 16, 2017 - PlaceShakers

Hurricane Sandy

Mapping the Future of Extreme Weather Events

The ability to predict severe weather events would be a huge benefit to planners, preparing for a new era of resilience. A new study sheds new light on how much rain we can expect, and where, on a warmer planet.

May 16, 2017 - MIT News

Donald Trump

Trump Looks to Saudis to Help Finance Infrastructure Plan

President Trump will take his first trip abroad on Friday to Saudi Arabia, where he hopes to secure a $40 billion investment for his $1 trillion infrastructure plan. At home, Trump's plan was rebuffed by Texas legislators.

May 16, 2017 - Bloomberg Politics

Threats and Opportunities for Low-Income Community Development Investment

Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) have tapped into the bond market, and the potential for investment is huge, but the Trump Administration could erase the progress of CDFIs.

May 15, 2017 - ImpactAlpha

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.