United States

San Francisco

A Modest Proposal: Stop Subsidizing Driving

Joe Cortright argues for a new approach to the discussion about the country's dependence on automobiles: talk about responsibility, not morals.

February 22, 2017 - City Observatory

Benicia Bridge

Mapping the Country's Bridge Maintenance Crisis

A new, interactive feature by The Washington Post endeavors to bring the point about the nation's crumbling infrastructure closer to home.

February 22, 2017 - The Washington Post

Parking

Google Can Now Predict Parking Difficulty

The way Google predicts parking difficulty could make it easier to develop "smart city" applications in the future.

February 21, 2017 - IoT for All

School Site

8,000 U.S. Public Schools Located Near Sources of Pollution

Schools tend to get built on cheap land. Cheap land is often found near busy roadways—sources of pollutants that are harmful to the health of children.

February 21, 2017 - The Center for Public Integrity

Designers Propose New Development Model for NYC's Gentrifying Industrial Districts

From warehouse to art studio to luxury loft: the SoHo model of industrial-zone gentrification has become familiar around the world. A team of New York-based designers developed a proposal for spreading the benefits of economic growth in these areas.

February 21, 2017 - Soft City

Caltrain

Trump's California Double Play: Potential Fatal Blow to Commuter and High-Speed Rail

In one of her first major decisions, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao deferred a decision on a critical $647 million federal grant to electrify the 51-mile San Francisco to San Jose Caltrain line, which would also be used by high-speed rail.

February 21, 2017 - SF Gate

Empty Retail

Should Online Shopping Change How We Use Ground-Level Space?

Urbanist Jane Jacobs' support for mixed use development has long been seen as the best urban design strategy, but this vision assumed that the retail space under housing could be rented. What if that is no longer the case?

February 19, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

New York City Pedestrians

Walking While Black: The Racial Disparity in Pedestrian Fatalities

Pedestrians of color are more likely to be killed in traffic crashes.

February 19, 2017 - NPR

Scott Pruitt

Climate Change Skeptic Confirmed to Head U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Senate confirmed Scott Pruitt on Friday afternoon as administrator of the EPA, the same agency he sued 14 times in his capacity as Oklahoma Attorney General. He could not be more different than his predecessor, Gina McCarthy.

February 18, 2017 - The New York Times

Gas Pump

What if Oil Is About to Have a Coal Moment?

It's always good to be wary of wishful thinking, but it's also a good idea to consider of what the world might look like ten to 20 years from now.

February 17, 2017 - Treehugger

Brooklyn Brownstones

Housing and Opportunity

In a new article and accompanying policy brief, Arthur Acolin and Susan Wachter of Penn IUR write about their new research into the relationship between housing access and opportunity.

February 16, 2017 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Coal Mine

Remember Trump's Pledge to Save Coal Jobs?

The West's largest coal power plant and two Ohio coal plants will be closing, and the coal mines that supply them may shutter as well. The Arizona utility "is tired of overpaying for power," words that surely the president should understand.

February 16, 2017 - The Washington Post - Energy and Environment

Bus Stop

'Free to Ride' Explores the Disparate Impact of Transit Planning

A new feature-length documentary film raises the question of whether public transportation is a civil rights issue.

February 16, 2017 - Mass Transit

Ambulance

Report: U.S. Traffic Fatalities Rise, Again

Initial data from the National Safety Council (NSC) suggest that more than 40,000 Americans died on the country's roads in 2016 for the first time in a decade.

February 15, 2017 - The Hill

The Value of Partnerships in Community Development

Community partnerships can be an effective way to accomplish shared goals. What are the factors that make some partnerships more effective than others?

February 15, 2017 - Community Builders

Urban Garden

Don't Forget to #LoveThatLot This Valentine's Day

What better way to show you love for your community than by transforming its underused spaces into gathering areas for activities and fun?

February 14, 2017 - Center for Community Progress

Allen High School's Eagle Stadium in Allen, TX.

Should Public Money Be Spent On Stadiums or Schools?

Is it time to re-evaluate the amount of public money utilized to subsidize sports stadiums at the expense of other community needs?

February 14, 2017 - Modern Cities

Arizona Suburb

Ranking the Country's Hottest Suburban Housing Markets

A new Realtor.com study used the company's "Market Hotness Index" to find the parts of the country with rising demand and fast moving supply.

February 14, 2017 - Builder

Dart Board

Zoning: A Public Service Announcement

A public service announcement on behalf of renters priced out of the housing market: "Talk to your friends about zoning."

February 14, 2017 - Slate

Caltrain Electrification: Casualty of Republican Animus for High-Speed Rail?

California's GOP congressional delegation has written the U.S. DOT asking them to delay a vital $647 million grant needed to electrify the 55-mile, San Francisco-to-San Jose commuter line on which 92 diesel-powered commuter trains operate daily.

February 13, 2017 - The Mercury News

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.