United States

Suburban Sidewalk

The Politics of Sidewalk Funding

Do cities that make homeowners repair sidewalks subsidize car culture? Or do cities that fund sidewalks subsidize sprawl?

August 24, 2016 - CityLab

Charlotte, North Carolina

Study: Bad Arterials Poison Good Residential Streets

It's something we feel intuitively: poorly-designed arterial roads make for less comfortable neighborhoods. That remains the case even if the adjoining residential streets are quiet and safe.

August 23, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Shanghai Subway

What's Keeping the U.S. Behind China on Infrastructure Investment?

The problem, Paul Rosenstiel writes, isn't a scarcity of capital. It's an unwillingness to make investing in infrastructure a lucrative choice for private capital.

August 23, 2016 - Governing

Suburban Woes Follow After Companies Depart for Cities

It's not bad enough that the Northeast is losing population to the South and West. As companies decamp from the suburbs, pristine communities, many where apartments are outlawed, are seeing a steady decline in housing values.

August 22, 2016 - The Atlantic

Helping the homeless

Homelessness Is Falling Despite Worsening Conditions. Why?

In 2015, compared to 2009, the nation had more people and lower incomes, but higher rents. All things being equal, the number of people who are homeless should have gone up. But it did not. It went down. What changed, and what's next?

August 21, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Wind Turbine

The Wind Industry Is Going Gangbusters

A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy shows a wind industry making large, positive strides in the country's energy market.

August 21, 2016 - Vox

Empty Parking Garage

Carless Renters Still Get Stuck With a $440 Million Bill

A new study provides evidence of how the incredibly high costs of parking get spread around—even to people who don't have cars.

August 20, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

As Affordability Worsens, State and Local Governments Act on their Own

New data points to the continued worsening of rental housing affordability. Due to a lack of federal response, some state and municipal governments are taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to add to their supply of affordable housing.

August 20, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Double Trucks

New Rules to Make Heavy Trucks Cleaner and More Fuel Efficient

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation jointly issued final standards on Aug. 16 to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy for heavy duty trucks which currently average about six miles per gallon.

August 20, 2016 - New York Times

Hurricane Katrina

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016

Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

August 20, 2016 - Planetizen

Race Walking

Friday Funny: The Serious Side and Long History of Competitive Race Walking

There's only a few more days left of the Olympics, and that's sad, but there's still time to learn about the wonders of the sport of race walking, formerly known as "Pedestrianism."

August 19, 2016 - The Washington Post

Traffic Jam

65-Year-Old Disney Cartoon Perfectly Explains the Craziness of Driving a Car

In 1950 the Walt Disney Company released a cartoon called "Motor Mania". Starring Goofy, the film chronicles the metamorphosis of the mild-mannered "Mr. Walker" into the terror of the streets, "Mr. Wheeler". It was ahead of its time.

August 19, 2016 - Community Builders

Home Sold Sign

Say What? Declining Homeownership Rates Aren't a Good Thing

African-Americans and Latinos lost huge amounts of wealth in the crisis. A Washington Post editorial writer asserts that all this loss of wealth is a positive, even though it affected low- and moderate-income and new buyers disproportionately.

August 19, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Natural Gas

It's Official: Carbon Emissions From Natural Gas Exceed Coal

The U.S. Energy Administration confirms a development that first got teased back in April—natural gas is now responsible for more carbon emissions that coal.

August 18, 2016 - State Impact

Electric Cars

Study: Electric Cars Can Handle 87 Percent of Trips

"Range anxiety" is leading some consumers away from electric cars, but their fears are unfounded, according to a new study.

August 18, 2016 - Pacific Standard

New Future Cities Accelerator Will Scale Up Urban Innovation

The Rockefeller Foundation and the Unreasonable Institute want to help small organizations implement big ideas around the US.

August 18, 2016 - Curbed

Donald Trump

Trump Gets China Advice From Slow-Growther

In yet another surprising twist to the candidacy of Donald Trump, one of his economic advisors happens not only to take a dim view of China but also a dim view of urban growth.

August 18, 2016 - California Planning & Development Report

Louisiana Flooding

This Is Climate Change: Eight 500-Year Storms Since May *2015

The extreme weather events predicted for decades by climate scientists have been on parade in the Southern United States all year. Are we ready to say, "this is climate change"?

August 17, 2016 - The New York Times

Building Permanent Paths out of Poverty

One Tanzanian nonprofit is putting the focus on skill-building to fight poverty. David Lambert, an engineer with Arup, discusses the nonprofit's latest endeavor, a new vocational school near the town of Same.

August 17, 2016 - Doggerel

Interstates

Last Chance to Comment on U.S. DOT's New Performance Measurement Rule

So far the reviews have not been kind to the proposed changes to the U.S. Department of Transportation performance measurement rule. The public comment for the proposed rule closes August 20.

August 17, 2016 - The Hill

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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.