United States

Op-Ed: Overcoming a New NIMBYism
Rick Jacobus argues that those who block new development on social justice grounds aren't fighting to win long-term. Building is necessary, but with it should come robust affordable housing mandates.
Does Ride-Hailing Complement Public Transit—Or Vice Versa?
Thanks to technology-enabled ride-hailing services, more households have the ability to go car-lite now than in preceding generations, according to a new study prepared for the American Public Transportation Association.

Empowered Design, By 'The Crowd'
Crowdsourcing offers a viable resource for planners to empower communities and engage citizens to collectively innovate solutions to complex urban problems.
Seattle Seeks Density as New Normal
Seattle architect David Neiman writes about his city's attempt to find a new housing form that results in a denser city as appealing as the single family fabric that came before it, while managing all the cars.

A Dissenting Opinion on the Subject of Compact, Affordable Cities
Writing for New Geography, Fannis Grammenos expresses skepticism that more compact cities are more affordable cities. In fact, Grammenos argues that just the opposite is true.
Looking for a Kickstart: City Design Method Cards
The same team that created Cards Against Urbanity is back with an eagerly anticipated new engagement product called City Design Method Cards.
What If Planners Had a Tool for Predicting Outcomes?
Or, put another way, what if planners could make unintended consequences a relic of the past?
The E-commerce Revolution
The internet has revolutionized the way people shop. From Amazon's Prime service, to grocery stores offering online ordering and delivery or store pick-up, the retail landscape has changed and so have brick-and-mortar shops and delivery methods.

7 'Smart Cities Challenge' Finalists Announced
The U.S Department of Transportation's Smart Cities Challenge will provide funding for seven finalists to further develop proposals to develop high-tech transportation solutions.
Would Bernie Sanders Delay the Obama Climate Initiative?
Watching Wednesday's Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I was startled to hear Clinton claim that Sanders said he would delay Obama's Clean Power Plan rule. PolitiFact investigated, though the result wasn't clear-cut.
Denied: Proposed LNG Export and Gas Pipeline in Oregon Rejected by FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied a contentious $7.5 billion Liquefied Natural Gas export facility, pipeline, and power plant in Coos Bay, Ore., which had received environmental clearance.
President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau Agree to Reduce Methane Emissions
Climate change was front and center at a Thursday morning joint press conference at the White House, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to several energy, environmental, and Arctic initiatives.
Lessons From Helsinki's Failed On-Demand Bus Experiment
Kutsuplus—an attempt to "reinvent carpooling for the algorithm age"—has failed in Helsinki. What can new systems, still operating in the United States, learn from its example?
Accounting for Seasonal Variations in Transportation Mode
People use different transportation systems depending on the time of year, yet transportation planning rarely accounts for this seasonal variation.
Op-Ed: Transit Still Lacking in the Customer Service Department
An opinion piece says its time for transit agencies to start treating riders like valued customers.
Open Data Census Finds States Lagging
The recently released U.S. States Open Data Census discovered that the overwhelming majority of states have a lot of work to do in opening their data to the public.
Efforts to Increase Pedestrian Safety Take Hold in Nevada and Kentucky
With a new Governors Highway Safety Association report estimating that the number of pedestrian fatalities jumped 10 percent in 2015, the highest ever, we look at efforts in Nevada and Louisville, Ky. to increase pedestrian safety.

Using the Wrong Tools to Build Affordable Housing
What's the best way to deliver long-term affordable housing?
Friday Funny: John Oliver Skewers Special Districts
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver tackles the corruption and mismanagement of special districts, which are well known to professional planners, but perhaps not to the rest of the general public.

Bicyclists on Sidewalks: Why They're Not Going Away, and What We Can Do About It
Simply banning bikes from riding on sidewalks does more harm than good. A better understanding of why people choose to ride bikes on the sidewalk will be necessary to create safer environments for all users.
Pagination
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Laramie
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency