United States

City Hall 'Outsider' on Opening Up L.A.'s Development Process

Los Angeles is experiencing an elevated anti-growth conversation and suspicion of insider dealings at City Hall. In the midst of this, a councilmember known as an "outsider" aims to reconcile his constituents with the city's development processes.

March 3, 2016 - The Planning Report

The Negative Effects of the Nation's Lengthening Commute

The collective amount of time Americans spend commuting is staggering, and it's only growing.

March 2, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

City Hall

Too Many Chiefs; Not Enough Authority

A newly hired cohort of chief bicycle officers is only the latest example of "title inflation," according to an article in Governing magazine.

March 2, 2016 - Governing

2015 Sets New Record for Vehicle Miles Traveled

2007 had set the prior record, which sparked the term, "peak miles driven" or "peak car." Historically low gas prices and an improved economy have fueled more driving, resulting in a record of 3.148 trillion miles driven last year.

March 2, 2016 - Federal Highway Administration

GPS Tech Breakthrough Has Big Implications for the Future of Transportation

It's easy to think of GPS technology as a personal navigation device, but the potential for a faster, cheaper GPS technology extends deep into the emerging Internet of Things.

March 1, 2016 - CityLab

House Transportation Committee to Explore Sustainable Funding Options

Federal transportation leaders recognize that sustainable transportation funding options are needed to meet America's infrastructure needs. At AASHTO's Annual Washington Briefing, different funding strategies were proposed by key Congress members.

March 1, 2016 - AASHTO Journal

For Cities, Industrial Land Matters

When the "highest and best use" of city land...isn't.

March 1, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Rich Suburban House

Millennials Leaving Their Mark on Suburbia

How will millennial homebuyers change suburbia, or will they? Realtors observe that millennials relocating from the city look for parts of their urban lifestyle, e.g., walkable neighborhoods, yet they also have traditional suburban tastes.

March 1, 2016 - Marketplace

In Defense of Sharrows

A response to recent research that cast doubt on the effectiveness of sharrows.

March 1, 2016 - Yay Bikes

Cars Traffic

How Schools Can Address Idling Cars

Schools can do more to reduce the environmental threat posed by idling cars during drop-off or pick-up. School districts could also improve their buses with that aim in mind.

February 29, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

'The Road Taken' Uncovers the Civil Engineer's Hand in Building America's Roads

Nathan Masters reviews the new book by historian Henry Petroski, "The Road Taken," a historical look at America's roads and the civil engineers who built them.

February 29, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

An App Made for Urban Explorers

The Likeways app offers a "Space Recommender System" that aims to return serendipity to the process of navigating a city.

February 28, 2016 - CityLab

Affordable housing

Op-Ed: Affordability Crisis Dwarfs Affordability Policies

Although the political optics are hard to see, Daniel Hertz argues that policies like inclusionary zoning need to be strengthened by orders of magnitude to have more than a token impact on housing affordability.

February 27, 2016 - City Observatory

Syracuse Highway

America's Infrastructural Reckoning

Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.

February 27, 2016 - The New Republic

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

A Map of the Most Economically Distressed Communities in the United States

The economic recovery of recent years has not reached all corners of the country—it hasn’t even reached all corners of many cities. A new report plots a new map of the nation's distressed communities.

February 26, 2016 - CityLab

Bio Gas Installation Cows

Renewable Biogas Can't Compete with Cheap and Plentiful (Fossil) Natural Gas

Unlike Europe where renewable energy is heavily subsidized, very few biogas projects that convert farm waste to energy using anaerobic digesters are being built in the U.S. State incentives are instrumental due to high capital and maintenance costs.

February 25, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

SimCity 2013

The Not-So-Great Lessons of SimCity

A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?

February 25, 2016 - City Observatory

jersey-city-parking-lot-3

Making the Case for Mixed-Use, Walkable Development: #BuildHereNow

A new social media-fueled engagement effort is shedding light on the policies that make it hard to build walkable, mixed-use infill in communities around the country.

February 25, 2016 - Strong Towns

The United States of Startup Accelerators

The Brookings Institution mapped the proliferation of startup accelerators—an increasingly popular tool for economic growth.

February 24, 2016 - Brookings

Ten States Could Hike Gas Taxes this Year

With gas prices the lowest since 2009, ten state legislatures and governors consider raising state gas taxes, though many are accompanied by fiscally questionable tax shifts. Some tried and failed last year. All of the proposed increases are modest.

February 24, 2016 - Tax Justice Blog

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.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

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.