United States
The Next Economic Frontier: Cities
Urbanists, test your knowledge of urban economics. Familiar with the concept of agglomeration externality? Finance professor and Bloomberg View writer Noah Smith opines it's a major reason why American cities are not as productive as they should be.
The 'Myth' of Family Farms
Historian Gabriel Rosenberg challenges romanticism in the history of family farms in the US.
Safety Improvements for Texters Around the World
Cities are experimenting with safety measures for pedestrians who text while they walk, but the projects could benefit everyone.
8 Ways Exclusionary Zoning Hurts Cities
The Sightline Institute tackles what may be "our most acute urban public policy challenge."
Only Public Housing Can Save the Housing Market Now
An article in The Nation rejects the notion that the market will solve the country's current affordable housing crisis.
Is a Meritocracy Really What We Want?
At first glance, a meritocratic vision is morally compelling, but upon closer scrutiny, its pursuit ends up legitimizing—and thus reinforcing—the very social and economic inequality it purports to rectify.
Study: How Does Transit Really Impact Land Values?
The idea that proximity to transit equals higher land values doesn't tell the full story. According to this study, a variety of other factors must be in place to achieve the desired effect.
Leaving Chicago
Why are folks fleeing from the city and the state in record numbers? Is domestic migration to blame for the Chicago region's population loss last year of over 6,000 and the state's loss of over 22,000 people?
Should Governments Subsidize Uber and Lyft Connections to Transit?
According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, technology network companies like Uber and Lyft offer a unique opportunity for low-income users to connect with transit routes and on to greater economic opportunities.
New York Times Sees Malfeasance in Contracts for Deed
Contracts for deed are gaining popularity at investment firms that scooped up swaths of foreclosed properties during the Great Recession. The risk for buyers, however, smacks of the same misdeeds that created that historic crisis in the first place.
Changes to Google Maps Don't Necessarily Equal Good Cartography
Google Maps has changed a lot since its quick rise to ubiquity. An intrepid blogger digs into the nitty gritty of how the mapping platform has changed, and the consequences of Google's cartography for how the public perceives the world.
The Inevitable Rise of the Auto and Fall of the Streetcar in Los Angeles
A timely piece in The Guardian's City series looks at the demise of streetcars in Los Angeles, beginning with the Great American Streetcar Conspiracy. If only it was that simple.
Asking the Right Questions About Equity In Bikeshare
The way we measure the success of bikeshare systems could be giving us the wrong idea about their impacts, and about the transportation needs of low-income areas.
New York Continues to Dominate the Walk Score Rankings
It's almost as if every city not named New York is competing for second place when Walk Score releases its annual ranking of most walkable cities. Of course, the top ten is quite an accomplishment: so welcome to the club, Long Beach, California.
Report Details Strategies for Energy States to Weather Booms and Busts
Some states relied more on the most recent energy boom than others, and some prepared more for the inevitable bust. A report by the Brookings Institution recommends actions for energy states to build resilience in the face of boom and bust cycles.
Happy 100th Birthday, Jane Jacobs
Today would have been Jane Jacobs's 100th birthday. Here are a few recommended reads to help commemorate the occasion.
Helping Beloved Non-Landmarks Weather Gentrification in San Francisco
San Francisco is starting a program to recognize and protect long-standing local businesses based on their community value, not architectural significance.
The Path to Success for an Effective Carbon Tax
A Vox explainer describes the complex political, economic, and cultural obstacles to overcome in achieving a carbon tax equal to the social cost of carbon.
Mayoral Survey Reveals Deep Anxiety Over Infrastructure
The headline from Politico's recent survey of mayors says it all: mayors fear that there will be more public health disasters like Flint to come if the nation doesn't coordinate to prioritize infrastructure.
Parking Benefit Districts Around the U.S.
As Pittsburgh moves forward on a parking management program to fund neighborhood improvements, take a look at how other cities have adapted this Shoup-inspired redevelopment strategy.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
