United States

Natural gas power plant with two tall smokestacks against blue and purple sunset sky

Video: Can US Power Grid Handle AI’s Growing Energy Needs?

Are U.S. utilities and energy infrastructure prepared for the energy demand of data centers to more than double by 2030, driven largely by increased use of AI?

March 8, 2024 - Yahoo Finance

Office Building

6 Key Factors That Make Office Buildings Prime for Conversion

A building’s potential for adaptive reuse is based on a variety of characteristics.

March 8, 2024 - Columbus Business First

Yellow pedestrian caution sign next to a zebra crosswalk.

FHWA Proposes Changes to Highway Safety Requirements

The proposed rule change would require states to include vulnerable road users in their road safety plans.

March 7, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of manufactured homes on green lawn.

HUD Reforms to Manufactured Housing Policy Could Unlock More Affordable Homes

The agency took a series of steps to make manufactured homes, often excluded from neighborhoods and loan programs, more accessible and affordable.

March 7, 2024 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

View of green lush wetland in Florida with lightly cloudy blue sky.

How To Make the Clean Water Act Work Better

A legal scholar suggests mechanisms for closing loopholes that limit the law’s effectiveness.

March 7, 2024 - The Regulatory Review

Hazy view of Interstate 5 freeway in Los Angeles, California.

Study: Air Pollution Disproportionately Impacts Communities of Color

The negative effects of poor air quality occur at higher rates in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, according to new research.

March 7, 2024 - George Washington University

Trolley bus in San Francisco, California.

Federal Funding Takes Aim at Public Transit

Close to $10 billion in federal funding will help local transit agencies with maintenance, operations, and equipment costs.

March 7, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Close-up of bronze plaque on building with "United States Environmental Protection Agency" text.

EPA Releases Equity Action Plan

The agency is taking a more holistic approach to addressing environmental justice concerns.

March 6, 2024 - The Equation

Close-up of laptop screen with U.S. Treasury Dept. website pulled up.

Feds Unlock Covid Aid Funds for Affordable Housing

New initiatives from the Treasury Department will let unspent assistance dollars fund a wider range of housing projects.

March 6, 2024 - Yahoo Finance

Grandparents walking with young grandchild through park with fall foliage.

Feds Award Senior Housing Grants; Experts Say More is Needed

A federal infusion of cash could help create more affordable housing for seniors, but many still struggle to afford housing.

March 6, 2024 - Morningstar

Three EMTs in orange uniforms putting gurney with person onto ambulance at night under freeway overpass.

Study: Unhoused People at Much Higher Risk of Death

The mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness jumped by 203 percent between 2011 and 2020.

March 5, 2024 - Governing

Two-lane highway with solid yellow center line and one car driving away against backdrop of red rock formations in Nevada.

Traffic Deaths Rise Sharply on Western Roads

The region is seeing higher rates of road deaths in part due to larger vehicles, high speed limits, and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.

March 5, 2024 - High Country News

Grey concrete curb ramp with small bumps for the visually impaired.

Understanding Accessibility in the Public Right-of-Way

A ‘best practices’ manual guides accessibility on streets and sidewalks, but remains legally unenforceable.

March 5, 2024 - Streetsblog USA

Blue and white Pittsburgh bike share bikes lined up at a station with a red city bus on street in background.

Micromobility Operators Call for Better Links to Transit

For shared mobility to succeed, systems must tap into the connectivity and funding potential offered by closer collaboration with public transit.

March 4, 2024 - GovTech

Crew in orange safety vests stand on roadway next to orange heavy equipment

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Funds Have ‘Overwhelmingly’ Gone to Highway Projects

A new report says states are creating a “climate time bomb” by spending more than half of federal infrastructure dollars on highway resurfacing and expansion over transit and passenger rail.

March 4, 2024 - The Guardian

Black woman speaking at podium with presentation screen in background.

Climate Justice Advocate Named One of TIME's Women of the Year

Jacqueline Patterson has dedicated her career to intersectional approaches to systems change and social and environmental justice.

March 4, 2024 - Time Magazine

View from between tall white brick buildings in evening in downtown Los Angeles with modern office building across street.

Federal Office Conversion Program Slow to Start

To date, no loans have closed through a federal program meant to spur office-to-residential conversions.

March 3, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Zebra crosswalk with raised curb extensions and bioswale on small street with parked cars and mature trees.

How Capturing Rainwater Can Make Cities Safer, More Resilient

Green infrastructure can help prevent flooding and replenish groundwater supplies, preventing subsidence that makes land sink.

March 3, 2024 - Wired

Elderly man and granddaughter standing on public bus.

Opinion: To Improve Health Outcomes, Invest in Public Transit

A medical student calls for improving public transit to boost the health of people and the environment.

March 3, 2024 - The Equation

Ice fishing tents surrounded by fence in Safe Outdoor Space for unhoused people in parking lot in Denver, Colorado.

An Affordable Housing Model for Indigenous Americans

Indigenous people make up a disproportionately high percentage of the unhoused population, but many programs designed to assist them don’t reach those most in need.

March 1, 2024 - High Country News

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.

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.