United States

Charrettes

A New Guide to Participatory Planning

A new guidebook by the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre can help improve a critical part of the job for all planners.

December 7, 2015 - Project For Public Spaces

For Rent

When Discussing Median Rents, Let's Make Sure We Have All the Data

Reports about the median rents rising or falling in a community garner a lot of attention, but it's a good idea to understand where the data is coming from.

December 7, 2015 - City Commentary

walkable street

Demand for Walkable Neighborhoods Outstripping Supply

Millennials and an aging Baby Boomer population have put a premium on "the hottest trend in real estate": walkability.

December 7, 2015 - The Huffington Post

Atlanta 24-27 Feb 2010

The Nation's Most Equal (and Unequal) Cities

In the United States, urban wealth and poverty are often quite segregated. But they can also be next-door neighbors. This article looks at cities with the highest and lowest levels of income inequality.

December 7, 2015 - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Death of the Federal Transportation User Fee

The passage of the five-year FAST Act, the first long-term transportation bill since 2005, solidifies the trend that has been in place since 2008, when General Fund transfers to the Highway Trust Fund first began. Such transfers are now the new norm.

December 7, 2015 - the transport politic

Public-Private Partnership Anticipated for Amtrak Gateway Program

Similar to high-speed rail projects throughout the nation, Amtrak will be looking to the private sector to help pay a portion of the expected $20 billion tab to build two new tunnels under the Hudson River and expand New York's Penn Station.

December 6, 2015 - Reuters

Study: Resurgent in the U.S., Bike Ownership Stagnates Worldwide

Of the 7.3 billion people living on the planet, one in every 12 owns a bike. Despite appearances, however, that number has not increased much in recent years.

December 6, 2015 - Fusion

Wild Horses BLM

Ranchers and Activists Face Off Over Wild Horses

Tens of thousands of wild horses still inhabit the western states. The Bureau of Land Management is caught between two camps: ranchers who want them contained and advocates who want them to roam free.

December 5, 2015 - Pacific Standard

AIA Gold Medal Goes to the Dynamic Duo of Venturi and Scott Brown

The 2016 Gold Medal is considered a rebuttal to the Pritzker Prize, which neglected to acknowledge Denise Scott Brown when it awarded Robert Venturi in 1991.

December 4, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Too Many Cities Relying on 'Plan and Forget' Climate Adaptation Strategies

A highly critical article suggests that the experts drafting climate adaptation plans should re-evaluate their assumptions about what works and what is likely to collect dust on a shelf as the sea rises.

December 4, 2015 - The Conversation

Friday Eye Candy: How USGS Surveys Helped Build Pixar's New Dream World

Jody Avirgan shares insight into a new podcast with the creators of the new Pixar movie The Good Dinosaur, which reads like more of an advertisement for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

December 4, 2015 - Five Thirty Eight

Housing Construction

Three Design Basics to Stop the Ugly Building Epidemic

Too many new buildings today are simply ugly—with little to add to urban streets, and resembling buildings in every other city. Jason Hart, AIA reviews some design basics, which he hopes will arrest the ugly building epidemic.

December 4, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Urban Explorers

The Great Debate: Which Infrastructure System Most Needs Repair?

The New York Times created a "Room for Debate" feature offering four points of view on the subject of infrastructure repair.

December 3, 2015 - The New York Times

The Seat of Government

Transportation Reauthorization Now a Done Deal

The plan, now five years rather than six, still needs the sign-offs from both chambers before being sent to the president for his signature on Friday according to POLITICO. Ironically, another extension will be needed to allow a signing ceremony.

December 3, 2015 - Politico Morning Transportation

Living Alone Now the Most Common Type of Household

A revealing examination of demographic data shows a country that bears little resemblance to the 1950s era that bequeathed its housing and transportation models to current generations.

December 2, 2015 - Stat Chat

Not in my back yard

Will Millennials Remake Suburbs in Their Image?

The "hipsterification" of cities is a well-known phenomenon. But as the millennial generation ages and settles down, will they import that same cultural ethos to locations more suburban?

December 2, 2015 - The Washington Post

Young Crowd

The Not-So-Bright Side of Millennials

Guess which group is losing faith in the American Dream? Washington Post Wonkblog reporters Jim Tankersley and Scott Clement write on a Fusion 2016 Issues Poll released December 1 that surveys millennials on their chances for upward mobility.

December 2, 2015 - The Washington Post Wonkblog

Traffic Fatalities Rising Again—As Does the Blame Game

Traffic fatalities are on pace to reach 35,000 in the United States this year. Some advocates are saying it's time for traffic engineers to stop blaming the victims.

December 2, 2015 - Better Cities & Towns

Both Ways

Transportation Planners and Reformers: Rethink Your Terms

Remember the term "transportation alternatives," as in alternatives to motor vehicle transportation? It's not used much anymore, and for good reason. But more modern terms, e.g. road diet, need to be rethought as well, posits Nate Holmes for Medium.

December 2, 2015 - Medium

jersey-city-parking-lot-3

Plenty of Parking to Be Found on the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year

Strong Towns completes another year of its critique of parking policies, brought to retail districts all over the country on the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.

December 1, 2015 - Strong Towns

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.

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.