United States

Complete Streets

Feds May Drop 'Highway-Inspired' Rules for Streets

The Federal Highway Administration may put an end to rules mandating wide lanes and "clear zones," making it easier to implement complete streets.

October 16, 2015 - Streetsblog USA

Capitol Hill

Dispatch from 'Planners' Day' on Capitol Hill

The American Planning Association took to Washington, D.C. recently to seek support for legislative actions that will enable the planning efforts of the next few years.

October 16, 2015 - APA Policy News

Dutch Fyra Train

Transit Use Thrives on Destination Density

If jobs, services, and other urban amenities are concentrated downtown, suburbanites can use transit to get there quickly without a car. Job sprawl makes transit useless outside central districts.

October 16, 2015 - City Observatory

On the Eventual Energy Efficient Future of 'Solar Suburbs'

Experts say it's only a matter of time until suburbs enter a new era of energy efficiency that redefines the landscape of residential living.

October 15, 2015 - Yale Environment 360

Manhattan Institute Presses Policy Innovations for 'The Next Urban Renaissance'

A new book from the Manhattan Institute, available for free download, argues that cities will have to full embrace experimentation and evaluation to be true laboratories of innovation.

October 15, 2015 - Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Power Plant

25 Coal Power Plants to Shutter in Michigan in Five Years

Credit EPA emission regulations for the decisions by utilities to close the aging plants. Michigan receives half its power from coal—the most polluting fossil fuel. The new Clean Power Plan rule will cause more remaining plants to close in time.

October 15, 2015 - Power Engineering

Aerial views during an Army search and rescue mission show damage from Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast, Oct. 30, 2012.

How Sea Level Rise Will Change the Country's Geography

In a worst case scenario, generated by a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, land home to 25 million Americans will be lost to rising seas as a result of climate change.

October 15, 2015 - The Washington Post

Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

Mainstreaming the Golf Cart

Seniors are on the cutting edge of a movement to make Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), otherwise known as golf carts, a viable form of everyday transportation.

October 12, 2015 - The Atlantic

Mercedes Benz Suburbs

Mercedes-Benz Bets on a Suburban Future

From a new Silicon Valley facility, Mercedes' R&D department is developing car-share services based on a vision of 21st-century suburbs. The company is also testing self-driving prototypes and electric models.

October 12, 2015 - GreenBiz

SunRail Phase II Receives $93.4 Million FTA Grant

Florida's SunRail commuter rail received a $93.4 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to extend the 61-mile line. The grant will cover half the capital costs for the 17.2-mile extension from Orlando to Osceola County.

October 11, 2015 - Federal Transit Administration

Prospect Park Bike Lane

More Bicycle Infrastructure Equals More Riders

Analysis of Census data shows that, while still small in number, more Americans are taking to two-wheels as part of their daily commute.

October 11, 2015 - CityLab

South Park City

Friday Funny: South Park Gentrification Spoof Could Be Anytown, USA

The most shocking thing about the recent episode of South Park, "The City Part of Town," was that it took Cartman and company so long to poke fun at the effects of gentrification.

October 9, 2015 - Fusion

London Skyline

How to Reimagine the Skyscraper (and Why)

An essay identifies imperatives for a new theory of tall, dense construction, and begins to sketch out a theory that will reconcile the skyscraper with contemporary business ideals.

October 8, 2015 - Medium

Glut of New Supply Shaking Up the Apartment Market

An industry report finds rising vacancies rates and lots of new supply coming down the pipeline. Could the nation's renters finally be in the market for some relief on the cost of housing?

October 8, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Ambitious Subway Agenda Endorsed by Transportation Secretary Foxx

When San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener proclaimed last month that his city "should always have a subway under construction," there were many doubters due to the funds required and unlikelihood of federal support. "Aggressive" is good, says Foxx.

October 8, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

High Line with Denari

On the Perpetual Crisis of American Cities

A long and ranging article in the New Yorker surveys non-fiction, art, and other manifestations of intellectualism for insight into the plight of the city—to always be cast in some manner of morality tale.

October 8, 2015 - The New Yorker

From Taxi Industry Disrupter to Auto Industry Disrupter

Car ownership is far from "a thing of the past," as Uber's CEO plans on making it, but a new survey shows that a substantial number of people who have tried transportation network companies are forgoing the purchase of a car.

October 8, 2015 - Los Angeles Times - Technology Now

City Action on Climate Change

Can cities be at the forefront of tackling climate change? According to forthcoming research by Arup and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, cities play a crucial role in addressing this pressing issue.

October 8, 2015 - Doggerel

Suburbia

Pushing Back Against the Idea that Cities Can Become Full

The perception that a city has reached its maximum population and nobody else should be allowed in, or nothing should be allowed to change, is limiting the potential of our cities and increasing housing inequality.

October 8, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Will the Tesla Model X Become the First Mainstream Electric Car?

What will it take for the electric car to become practical and economically feasible for the masses?

October 6, 2015 - Fast Company

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.