United States

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey to Star in 'The Urban Planner'

Coming soon to theaters near you: Academy Award Winner Matthew McConaughey portrays an upstart urban planner who learns to throw away the old code and embrace uncertainty.

April 1, 2015 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Tiger Woods on a bridge

Pop Quiz: Can You Tell the Difference Between Tiger Woods and a TIGER Grant?

Test your knowledge of discretionary infrastructure funding mechanisms and one of golf's most famous figures with this pop quiz.

April 1, 2015 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Shopping Mall

Death of the Shopping Mall May Be Exaggerated

Despite threats like online retail, upscale sectors of the mall market are prospering. This is good news for what are, perhaps, the only walkable 'streets' in some parts of the country.

March 31, 2015 - CityLab

Op-Ed: Time to Take Planning Power Back from Communities

In light of the current housing crisis, argues Stephen Smith, the community-based land use controls created as a response to urban renewal policies of the 20th century should be for forfeited to more development friendly political forces.

March 30, 2015 - New York YIMBY

Chicago El

Congressional Bill to Expedite Transit Oriented Development

Cory Booker has introduced a railroad bill that will, among other things, expand financing for transit-oriented projects near train stations. The new law would also make it easier for TOD developers to apply for federal loans.

March 30, 2015 - Smart Growth America

Ticky tacky

Suburbs Come Roaring Back

For nearly a decade, the narrative of the move back to the city has held sway in American life. But newly analyzed Census data indicate that the presumed death of the suburbs may have been premature.

March 30, 2015 - The Washington Post - Blogs

Billboard pepsi

Op-Ed: Transportation Assets Should Generate Revenue

Scott Rawlins argues that public-private partnerships could help transportation departments turn assets into income streams. Underutilized land and data are two areas of interest.

March 30, 2015 - Governing

Homeless sleeping

Report: Which American Cities Are the Most Unequal

According to Brookings, this research is intended to inform local debates over the minimum wage. Drawing on Census data, the report finds that astronomical income gains are still concentrated among the biggest cities.

March 28, 2015 - Brookings Institution

A Tribute to Donald Shoup: Retiring from UCLA This Summer

Embedded in an article celebrating the career of Donald Shoup, so-called "parking guru" who has had an outsized influence on contemporary planning thanks to the arguments laid out in "The High Cost of Free Parking."

March 27, 2015 - UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Vets Access Land Trust Homeownership

VA home loan guaranties and community land trusts are perfect partners—but not everyone knows that yet.

March 27, 2015 - Shelterforce

Top 5 Ways to Tell You're in 'Big Asphalt'

You are surrounded by parking lots and pavement so vast you can see the curvature of the Earth.

March 27, 2015 - Better Cities & Towns

Using Urban Observation to 'Ghost-Bust' Cities

Chuck Wolfe champions urban observation, emphasizing "ghosts" that are important to the authenticity of today's urban change, like oral histories among indigenous peoples passing on cultural traditions from one generation to the next.

March 27, 2015 - The Huffington Post

AAA Takes on Teenage Driving in New Study

Teenagers have a lot on their minds, which is not a bad thing, except when it comes to getting behind the wheel. A report released March 25 reveals that six out of ten teen crashes involve driver distraction—400 percent greater than a prior study.

March 26, 2015 - KHOU 11 Houston

Small-Scale Apartment

Single-Lot Densification Faces Zoning, Economic Challenges

Small-scale development on single lots is an alternative to the centralized mid-rise norm. But this kind of classic infilling may not be as easy as build-it-and-they-will-come.

March 26, 2015 - Streets.MN

Study: Distance Between Homes and Jobs Increasing

A new study finds that the first decade of the 21st century exhibited a mass migration—of U.S. jobs moving farther away from where U.S. residents live.

March 26, 2015 - Brookings Institution

Portland Parklet

The Economic Case for Converting Parking to Parklets

Emily Badger of The Washington Post Wonkblog writes about a new study showing the economic benefits of converting street spaces in front of storefronts to parklets. Other options for street spaces include bike lanes, bikeshare docks, and bus lanes.

March 25, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Without More Affordable Housing, Veteran Homelessness Will Return

Federal funding to end veteran homelessness has had a real impact, but a nationwide shortage of affordable housing could make its success temporary.

March 24, 2015 - Shelterforce

Fresno 'Believes' in Downtown Revitalization

Exploring an effort to revitalize the downtown of the city of Fresno—an agricultural town in the Central Valley of California.

March 23, 2015 - The Atlantic

First-Ever Federal Fracking Rules Issued by Interior Department

Despite only applying to Federal lands where a small amount of fracking takes place, energy companies are strongly opposed, perhaps fearing that states without fracking rules could adopt them, which is one of the goals of the Interior Department.

March 22, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Foreclosure Sign

Homeowners Are Going Underwater Again

The narrative about the full recovery of the real estate market from the housing market crash of 2008 is only true in some parts of the country. In fact, an increasing number of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth.

March 22, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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.