United States

Dam Removal Goes Mainstream

In 20 years, dam removal has gone from a "fringe notion" to "wide acceptance." National Geographic explains how and why this sea change occurred.

January 28, 2015 - National Geographic

Private Cellphone Data and the Next Frontier of Urban Planning

A survey of the quickly broadening reach of data about the movement of traffic reveals the next step necessary to achieve congestion nirvana: unfettered access to private cell phone data.

January 28, 2015 - Next City

Obama to Open Controversial Atlantic Region to Offshore Drilling

A mere day after the Interior Department announced it would permanently block drilling in much of the Arctic Refuge by designating it as wilderness, it proposed allowing drilling in the Gulf, along Atlantic coast, and surprisingly, offshore Alaska.

January 28, 2015 - McClatchy Washington Bureau

Arlington Virginia

The Suburbs Are Dead; Long Live the Suburbs

A recent spate of articles pronounced the resurrection of the suburb, so CityLab laid the false dichotomies that drive such proclamations to rest.

January 28, 2015 - CityLab

chinatown

Income is How You Get Out of Poverty, Assets are How You Stay Out

In our work to build communities of opportunity where low-income people and people of color can thrive, we must acknowledge that income is how you get out of poverty, assets are how you stay out.

January 27, 2015 - Rooflines

Is the Waze Police-Tracking Feature a Threat to Public Safety?

The popular navigation app Waze includes a feature that rewards users for revealing the location of police officers. A debate over the public safety impacts of that feature is gaining traction, and some police officers want the feature removed.

January 27, 2015 - Fusion

SEPTA Tops for Women Transit Riders

An informal survey of transit ridership data reveals that Philadelphia's SEPTA has the highest percentage of women riders. But what does that data say about SEPTA and transit in general?

January 27, 2015 - PlanPhilly

Obama Proposal would Close the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Drilling

Setting off a political firestorm in the words of one journalist, President Obama proposed to designate most of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, angering congressional Republicans.

January 27, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Technology Survey

City Planning Department Technology Benchmarking Survey 2015

The following report surveys the current state of Internet technology as employed by the planning departments of over 500 cities in the United States.

January 27, 2015 - William Riggs

How Parking Apps Could Shift the Parking Landscape

New apps have the potential to influence a fundamental shift in the political and physical realities of parking according to a recent Next City article.

January 26, 2015 - Next City

Demographics map

Mapping the Demographic Future of Cities

Cities change. The people living in cities change. A new online tool from the Urban Institute allows users to forecast demographic trends as far out at 2030.

January 26, 2015 - CityLab

Commute

Peak Driving Record Shattered

So long 2007. Hello 2014. According to new DOT data, peak driving is no longer in the rear view mirror but ahead of us thanks to cheap gas getting even cheaper, the rebound effect, an improved economy, and warmer weather.

January 25, 2015 - The Detroit News

Golden Gate Bridge Safety Measures Inspire Drivers to Speed

In more proof of how far perceived safety goes in establishing the speed of drivers, the California Highway Patrol is dealing with the unintended consequences of changes on the Golden Gate Bridge.

January 24, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Not in my back yard

Are Millennials Different, or Just Delaying Homeownership?

Big, diverse, and a little bit different, the Millennial generation is often cast as the solution to—or the cause of—many of America’s housing challenges.

January 24, 2015 - Rooflines

Report: Global Metro Economies Reveal 'An Uncertain Recovery'

A new report by the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program analyzes the growth of the world's 300 largest metropolitan areas.

January 23, 2015 - Brookings

Chicago, IL

Urban Millennials Stuck in the Three Largest U.S. Metros

For a variety of economic reasons in addition to urban preferences, young people are not leaving the country's three major metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and that's not good for the nation's economy nor the individuals.

January 23, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Mapping the Places Referenced by 224 State of the Union Speeches

If you're into place names and the history of presidential politics, we have just the map for you.

January 23, 2015 - The Atlantic

Street With No Sidewalk

Should a Residential Street Ever Lack Sidewalks?

You're probably familiar with the sight of a long, quiet residential street unadorned by sidewalks, pushing pedestrians, pets, and kids on bikes onto the street. Is there ever a good reason for such a typology?

January 22, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Disparate Impact: A Texan's Perspective

It’s important to remember, as the Texas disparate impact case reaches the Supreme Court of the United States later this month, the actual people who bear the brunt of Texas' history of housing discrimination.

January 22, 2015 - Rooflines

State of the Union Roundup: On Rent and Infrastructure

In describing the state of the union, President Barack Obama addressed a issues of professional and personal concern to Planetizen readers.

January 21, 2015 - Medium

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.