United States
Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire: Summer Temperatures in 2100
A new interactive map titled "1,001 Blistering Future Summers" displays predicted daytime summer heat temperatures for 1,001 cities in the United States for the year 2100.
Boxing Gyms in Shrinking Cities: Refuge for the Formerly Incarcerated
Sociologist Lucia Trimbur describes how urban boxing gyms provide an opportunity for a particularly vulnerable population, formerly incarcerated men of color, to "recover from detention and establish stability in the free world."
Real Estate Woes Hemorrhaging Wealth from the Middle Class
An article on the Washington Post Wonkblog shows how deeply the real estate crash impacted the wealth of the Middle Class—now on the tail end of three lost decades.
Senate Passes Transportation Bill; House Not Likely to Play Ball
Three days before Congress goes on recess and with the Highway Trust Fund approaching insolvency, the Senate passed a transportation bill notably different than the House version passed July 15, setting up a showdown between the two branches.
First Net-Zero Energy Apartments Planned in South Sacramento
Housing 120 units, the first net-zero energy transit-oriented development complex in South Sacramento will feature a rooftop farm and resident-run onsite bicycle repair.
Making Space for Art in the 'Science of Cities'
An article by Adam Frank argues that a discussion of quality of life in cities, as an emerging of "science of cities" claims to improve, must include a discussion of public art.
The Future of Higher Education: Location, Location, Location
Despite the improving economy, the outlook for the higher education sector is still poor, especially between the endowment haves and have-nots. Another factor playing a critical role in the success or failure of institutions: their location.
Survey Says: What Makes a City Great?
The results of a survey commissioned by Sasaki Associates reveal key insights into what makes cities great for those who love them, as well as where planners and urban designers should focus their efforts in improving the urban experience.
The Incredible, Rising Cost of Forest Fires
The kicker in a recent article about the current realities of forest fires—and the cost of fighting them—in the United States: The federal government spends 624 percent more on fires than it did 20 years ago.
Explaining the Connections between Physical Mobility and Economic Mobility
A new post by Danielle Kurtzleben explains the complicated mix of infrastructure considerations that must be in place for transportation to benefit economic mobility.
Mapping Drone No-Fly Zones
While the FAA sorts out regulations for commercial drone flights in the United States, cities, states, and other groups have already restricted the flight of drones. Mapbox is working to compile a comprehensive map of prohibited air space.
Quantifying the Benefits of Congestion Pricing
In a recent blog post, Michael Brown of Metro Analytics sought to quantify the benefits of congestion pricing.
'El Barrio Tours' Tells of Gentrification in Working Class Neighborhoods
Documentary filmmaker Alex Padilla tackled gentrification in East Harlem with the film, El Barrio Tours. Now Padilla is touring cities to tell the story of gentrification's impact on working class immigrant neighborhoods.
Senate Showdown Expected on House Highway Funding Bill
The Senate will hear four amendments to the House bill, passed July 15, in the last week of July. Sens. Boxer, Carper, and Corker want the funding extension to terminate on December 19 rather than May 31. On August 1, DOT reduces payments to states.
New from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: $10 Billion Rural Investment Fund
As pension funds and institutional investors, faced with low interest rates, are searching for non-traditional investments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will play matchmaker for a new $10 billion rural investment fund.
Will Benefits from $1 Billion Climate Change Resilience Fund be Limited to 'Believer States'?
A review of the federal government’s recent announcement of a $1 billion competition to provide funding for communities affected by disasters by Dave Hampton, a natural disaster resilience consultant.
Ranking the Best (and Worst) Cities for Recreation
July is "National Park and Recreation Month." To commemorate, WalletHub compiled a ranking system that compares cities by their recreational opportunities.
Feel Like Singing? Here's 11 Transportation-Themed Show Tunes
NPR movie critic Bob Mondello gathered ditties from musicals inspired by the glory of transportation.
Making Planning 'Just Green Enough' to Balance Environmental Justice and Gentrification
A growing body of research examines the question of how to make places more attractive and healthy, without then making them more expensive.
How Civic Engagement Platforms Can Bring Back the Expertise of Urban Planners
The increasing use of online civic engagement platforms offers a chance for planners to improve the planning process—that is, if they take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the new technology to showcase their expertise.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
