United States

Mark Murro urges executives to further explore and understand the concept of "return on ecosystem" achieved by locating in particular, well situated places.

October 21, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Following the idea that pedestrian safety takes its cues from planners, Rachel Dovey's article on pedestrian safety lists six intersection designs that "actually prioritize pedestrians."

October 20, 2014 - Next City

Charles Marohn argues against the staunch conservative defense of suburbs (famously voiced by Joel Kotkin) by showing how suburban development falls short of conservative ideals and cities, on the contrary, embody them.

October 20, 2014 - The American Conservative

The American Planning Association (APA) is seeking input for an update of the 2000 Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide.

October 20, 2014 - American Planning Association

Research has shown that the world's largest land use, grazing, holds enormous potential when linked with composting, to dramatically reduce the carbon content of the atmosphere through sequestration while concurrently restoring degraded rangeland.

October 20, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Driven by a need to meet growing costs amid unstable federal subsidies, metropolitan transit agencies are eying their properties, particularly parking lots, as money makers from new residential and commercial development.

October 20, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

In a recent address to the Conference on Economic Opportunity and Inequality, chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen portrayed the stark inequalities growing within American society.

October 19, 2014 - The New Yorker

Safety would win hands down for passenger rail, but for-profit railroads have a bottom line to consider. Regulators have proposed reduced train speeds, opposed by railroads, to prevent fiery derailments that have resulted from shipping shale oil.

October 18, 2014 - The Gazette

By no means authoritative or comprehensive, here's a collection of noteworthy phrases, paragraphs, commentaries, observations, and more from the recent week in the planning and urbanism discussion.

October 18, 2014 - Planetizen

B Labs, the nonprofit that oversees and assesses B Corps, reports that, compared to other sustainable businesses, B Corps are 68 percent more likely to donate at least 10 percent of their profits to charity.

October 18, 2014 - ICIC

Jared Green asks the billion dollar question for economic developers and planning agencies throughout the United States: is urban revitalization of neighborhoods possible without the subsequent gentrification and displacement of current residents?

October 18, 2014 - ASLA The Dirt

Climate change and rising seas will mean higher flood risks for cities. But when exactly will impactful flooding become a regular occurrence? New analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists says that time is fast approaching.

October 17, 2014 - Climate Central

Sandie Angulo Chen of Trulia discusses the reasons why Millennials prefer to rent homes or apartments instead of buying properties.

October 17, 2014 - Trulia

There's a third dimension to sprawl: all those photons that emanate from street lights, houses, and vehicles. As author Paul Bogard discusses in The End of Night, light pollution is an overlooked menace that presents a new frontier for planners.

October 16, 2014 - California Planning & Development Report

The worthy foe is not environmental regulations nor the the government or public demanding fracking moratoriums and bans. It is the falling global price of oil. Two radio reports explore how the global glut of oil affects U.S. shale oil production.

October 16, 2014 - NPR

While streamlining and anti-NIMBYism are in vogue, Murtaza Baxamusa reminds us what's really at stake.

October 16, 2014 - UrbDeZine

In the second in a series of posts, PlannersWeb recently posted the results of a poll asking: "What are the skills you’ve found most important in serving on a planning commission?"

October 15, 2014 - PlannersWeb

Millennials are less likely to get driver's licenses, they tend to take fewer, shorter car trips, and they use alternative modes of transportation more than their predecessors. The question for the ages is why.

October 15, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

The Rebuild By Design competition attracted plenty of hoopla thanks to its $920 million and the critical need for projects that protect coastal cities as sea levels rise. Now that the winners have been picked, how will they deliver on their promise?

October 15, 2014 - The Architect's Newspaper

PlannersWeb recently posted the results of a poll asking: "What are the skills you’ve found most important in serving on a planning commission?"

October 14, 2014 - PlannersWeb