United States

Securities and Exchange Commission office in Washington, D.C.

Office Vacancies at Federal Agencies as High as 75 Percent

Many federal agencies are sitting on underutilized buildings, causing a congressional committee to call into question the need for so much real estate.

October 11, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Man, woman, and child in apartment with moving boxes and crates.

Study: Households With Children Face Highest Risk of Eviction

U.S. renter families with children are evicted at a rate twice as high as those without children.

October 10, 2023 - NJ Spotlight

Blue rain barrel full of water in a green garden with pink flowers in foreground.

Flood Resilience Through Green Infrastructure

Cities like New York and Los Angeles are moving to build green infrastructure as the need for spongier urban spaces becomes more apparent.

October 10, 2023 - Wired

Yellow converted garage with green door and white-framed windows.

Opinion: ADUs Are Not the Solution to the Housing Crisis

One writer argues that backyard homes can hinder community-building and relegate some residents to the shadows.

October 9, 2023 - Next City

Close-up of HYBRID logo on back of black car.

Hybrids Regain in Popularity Amid EV Cost and and Charging Concerns

After their sales dropped thanks to the introduction of all-electric vehicles, hybrid gas-electric cars are seeing a renaissance among consumers.

October 8, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Workers next to excavator digging a geothermal well.

The Promise of Geothermal Energy

Thermal energy networks can build grid resilience, provide a stable source of energy, and offer continued employment to utility workers skilled in traditional energy infrastructure.

October 8, 2023 - Technology Review

Aerial view of small town of Hiawatha, Kansas

New Book Analyzes America’s Poorest Communities

The similarities between the nation’s most disadvantaged areas, often rural, reveal the economic patterns that lead to chronic poverty.

October 6, 2023 - The Daily Yonder

Aerial view of vehicles on city street with superimposed graphic arrows indicating autonomous cars.

Maintaining Livability in the Age of Autonomous Cars

How do self-driving cars fit into ‘livable streets?’

October 5, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of Broadway Street of Philipsburg, Montana, Philipsburg is a town in and the county seat of Granite County, Montana, United States.

New Book Sheds Light on Rural Governance

Learn more about a new book that provides some overdue attention to public governance and administration in small towns and rural communities.

October 4, 2023 - Routledge

Cars passing through flooded street after Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

Federal Government Announces National Climate Resilience Framework

The document is designed to guide federal investment into community-driven solutions tailored to local conditions and needs.

October 3, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of elderly person walking inside home leaning on walker.

How to Build for Aging in Place

Why developers should place more emphasis on building homes for aging residents and multigenerational living.

October 3, 2023 - Builder Online

Close-up of people standing around conference table leaning down and looking at documents, cut off at torsos.

Bringing Planning Back to the People

Has the profession given in to corporate interests, and is there another way forward?

October 3, 2023 - Yes Magazine

View of wooded mountains with sunset in background in the Smoky Mountains.

Diverse Perspectives of America Outdoors

Best-selling writer, podcaster and comedian Baratunde Thurston travels the country to better understand and explain people's complex relationship with the outdoors in a series on PBS.

October 3, 2023 - PBS

Close-up of 'bike lane' road sign with bike logo

Report: U.S. Biking Boom Slows

The pandemic bike boom is petering out, but more Americans are biking than ever before, signaling a need for cities to keep improving bike infrastructure and make roads safer for cyclists.

October 2, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Blue and green city bus blurred in transit on New York City street.

How to Measure Transit Equity

A new report highlights the need to go beyond traditional equity metrics to assess how public transit systems are serving the lowest-income and most disadvantaged riders.

October 2, 2023 - Mineta Institute

Sketch of proposed city with buildings, trees, and people.

Why Brand New Cities Won’t Solve Our Urban Problems

Building cities takes time and resources. Why not spend them on fixing the ones we have?

October 2, 2023 - The Atlantic

Car crash scene with overturned car, emergency vehicles, and firefighter standing at left.

NHTSA: Traffic Fatalities Decline for Fifth Straight Quarter

Traffic deaths were 3.3 percent lower in the first half of 2023 than the same period last year, but not all states saw the same results.

October 2, 2023 - ABC News

Downtown Seattle street with high-rise buildings.

Could an ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ Spur Downtown Revitalization?

In his fifth article for GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe asks whether an onsite “living lab” could spur more entrepreneurship and impact downtown regeneration in Seattle.

October 1, 2023 - GeekWire

Roadside motel with turquoise room doors in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One

Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear that out.

September 28, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

Worker in orange shirt and white helmet works at top of power line.

Building Resiliency in Rural Power Grids

A National Science Foundation study seeks to understand the impact of climate change and extreme weather on rural electrical grids in diverse geographic areas.

September 28, 2023 - The Daily Yonder

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.

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.