United States

Swim Fan: Public Space in the River

Amanda Burden's High Line has elevated public space to new heights. "+Pool" design trio want to submerge it under water, specifically in the East River that runs through NYC.

July 1, 2011 - Metropolis Magazine

Greenest Cities in North America

Of the 27 high-ranking cities, repeat offenders like San Francisco, NYC, Seattle, and Denver earned top spots. Conspicuously absent from the list is Portland.

July 1, 2011 - USA Today

From LaHood with Love

In a DOT press release this week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood makes a $1.58 billion commitment to fund the New Starts program.

July 1, 2011 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

The Aging and Younging of America

A new report from the Brookings Institution tracks where populations are aging in America, and which parts are experiencing booms in young populations.

July 1, 2011 - Brookings Institute

Federal Funds on the Line as Cities Challenge Census Results

The U.S. Conference of Mayors expect the number of challenges to be higher than the 1,200 challenges filed for the 2000 Census because regions claimed to have received low population counts.

June 30, 2011 - Associated Press

Music Gives New Life to Brownfield

A lakefront steel plant on Chicago's South Side that has been abandoned since 1992 is the venue of the Dave Matthew's Caravan July music festival.

June 30, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Graying of the Suburban Image

The 2010 Census showed that the baby-boom generation led to the growth of older populations settling in suburbs, which is causing local governments to rethink whom their services should cater to.

June 30, 2011 - The Washington Post

Interstate for Bicycles Edging Closer to Reality

Long-stalled plans to build a countrywide network of interstate routes for bicycles appears to be moving forward.

June 30, 2011 - Sustainable Business Oregon

How ARRA Affects the Homeless

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) claims that Obama's economic stimulus bill helped contain the number of homeless people in 2009 and 2010.

June 29, 2011 - CQ Roll Call

L.A.'s Green Paragon

The Los Angeles Times calls the Leipert-Pasker residence "the greenest house in L.A." In fact, the only thing that isn't green about this three-story home is its color.

June 29, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Tolls Could Be Key to Rebuilding Highway System

With the cost of maintaining highways growing exponentially, Peter Samuel of TollRoadsNews comments on the real possibilities for using tolls to fund highway projects.

June 29, 2011 - TOLLROADSnews

Section 8 Hits the Suburbs

The federal rental assistance vouchers known as Section 8 are increasingly putting low-income families into empty homes in the suburbs.

June 27, 2011 - The Washington Post

European Transportation Policy: Make Life Difficult For Motorists

It's the opposite of conventional transportation policy in American cities that places motorist convenience in high priority (think 'level of service'). This story shows what European cities are doing to get motorists out of cars.

June 27, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

New Research: Do Americans Really Oppose Increasing The Gas Tax?

Politicians say it all the time - "Americans will never stand for a gas tax increase", but how do they know? A survey of 1,500 adults under the direction of Mineta Transportation Institute found otherwise. A VMT fee and sales tax was also surveyed.

June 27, 2011 - Mineta Transportation Institute

Two-Year Transportation Reauthorization Bill To Be Introduced In July

The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee is set to introduce a $97 billion, two-year transportation bill after the July 4 recess that will have a deficit of $12 billion. The House is said to be working on a six-year bill.

June 27, 2011 - The Journal of Commerce Online

Beyond Safety in Numbers: Why Bike Friendly Cities are Safer

Studies often show that bicyclists find "safety in numbers." Norman Garrick and Wes Marshall explain that the street design strategies that attract bike riders are the same ones that improve road safety for all road users.

June 27, 2011 - Norman W. Garrick

Transportation Reauthorization Bill Coming in July

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is set to introduce a $97 billion, two-year transportation bill after the July 4 recess. The bill will add another $12 billion to the deficit.

June 27, 2011 - The Journal of Commerce Online

New Research: Do Americans Really Oppose Increasing The Gas Tax?

Politicians say it all the time - "Americans will never stand for a gas tax increase", but how do they know? A survey of 1,500 adults under the direction of Mineta Transportation Institute found otherwise. A VMT fee and sales tax was also surveyed.

June 26, 2011 - Mineta Transportation Institute

Kunstler Predicts the Future Lies in Small Cities

Some suburbs will be successful smaller towns, while others will become ruins, predicts James Howard Kunstler. Unlike other urbanists though, Kunstler thinks big cities are in trouble when cheap energy disappears.

June 25, 2011 - Orion Magazine

In D.C., Bike Sharing Is A Hit

Channeling the Vélib bicycle rental system in Paris, the Capital Bikeshare program proves to be an unprecedented success in the States. Cities like Denver, Minneapolis, and NYC are starting to emulate.

June 25, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

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.