United States

Housing Crisis Making Americans Ill

A new survey from the American Journal of Public Health found that people who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments are more likely to be suffering from depression.

October 21, 2011 - The Wall St. Journal

Does Affordable Housing Have to Look Bad?

Allison Arieff explodes the unspoken myth that public housing must look cheap and unattractive, citing some stellar examples of affordable design.

October 21, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Could Gentrification Sometimes Be A Good Thing?

Kaid Benfield bravely tackles the topic of gentrification, suggesting that while all attempts should be made to avoid displacing current residents, revitalizing neighborhoods is still a good thing.

October 21, 2011 - NRDC Blog

Will There Be More Electric Charging Stations Than Cars To Plug-In?

Charging stations for electric cars are multiplying much faster than the plug-in vehicles that can use them for many reasons. While the federal subsidies help, some in the business community believe that the chargers will attract new customers.

October 20, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - Technology

Mad U.S.: Top 10 Angriest Cities

Denver was the angriest city in the nation with 12,018 protesters per million, 5000 attending the April 15,2009 Tea Party Protest, and 2000 for the the October 15 Occupy Wall Street protest.

October 20, 2011 - The Daily Beast

Public Space Ordinances Used to Target Occupy Wall Street

Across the country, local authorities are turning to existing public space ordinances -- many of them oriented to criminalizing homelessness -- to clamp down on the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

October 20, 2011 - AlterNet

Facebook's New App Allows Users to Track Their Household Energy Consumption

In early 2012, Facebook will launch a yet-to-be-named app that will allow 800 million users to access home energy usage information provided by their utility company. This 'Social Energy Application' will help users manage their energy.

October 20, 2011 - Forbes

Electric DeLorean Scheduled to Hit Streets in 2013

DeLorean Motor Company has not only resurrected that iconic car many remember from 'Back to the Future,' but have made it a true car from the future. The 2013 DMC-12 EV will run on lithium-ion batteries, making it fully electric.

October 20, 2011 - Your Atascocita News

Will There Be More Electric Charging Stations Than Cars To Plug-In?

Charging stations for electric cars are multiplying much faster than the plug-in vehicles that can use them for many reasons. While the federal subsidies help, some in the business community believe that the chargers will attract new customers.

October 20, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - Technology

No Other Way: Pricing Congestion to Stop Congestion

In a study published in this month’s American Economic Review, researchers contended that congestion pricing is the only solution to decrease congestion, writes Eric Jaffe for The Atlantic Cities.

October 19, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Can a Canadian Company Condemn Your Land?

TransCanada is trying to use eminent domain to obtain easements from unwilling landowners for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

October 19, 2011 - The New York Times

New Immigrants Not Moving to Cities

A report from the Brookings Institution finds that the growing population of foreign-born residents in the U.S. is eschewing larger cities, settling instead in suburbs and smaller cities.

October 18, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

How Does CA HSR Project Move Forward Amid Challenges?

Wounded but far from dead, the WSJ examines the many problems plaguing California's formidable HSR project. With federal funding likely to be pulled by House Republicans, the Journal reports on the courses the project could take.

October 18, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

Why the Suburban Exodus Hasn't Happened Yet

Greg Hanscom at Grist asks, if, as polls say, so many Millennials want to live in the city, why is the downtown resurgence a trickle rather than a flood?

October 18, 2011 - Grist

Americans Think Planning Process is Unfair

A new survey found that 64% of Americans think that the relationship between local officials and developers makes the approval process unfair.

October 17, 2011 - The Saint Index

LaHood Calling it Quits After 2012?

At a recent press conference, ubiquitous Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters he'd leave his post at the end of Obama's first term.

October 16, 2011 - The Wall St. Journal

To Make Great Places, Mix Well

Carl F. Meyer of Perkins+Will presents three things he strives for to make vibrant public spaces, and all three involve mixing it up.

October 15, 2011 - Fast Company

Nature Essential to Counteract Modern Life

Richard Louv says we're drowning in a "sea of circuitry" and in desperate need to reconnect with greenery and nature in our living spaces to sooth our souls.

October 15, 2011 - Citiwire.net

Friday Fizzle: Bicycling is for Losers Who Don't Get Dates

A new GM ad implies that bikes aren't a sexy mode of transport for college kids.

October 14, 2011 - Grist

U.S. Solar Industry Fights to Keep Alive a Federal Incentive Program

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is fighting with Congress to extend a popular federal incentive program. Set to end on December 31 this year, the group states that the program could create 37,400 more jobs and add nearly 500 megawatt.

October 14, 2011 - Forbes

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.