United States

Why Cities Should Be Mad About Federal Defense Spending

Cities should be mad about the federal government's cutting of discretionary spending and not reducing defense spending, according to this column from Neal Peirce.

March 20, 2011 - Citiwire

The New Urban Design Undergrad

The New School is now offering an undergraduate degree in urban design. Urban Omnibus talks with the program's director about why the program was created and what it intends to accomplish.

March 20, 2011 - Urban Omnibus

Cities Could See Boost as Former Fed Emanuel Takes Office

As one of the highest ranking federal officials to take on the role of city mayor, newly elected Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel could provide a boon to his city and others.

March 19, 2011 - Governing

TOD is Greener Than Green

It's official, says the EPA: Living in a TOD reduces greenhouse gas emissions more than living in a green, single family home and driving a Prius. The study places major emphasis on local land use decisions in an effort to fight climate change.

March 18, 2011 - New Urban Network

Walt Disney's Unrealized City

Planner Sam Gennawey uncovers the inspirations and influences that Walt Disney was pulling from in designing his unbuilt "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow," a real city of 20,000 people that was to go where the EPCOT theme park is today.

March 18, 2011 - MiceAge

Parks in the Realm of Landscapes and Infrastructures

Are parks landscapes or infrastructures -- or can they be both? This question is broached in this wide-reaching interview on the role of parks in cities with landscape architect Gerdo Aquino.

March 18, 2011 - Archinect

The Changing Role of Cemeteries as Parks

America's first public parks were cemeteries. But over time, they've moved from the center of town to the edges. A new book looks at the history of these places of the dead.

March 18, 2011 - The Atlantic

Walmart Heads for D.C.

A proposed D.C. development would place hundreds of apartments above a store, but other projects emphasize parking, not pedestrian-friendly streets. Chicago and New York also face Walmart campaigns.

March 17, 2011 - New Urban Network

Study: Regular City Drivers Go Car-Free for 1 Week

The study conducted by Latitude Research and Next American City followed 18 participants in San Francisco and Boston as they ditched their automobiles for other transit options.

March 17, 2011 - Next American City

Are Cities in Need of a Generational Refresh?

The article takes a look at the idea that stalled urban growth may be a generational issue.

March 17, 2011 - Streetsblog

Mapping the Nation's Well-Being

Who's the happiest and healthiest of them all? The New York Times posts an interactive map of the national Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

March 16, 2011 - New York Times

Los Angeles' "Public Transportainment"

An enterprising couple from Los Angeles turned an RV into a mode of public transportation for the party-going crowd. Recent partnerships with Foursquare and Walt Disney Imagineering have made the RV a popular way to get around Tinseltown.

March 16, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

US Cities and Disaster Preparedness

In the wake of the disasters which devastated parts of Japan, Russell Nichols of Governing investigates the state of disaster preparedness in US cities and states.

March 16, 2011 - Governing

GOP and Dems Alike Love Infrastructure

Infrastructure may be the issue that brings the parties together. The Infrastructurist says that both sides are in support of a public-private partnership to fund large infrastructure projects.

March 16, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

Bi-Partisan Attack on LA HOT Lanes

The Democrat, Maxine Waters, objects to the 10 & 110 Freeway high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on the basis of equity while Rep. Gary G. Miller, the ranking CA Republican on the House Transportation Committee, sees it as "double taxation".

March 16, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

The Dungheap of Unbuilt Stadiums

Slate looks at America's long history of dreaming up grand stadiums that end up unbuilt, from a waterfront stadium on Manhattan's West Side to a floating stadium in Puget Sound.

March 16, 2011 - Slate

The Rise of Latino New Urbanism

The rising tide of Hispanic immigrants and population growth will greatly affect (and have already) the urban areas of the United States, as recently released Census Data suggests.

March 15, 2011 - ClickZ

Outlook Rosy for Construction in 2011

Three economists with an understanding of the industry say that construction has finally hit bottom across the board (retail, housing, office) and is poised to come back with double-digit growth in 2011.

March 15, 2011 - Urban Land

Denver Integrates Public Transit and Bike-Sharing

The city of Denver kicked off its second season of bike-sharing today. Last season, the program reached 102,981 rides in seven months.

March 15, 2011 - The Denver Post

Building in Affordability

Rebecca Cohen and Emily Salomon of the Center for Housing Policy examine existing policy tools to preserve and expand affordable housing near planned transit stations.

March 15, 2011 - Shelterforce

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.