United States

The Secret to Strong Neighborhoods

According to Robert Weissbourd, the secret is "positive mobility"; that is, the ability to be in constant motion, turning over with people and businesses coming and going.

June 22, 2010 - Citiwire.net

Americans Spending More On Housing Than Ever

18.6 million American households –renters and homeowners alike – spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new study by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

June 21, 2010 - City Limits

Note to Environmentalists: Stop Being NIMBYs

Some of the resistance that killed a major smart growth project in Alameda, California came from environmentalists. Josh Harkinson argues that its time for enviros to stop fighting smart growth and embrace density.

June 21, 2010 - Mother Jones

Tapping the Crowd to Solve America's Transportation Problem

Slate is soliciting ideas from its readers to improve the nation's transportation system.

June 21, 2010 - Slate

Amount of Families in Shelters Increases

The number of families in homeless shelters increased by 7% in 2009, according to a new report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

June 20, 2010 - USA Today

Bank Rule Change Could Help Struggling Neighborhoods

A new rule proposed by federal regulators would allow bank investments made for neighborhood stabilization efforts and donations of foreclosed properties to be count towards compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

June 20, 2010 - Reuters

Addressing Our "Addiction To Oil": Have We Heard This Before?

Jon Stewart examines Obama's and his seven predecessors attempts to end this addiction, stated in various ways, showing how popular the term is, yet how ineffectual every president has been.

June 19, 2010 - The Daily Show

The Gulf Oil Spill Illustrates a Corrupt Regulatory System

On the Commons criticizes the policy of 'enclosure' that has allowed "the systemic failures of the regulatory system and its political sponsors, Congress and the President," to go unnoticed.

June 19, 2010 - On The Commons

Green Energy Economy Debate: Hot Air Or Feasible Goal?

In this Newshour video (with transcript), spokesmen from a liberal and conservation think tank debate each other on the feasibility of transitioning to clean, green energy from the current fossil fuel powered economy in light of the Gulf disaster.

June 19, 2010 - PBS NewsHour

Dollar Stores and Groceries Bouncing Back

A new study shows a significant increase in planned new retail stores over the past three months, and discounters and grocery stores are leading the way.

June 19, 2010 - Retail Traffic Magazine

Randal O'Toole vs. the Livable Communities Act

O'Toole asks why, if there is such a demand for high-density, mixed-use housing, that the government needs to subsidize it?

June 18, 2010 - The Antiplanner

Too Many Traffic Lights

Architect Arrol Gellner says that traffic engineers use traffic lights far too often when a simple stop sign works better and is much less expensive.

June 18, 2010 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Could Local Food Mean the Return of Urban Slaughterhouses?

Patrick Martins, CEO of a sustainable meat company, says that Americans should embrace slaughterhouses in their cities.

June 18, 2010 - Grist

BP Disaster Endangering Coastal Cultures

The Gulf Coast is home to diverse ethnic and racial communities that have already endured decades of pollution from chemical and petroleum industries. The BP leak may be the "nail in the coffin" for many of these communities, writes Jordan Flaherty.

June 17, 2010 - Truthout

Build America Bonds May Be Bad Deal for Cities

Build America Bonds, part of the economic stimulus package that are intended to help cash-strapped cities building roads and schools, have been found to cost cities and taxpayers more over the long-term.

June 17, 2010 - The New York Times

Cisneros: Not the Government's Fault

Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros says the housing crisis is the fault of brought unscrupulous business people, not the government.

June 17, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Urban Theorist William J. Mitchell, R.I.P.

William J. Mitchell, dean of the school of architecture and planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died last week. He was a pioneer in the use of computers for design and planning.

June 16, 2010 - The New York Times

Does 'Grand Theft Auto' Make People Bad Drivers?

A new study says that videogames like Grand Theft Auto that encourage reckless driving may make it more likely that one would drive recklessly in the real world.

June 16, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

Goldman's New Headquarters in New York Conveys Sobriety

Goldman Sachs' new headquarters in New York is "modern but nowhere near the architectural cutting edge; neither cheap nor extravagant; and efficient without seeming merely functional." Paul Goldberger dissects the new Henry Cobb design.

June 16, 2010 - The New Yorker

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.