United States

Developer Goes Green To Make Up For Big Box History

Developer Jim Jacoby likes to joke that his move into alternative energy and mixed-use development is penance for a history of building WalMarts.

November 26, 2009 - Real Estate Investor

Subway Sociology

Because of the abundance of social interaction and diverse clientele, subways have long been the sites of sociological experiments to understand human behavior.

November 25, 2009 - Slate

Fort Collins is Feelin' Fine

This Colorado city and four others across the nation have made early moves toward sustainability, innovation, and clean technology.

November 25, 2009 - Christian Science Monitor

Visualizing Unemployment During the Recession

Unemployment is spreading across the country like a rash. This video tracks the changing unemployment in American counties since January 2007.

November 25, 2009 - American Observer

Rural America Still Leads Nation in Poverty

Despite gains in the 1990s, the last decade has seen jumps in poverty in rural areas, where rates continue to exceed the national average.

November 24, 2009 - The Daily Yonder

Can Free Fares Save Public Transit?

With 100 percent subsidies, transit agencies could drop the pretense of being businesses and serve many more people -- or so proponents say. Agencies aren't so sure.

November 24, 2009 - InTransition Magazine

Aging Sewers and Growing Cities Mean Troubled Waters

As cities grow, aging sewer systems are having trouble keeping up with increasing amounts of waste. Often, the result is sewer system overflows that end up directly in waterways.

November 24, 2009 - The New York Times

Boomburb Growth Must Go Up, Not Out, To Retain Viability

As reported here, many boomburbs have ceased growing, if only temporarily. Streetsblog notes that experts are suggesting that in order to maintain their economic viability, these fast growing communities will have to, gasp, become more urban in form

November 23, 2009 - SF.Streetsblog

Booming Burbs Stop Growing

Areas like Bellevue, Washington and Coral Springs, Florida have grown by 10% or more every decade since the 1970s. Today, these suburban communities are actually losing people.

November 21, 2009 - USA Today

Making Government Data Sexy

A flood of government data is going public, but on its own it is relatively boring and useless. A flood of new data visualization tools are hoping to change that.

November 21, 2009 - CNN

Banks Brace for Onslaught of "Zombie Buildings"

Many of the thousands of commercial buildings erected on easy credit before the economic downturn remain underutilized or empty. Now those loans are coming due.

November 21, 2009 - Huffington Post

Not Just About Jobs

When then-Pres. Bush signed a transportation bill in 1991, he said it 'could be summed up in three words; jobs, jobs, jobs. Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes of Brookings say that infrastructure spending is much more than that.

November 20, 2009 - The Hill

Transit Use is Growing, But Not Where You Think

Transit saw some big ridership increases over the past few years, but maybe not where you'd expect. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the top ten metropolitan areas where transit use has increased the most.

November 19, 2009 - Nate Berg

The Problem With Thinking Regionally

Carol Coletta is a believer in the new emphasis in regional government, but worries that it may be at the expense of the local.

November 19, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Rethinking Sixty Years of Sprawl

There's no looking back now in the shift away from suburbs to a more sustainable urban model, writes Andre Shashaty, president of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

November 19, 2009 - Salon.com

More Passengers And Less Funding Threaten To Cripple Transit Agencies

The recession has made many commuters more transit-dependent while shrinking the public coffers that may for the bulk of transit service. Without further subsidies, agencies face tough choices because of this "incredible paradox."

November 18, 2009 - InTransition Magazine

Buffett and Beyond

This article takes a look at the past and future of rail in America, with an emphasis on one surprise success story.

November 18, 2009 - BBC News

Small Cities Struggle Through Recession

Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.

November 18, 2009 - Kansas City Star

Large Homebuilders Handed Millions in Tax Breaks

Large homebuilders, including Pulte Homes and Hovnanian Enterprises, will recieve hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars under the recently passed Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009.

November 18, 2009 - The New York Times

Suburban Utopias?

This article from the Guardian argues that despite years of derision, suburbia is gaining a more positive reputation as "utopia in a big way".

November 18, 2009 - The Guardian

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.