United States

Curing Urbanitis – the Metropolitan Disease

The problems of today's inner cities and the problems of the suburbs are inextricably linked, says William E. Finley, author of Curing Urbanitis.

October 23, 2008 - William E. Finley

The Experts' Picks for Prettiest Towns in America

Travel writers, photographers, and an urban designer selected by Forbes have named the 20 prettiest towns in America; their varied definitions of "prettiness" are reflected in their choices.

October 22, 2008 - Forbes Traveler

What a New Presidency May Mean for Cities

Senator Obama seems to be more "responsive" to cities' needs, while Senator McCain's focus is largely on cutting taxes to restore jobs and business.

October 22, 2008 - Philadelphia Daily News

Oil Price Plunge Dampens Green Technology

The new 'oil shock' is one of plummeting oil prices and its effect on alternative technologies and energy. Combined with the credit crisis, the fallout in some green technologies is shown by difficulties in attracting capital and customers.

October 22, 2008 - The Washington Post

Bike Programs Cut Cars on Campuses

Universities are looking to cut down on the number of cars students bring with them to school by offering free bikes and bike sharing programs.

October 22, 2008 - The New York Times

Climate Change Tackled by Cities and States

Before the fiscal crisis, there was the global climate crisis. After the fiscal crisis, we’ll still have the global climate crisis — for the rest of our lives.

October 21, 2008 - Citiwire.net

Home Builders Stepping In To Help Home Buyers

Builders are creating online educational programs to help potential buyers clean up their credit and obtain loans.

October 21, 2008 - The Wall St. Journal

Kotkin's 'New Localism'

Joel Kotkin thinks that the effects of the financial crisis may not be all bad, and may even encourage a new focus on family and community ties.

October 20, 2008 - newgeography

A Way Out of the Housing Mess?

Joseph Nocera reports on a proposal to rescue homeowners that lets people live in their homes, and doesn't require any government money.

October 20, 2008 - AlterNet

Home Prices Expected to Keep Falling

Home prices are falling across the country, but there are signs that they're not done falling yet.

October 20, 2008 - The New York Times

EPA Failing to Control Urban Runoff

The Environmental Protection Agency has not done enough to control pollution from stormwater runoff in urban areas, according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences.

October 20, 2008 - Associated Press

When Financial Bridges Fail

Martin H. Krieger compares the lack of oversight involved in today's financial crisis with the transparency and responsibility involved in making bridges.

October 20, 2008 - Martin H. Krieger

Climate Protection Jeopardized By Financial Crisis & Recession

The worldwide credit crisis will affect the ability of the developed world to tackle climate change. Businesses in Europe and U.S. are asking for delays in meeting emission reductions mandates notwithstanding the drop in oil prices.

October 20, 2008 - Wall Street Journal

Amtrak Reauthorization & Safety Bill Signed

Two weeks after Congress passed HR 2095, Bush signed this bill to double Amtrak funding and mandate safety technology to prevent Metrolink-like crashes. It may be a precursor to greatly expanded transit spending in the next administration.

October 19, 2008 - Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin

New Urbanism Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

New Urban News reports that even as housing costs plummet and construction is halted on single-family homes across the country, traditional neighborhood developments and TODs are thriving.

October 19, 2008 - New Urban News

Want Smart Growth? Break Out the Carrots and Sticks

To paraphrase B.F. Skinner, if you want positive behavior, either reward it in return, or remove something unpleasant in response; to paraphrase R. Steuteville's commentary, if we want a green economy, we need to do the same thing with development.

October 18, 2008 - New Urban News

Which Cities Stretch Dollars The Farthest?

Texas cities top a ranking by Forbes of where your dollar goes the farthest. Affordable housing and promising job prospects made a big difference.

October 18, 2008 - Forbes

Best Cities To Live in During a Recession

Business Week looks for the most recession-proof cities, using as their main criteria an abundance of jobs in stable industries like government, health care, and education.

October 17, 2008 - Business Week

The Presidential Election and the Future of America's Transportation

The federal transportation spending bill will be up for reauthorization in 2009. The fate of the nation's transportation will hinge on how this bill is reworked, which will largely be determined by who wins this November's presidential election.

October 17, 2008 - CNN Money

Affordable Housing Needs Affordable Land

Witold Rybzynski details the vicious cycle behind the nation's shortage of affordable housing.

October 16, 2008 - The Wilson Quarterly

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.