United States
Public Transit’s Existential Crisis
U.S. transit systems are still scrambling to find alternate funding sources and adjust their service to new needs as ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels.
USDOT Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants
The first $185 million in grants were awarded to projects that aim to improve mobility and reconnect neighborhoods isolated by highways and other infrastructure projects.
Making Transit More Family-Friendly
Public transit can often be inconvenient or unsafe for people with children in strollers and riders traveling for purposes other than commuting. Agencies are working on ways to fix that.
Study: Many American Seniors Can’t Afford to ‘Age in Place’
A lack of affordable housing and access to services and amenities make it difficult for many seniors to remain in their long-term homes or communities.
FHWA Rescinds Guidance Discouraging Road Expansions
A decision from the Government Accountability Office spurred by Republican pushback led the agency to issue a new memo abandoning its previous stance, which ‘gently’ promoted maintenance work over new road construction.
How Consultants Drive Up Transit Construction Costs
A new report suggests that an overreliance on external consultants by U.S. transit agencies and other government entities is hollowing out the public sector and raising the costs of transit projects.
How Single-Family Zoning Became Unaffordable for Families
Zoning regulations designed to boost the housing supply for families have contributed to a housing crisis that makes housing costs a major burden for many American families.
Livable Streets, Revisited
The updated version of Donald Appleyard’s 1982 book Livable Streets, written by Appleyard's son, dives even deeper into the ‘ecology of the street,’ proposing actionable solutions for the conflicts and problems facing urban environments today.
Federal Report Calls Encampment ‘Sweeps’ Ineffective and Costly
Weeks after federal officials evicted unhoused people from a Washington, D.C. park, research indicates that similar actions, which usually come at a high cost to cities, have little impact on homelessness in the long term.
Reshaping Cities for Present-Day Populations
The demographic changes of the last few years give city planners and urban designers an opportunity to reimagine how public spaces can most effectively promote public health, wellbeing, and equity.
Report: How States Can Incentivize Housing Production
With many cities and local jurisdictions using zoning codes to slow housing development, policymakers at the state level are taking action to increase the housing supply.
Analysis: Build It (Housing) and They Will Come
Some of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country are also the ones building the most new housing.
New Federal Grant Program Supports Transit-Oriented Housing
Local governments can apply for part of a $5 million program aimed at helping them identify appropriate sites, preserve affordable housing, and build more housing near transit.
Planning Trends to Watch in 2023
The days and weeks since the arrival of Covid-19 have been filled with so much noise about the future, it’s been difficult to distinguish between big stories and frivolous distractions. Planetizen is here to help.
How Vehicle Ownership Impacts Roadway Design
New research assesses the potential implications of reduced car ownership on the design of roads and communities.
Study: Extracurricular Activities Benefit Children’s Mental Health
A new study indicates that improving access to extracurricular activities (EA) may help address the growing mental health needs of children and caregivers.
D.C. Homeless Sweeps Contradict White House Policy
Just months after the Biden administration released a blueprint for ending homelessness focused on ‘person-centered’ solutions, federal officials are forcefully displacing unhoused people in encampments around the District.
Recall Affects Over 360,000 Tesla Cars with ‘Full Self-Driving’ Software
Federal regulators are asking the carmaker to update the software on vehicles equipped with FSD due to its poor safety record.
Feds Could Take Back ARPA Funding in Debt Ceiling Talks
Aid dollars not yet distributed to states and cities could be part of a Congressional ‘clawback,’ prompting concern from local leaders.
Biden’s Renters’ Rights Blueprint: Meaningful or Not?
What should we make of the administration’s tenants' rights announcement?
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
