United States

'Murky' Supreme Court Decision Limits Clean Water Act

Major environmental decision by the U.S. Supreme Court could limit the federal government's protection of wetlands.

June 20, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

2006 State of the Nation's Housing Identifies Cities With Highest Home Prices

Affordability problems are escalating even as the housing market cools, according to a new report published by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. House prices will continue to appreciate in 2006.

June 20, 2006 - Harvard University

The Most Livable Cities For Non-Drivers

A new guide to the best cities to live in without driving.

June 20, 2006 - Auto-Free Livable Cities Guide

Oil Drilling Runoff Slides Past Regulation

Water runoff from oil drilling sites will now face far fewer regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, allowing possibly contaminated dirt and debris to flow directly into streams and wetlands.

June 20, 2006 - The Denver Post

The Next Ten U.S. Cities To Become Tech Hubs

With the cost of living so high, Silicon Valley, CA has become a victim of its own success. eWeek weighs in on the debate over which cities have the right ingredients to become the next tech hubs.

June 19, 2006 - eWeek

Approaching A Half Century Of The Interstate Highway System

On June 29, the U.S. interstate highway system celebrates its 50-year anniversary. Conceived as a 41, 000 network of fast, intersection-free, transcontinental highways, it has changed the American landscape in far more ways than just transportation.

June 19, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Is It The Beginning Of The End For McMansions?

McMansions are proving too big for many homeowners, who are now looking for smaller homes and overwhelming the housing market.

June 19, 2006 - Wall Street Journal (Courtesy of the Sun-Sentinel)

Book Review: The Battle Over Sprawl and the Future of America

A new book, "This Land", by former Boston Globe journalist Anthony Flint represents a "A calm voice in the cross fire over sprawl", writes urban affairs columnist John King.

June 18, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Abolish Outdated Zoning Codes To Save On Fuel

Most municipalities strictly prohibit mixed-use development. Changing these laws to encourage compact development would reduce the nation's dependence on gas, writes Anthony Flint.

June 17, 2006 - The Boston Globe

Eco-Friendly Design And Construction Need To Go Mainstream

Auden Schendler wonders why you can't buy an eco-friendly house in any average subdivision in America.

June 17, 2006 - Grist Magazine

Friday Funny: A Father's Day Gift

A Father's Day gift that Dad could use.

June 16, 2006 - Joy of Tech

EPA Weakens Groundwater Rule After Energy Industry Pressure

Environmentalists criticesd a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to change a measure designed to protect groundwater near oil drilling sites and other construction zones.

June 16, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Why High Speed Rail Shouldn't Ride In California

Wendell Cox weighs the true costs over the reported costs of creating a high speed train system for cities between San Diego and Sacramento. He offers opposition to a very expensive and likely underused project.

June 16, 2006 - Orange County Register

Who Is 'At Fault' For Poverty? Big Government Programs Are Declining

In a wide-ranging article, the Wall Street Journal profiles America's ongoing "wars on poverty" over the decades, and details what the future might hold for anti-poverty programs. The "Great Society" efforts of the past seem to be over.

June 16, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Drivers Will Pay Highway Tolls To Foreign Firms

Across the nation, states are leasing toll roads to private investors, including many foreign firms.

June 15, 2006 - The Washington Post

'Microhomes' Joining McMansions As Vacation Getaways

Microhomes range in size from a few hundred to a little over one thousand square feet -- much smaller than the U.S. average of 2,400 square feet. While the microhome market is still "tiny", architects say buyer interest is growing significantly.

June 14, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Book Review - 'Sprawl: A Compact History'

June 13, 2006 - Josh Stephens

Megan's Law Hits Local Property Prices

When a sex offender moves into a neighborhood, prices of houses within a one-tenth mile area around the sex offender's home fall.

June 12, 2006 - National Bureau Of Economic Research

Students' Research Ignites Political Firestorm

Why are politicians and the members of the logging industry attacking a graduate student's research paper?

June 12, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Baby Boomers Reshaping Retirement Migration

Florida is no longer ground zero for retirees in the United States, as many western states, and even some mid-western ones, have seen an influx of aging boomers.

June 12, 2006 - Herald Tribune

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

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.