United States

High voltage power line towers sillhouetted against colorful sunset sky.

Utilities Spending Less on Energy Efficiency Despite Higher Fuel Prices

A survey of major utilities reveals a link between states with strict efficiency standards and incentive programs and efforts to improve efficiency on the part of utilities.

September 20, 2023 - Governing

Man in orange jacket wearing surgical mask and bike helmet looks at phone while wearing delivery backpack and holding bicycle

How Long Covid Changes the Transportation Conversation

People living with long Covid symptoms can find themselves unable to make the same mobility choices they used to.

September 20, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

African-American parents push stroller down residential neighborhood sidewalk as young child rides scooter in front of them.

Appreciating the Spaces That Connect Us

Often overlooked, liminal spaces like front porches and sidewalks can boost social connections.

September 19, 2023 - CNU Public Square

A derelict sign on a barbed wire fence reads “Golf Course, Private, No Admittance.”

Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like

Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.

September 19, 2023 - The Business Journals

Graphic of busy city intersection with crosswalk, cars, people, and bike share station.

Book Excerpt: Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities

What is your transportation story?

September 18, 2023 - Veronica Davis

Aerial view of Whitefish, Montana with storm clouds in background

As Rural Areas Grow, So Do Tensions

The influx of new households to rural communities is driving up housing costs for existing residents and straining local infrastructure, sparking difficult conversations about future growth.

September 17, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Close-up of window-mounted air conditioning unit on outside of red brick building

Report: ‘Energy Insecurity’ Hits Black Households Hardest

Extreme heat, poor housing quality, and the heat island effect make it harder for many households to afford energy bills.

September 17, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of hand holding up wooden thermometer in front of blurred street

Extreme Heat is Killing Us

Heat-related deaths are rising, and higher temperatures are just one reason.

September 14, 2023 - Governing

Modernist concrete facade of Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

HUD Considering Cash Housing Assistance Pilot

Cash housing assistance in lieu of bureaucracy-laden vouchers could make affordable housing more accessible to low-income households.

September 13, 2023 - Vox

Close-up of top of ornate Art Deco blue tile Eastern building in downtown Los Angeles

Easing Regulations for Adaptive Reuse

Cities with ordinances aimed at making commercial-to-residential conversions easier are reaping the benefits.

September 12, 2023 - Route Fifty

Aerial view of Atlanta BeltLine greenway with multistory buildings one ither side

How to Avoid Green Gentrification

New parks are great—but some projects displace the very people the green spaces are meant to serve.

September 11, 2023 - Next City

People boarding Los Angeles Metro train on outdoor platform.

Lessons in Transit Equity

Two of the nation’s largest transit agencies outline how they are integrating equity concerns into their work.

September 11, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Faded green vintage gas pump

What Will Replace Gas Taxes?

States are developing a variety of mechanisms for replacing dwindling gas tax revenue, which most rely on for the majority of their transportation funding.

September 11, 2023 - Governing

Close-up of people wearing white gloves and Covid-19 masks exchanging unlabeled can of food at food bank

Social Capital Builds Resilience—and Planners Can Build Social Capital

Connections with neighbors and local institutions can play an important role in how a community responds to disaster.

September 11, 2023 - Christopher Holtkamp

Four-story gray apartment building in suburban area

Rent Costs Rising Faster in Suburbs Than Urban Cores

In a majority of U.S. metro areas, suburban rent hikes are outpacing urban rent increases.

September 7, 2023 - The Wall Street Journal

Aerial view of Plant Vogtle Unit 3 nuclear unit

Georgia Makes Clean Energy History in U.S.

The first newly constructed nuclear power plant to generate electricity in the U.S. in over 30 years began operation in Waynesboro, Georgia on July 31.

September 6, 2023 - Georgia Power

Rendering of California high-speed rail train viaduct with arches

Tracking U.S. ‘Higher-Speed’ Rail Progress

Five projects are moving the United States forward on so-called “higher-speed” rail.

September 5, 2023 - The Washington Post

Concrete building wth Department of Housing and Urban Development sign

HUD Updates Fair Market Rate Definition

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced two actions last week intended to expand the reach of federal housing voucher programs.

September 4, 2023 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

An oil well in a mountainous and remote part of Utah.

Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback

The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.

September 3, 2023 - Progressive Railroading

A group of friends laughs and celebrates with beers on a rooftop with Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

Friday Fun: Best Cities for Rooftop Dining and Drinking

Just in time for summer’s last hurrah, a list of cities with a reputation for rooftop entertainment.

September 1, 2023 - RoofGnome

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.