United States

Does Where We Live And Work Make Us Fat?

Experts are eyeing city planning as the next front in the war on obesity.

June 7, 2004 - WebMD

Michigan's 'Cool Cities' Incubator

Michigan's Governor announces 20 projects in 17 cities designed to lure back young, creative professionals.

June 7, 2004 - The Detroit News

Turning California's Growth Patterns Upside Down

Large-scale development in San Jose's Coyote Valley attracts national attention as it shuns sprawl and adopts New Urbanism.

June 7, 2004 - San Jose Mercury News

Profiles of the Next Generation of Planners, Part 4

Three more masters-level planning students share why they decided to choose planning, and what they see as the future of planning.

June 7, 2004 - Planetizen

Urbanites Vs. Suburbanites: Who's Healthier?

A study compares obesity in urban dwellers and suburnanites.

June 7, 2004 - The Globe and Mail

Eight Suggestions For The Cultural Future Of Ground Zero

New York Times critics offer eight suggestions for the cultural future of Ground Zero.

June 6, 2004 - The New York Times

Expressways For Sri Lanka?

Are expressways the right traffic solution for the island nation of Sri Lanka.

June 6, 2004 - Sri Lanka Sunday Observer

Proponent Of Smart Growth Gets Death Threat

Architect and planner who joined a Smart Growth advocacy group receives a death threat.

June 6, 2004 - The Times-Picayune

Oil Lands Lay Fallow As Bush Pushes For More

Despite 30,000,000 unused acres, the Department of the Interior hopes to lease more environmentally-sensitive areas to drilling firms. Watchdogs argue VP Cheney is using the plan as corporate welfare for his industry cronies.

June 6, 2004 - Newsday

Transforming A Landmark Urban Park

A campaign to refurbish Los Angeles' notoriously violent MacArthur Park may be working.

June 5, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

Bike Trail From Maine To Florida Is Planned

The East Coast Greenway, a cyclist's version of the Appalachian Trail, begins in Calais, Maine, and ends in Key West, Florida--at least on paper.

June 5, 2004 - The New York Times

Friday Funny: Which American City Are You?

Take this quiz and find out which city suits your personality.

June 4, 2004 - Zenhex

Renewed Interest In Renewable Energy

The U.S., once the leader in renewable energy, has fallen behind while other countries commit to ambitious targets and European nations gear up to sell clean energy to the developing world.

June 4, 2004 - Wired

'Alls' -- America's New Malls

The conventional enclosed mall is in decline as developers around the nation replace it with a new retail attraction that aims to recreate the atmosphere of a vibrant downtown.

June 4, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

Drive-by Photography

Project to use van equipped with digital cameras aims to to build a nation-wide database of 15 million buildings.

June 4, 2004 - The New York Times

Retirees Choosing 'Traditional Neighborhood Developments'

There is a growing preference of retirees for "traditional neighborhood developments" which are intended to resemble actual "traditional neighborhoods" in many ways.

June 4, 2004 - The Christian Science Monitor

Color Chicago Green

Among America's largest cities, Chicago seems to have captured the green championship.

June 3, 2004 - Newtopia Magazine

Gas Prices And The SUV Nation

Higher gas prices may be the only way to force concern about fuel efficiency.

June 3, 2004 - The Washington Post

Gay Retirement Communities Sprout In The Sun Belt

Observers say it is part of a larger pateern of "atomization of America".

June 3, 2004 - The Washington Post

Pension Funds Gamble On Urban Renewal

Even though retirement money is pouring into the inner-city for retail development, the risk may still outweigh the gain.

June 3, 2004 - Business Week

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.