Tom Sanchez, PhD, AICP, taught urban planning for 30 years. Over the past several years, he's been researching the application of AI to urban planning. His book, AI for Urban Planning (Routledge), came out in 2025. His new book, The Handbook of AI and Urban Planning (Elgar), is due out in 2027. He also teaches a 6-Week Planetizen course, "Preparing Your Planning Agency for AI."
When “Neutrality” Becomes Blindness: The Perils of Censoring Race, Class, and Gender Data in Urban Planning
Political pushback against DEI is igniting right at the moment that AI is rising in urban planning. If we don’t fight it, the results could be catastrophic.
Will Urban Planners Lose Their Jobs to AI?
Let’s see what the data says.
In Planning, the Possibilities With AI are High. So are the Stakes.
Planning history tells us that public trust is both fragile and essential. With AI, the time to set the right course is now.
The Basics of Artificial Neural Networks: What Urban Planners Should Know
Planetizen AI columnist Tom Sanchez takes us under the hood of the technology that drives many AI tools.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?