World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Vacant boarded-up storefronts along Powell Street in San Francisco, California.

Planning Year in Review 2022: Downtowns, Transportation, Climate Change

Part two of a review of the major themes, debates, and events of the year in planning that was 2022.

December 19, 2022 - James Brasuell

A computer generated graphic of a man loading 2022, approaching 2023.

Planetizen's Top Posts of 2022

The most popular articles on Planetizen in 2022.

December 12, 2022 - James Brasuell

Crowded Amsterdam street with pedestrians, cars, and church in background

How Rigorous Driver’s Education Contributes to Safer Roads

The arduous process for getting a driver’s license in Holland is one reason why that country’s roads are consistently safer than their U.S. counterparts.

December 7, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

The website for Project Sidewalk shows a street with a menu for identifying issues with mobility infrastructure.

Top Websites for Urban Planning - 2022

Every year, Planetizen collects the websites breaking new digital ground in the world of planning and related fields.

December 6, 2022 - James Brasuell

Blurry view of semi-crowded subway car

Best Cities for Transit, Ranked

Unsurprisingly, cities in Asia and Europe top the list.

December 5, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Empty New York City street during the COVID-19 pandemic with #NYSTRONG billboard in foreground.

From ‘Urban Exodus’ to ‘Urban Doom Loop’

The initial shocks of the Covid 19 pandemic have become more persistent, and it’s time to start wondering what comes next for the communities on either side of the changes.

December 4, 2022 - The New York Times

Books

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2022

An annual list of the must-read books related to urban planning and its intersecting fields.

November 28, 2022 - James Brasuell

A humanitarian facility, with rows of tents, is set up in a dusty field in Pakistan.

COP27 Climate Negotiations Produce a Mixed Bag

Negotiators at this year’s COP27 climate change meetings can claim progress on some tricky issues, but stagnation reigns on the fundamental issue of emission reductions.

November 23, 2022 - United Nations Climate Change

The  Rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux is crowded with pedestrians in a lively European scene.

European Cities Act on Density

The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.

November 20, 2022 - Wired Magazine

Walkable Street

Report: Sustainability Goals Go Unmet in Many Global Cities

Cities around the world are failing to achieve progress toward their sustainability and public health goals, new research finds.

November 17, 2022 - Brookings

The High Cost of Free Parking

The United Nations Calls on U.S. Planners to Break Land Use, Transportation Status Quo

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”

November 13, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Coronavirus and Lime

New Data Reveals Shared Mobility's Significant Impact on Emissions

Two new studies show that the adoption of shared micromobility can reduce transportation-related emissions and congestion by substantial margins.

November 9, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

iPhone screen with Roku app open

‘Roku City’ Would Be a Desirable Place to Live—if it was Real

A streaming box screen saver exhibits better urbanism than many real-life cities.

November 4, 2022 - The New York Times

Aerial view of cylindrical silver oil tanks

Use or Misuse of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

Rising gasoline prices prompted President Biden to announce on October 19 that he was authorizing the release of 15 million barrels of crude oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

November 3, 2022 - The Washington Post

Self-Driving Car

Autonomous Vehicle Industry Hits a Bump in the Road

Slashed budgets, executives heading for the exits, and delayed dreams—the autonomous vehicle industry is taking longer to get on the road than industry supporters expected.

November 2, 2022 - Bloomberg

Pedestrians and cyclists in busy city crosswalk with blurred motion

Vision Zero Cities Journal 2022: Traffic Safety Guidance for a Safer Future

The Vision Zero Cities Journal provides information on traffic safety innovations and the global movement toward Vision Zero.

October 21, 2022 - Vision Zero Cities Journal

Protest Crowd

Breaking the Bias on Public Transport

How gender-sensitive data collection can make public transit safer for women.

October 20, 2022 - Louise Ribet

Close-up of multicolored gas station pumps

OPEC Plus Decision to Reduce Oil Output Could Lead to Global Recession

A decision earlier this month by a group of the world's largest oil exporters to drastically reduce oil production to stem the decline in oil prices could be a ‘tipping point’ for a global recession, says the International Energy Agency.

October 19, 2022 - The Hill

Nederlandsche Bank building, Amsterdam

The Cradle-to-Cradle Approach to Building

The circular economy. Cradle-to-cradle. The regenerative economy. Whatever you call it, an approach to building that eliminates waste would transform the next generation of the built environment.

October 14, 2022 - The New York Times

Photo of European road in medieval city

Parking and Sustainable Urban Mobility

Parking policy, and any potential change in it, is a highly contested issue in most cities. The integration of parking measures into a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) can help achieve long-term goals.

October 12, 2022 - Parking and SUMP - Using parking management to achieve SUMP objectives effectively and sustainably’

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.

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.