World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

More Details on the End of Architecture for Humanity

Following the recent news that Architecture for Humanity shut its doors after operating since 1999, FastCo.Design provides more details about what went wrong.

January 26, 2015 - Fast Co. Design

Report: Global Metro Economies Reveal 'An Uncertain Recovery'

A new report by the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program analyzes the growth of the world's 300 largest metropolitan areas.

January 23, 2015 - Brookings

Mapping the Places Referenced by 224 State of the Union Speeches

If you're into place names and the history of presidential politics, we have just the map for you.

January 23, 2015 - The Atlantic

Nightlife in Tel Aviv

Study Examines How Personality Types Cluster in Neighborhoods

A new study reveals the personality traits that draw people to certain urban environments.

January 19, 2015 - CityLab

Making Transportation Options Safer for Women

A post by the World Band surveys efforts around the world to mainstream gender on public transport—an effort challenged substantially by continued risks to the safety of women.

January 18, 2015 - The World Bank

Architecture for Humanity Closes—Cites Lack of Funding

A sad day for the mission of using design to benefit the most vulnerable among us, Architecture for Humanity closed its doors earlier this month.

January 17, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Metro Map

Pop Quiz: Can You Name Cities from their Transit Maps?

What better way to wind down from a long week thinking about cities and maps and transportation than by taking a quiz to show off your knowledge of cities and maps and transportation?

January 16, 2015 - The Washington Post

'Urban Yoga' Reveals the Human Element in Cities

"The Urban Yoga Photo Book" is a new, Kickstarter-funded photo book that blends the beauty and grace of yoga with the grit and structure of urban settings.

January 16, 2015 - Urbanful

Low Gas Prices

Friday Funny: the Onion Asks, 'Why Are Gas Prices So Low?'

The Onion is back with its unique brand of hard-hitting satire on the conditions of American life. This time the joke is on Americans celebrating low prices at the pump.

January 16, 2015 - The Onion

Report Recommends Bus Rapid Transit to Improve Traffic Safety

A new report by from the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ EMBARQ initiative provides evidence of the benefits of safe, well-designed BRT and bus priority systems.

January 15, 2015 - The City Fix

Other Species Value Transit, Too

In Seattle, a four-legged denizen uses the city's public transit system on her own to get to and from her favorite place.

January 14, 2015 - CNN.com

The First-Ever 'Ecological Land Units' Map of the World

A new web-based tool by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Esri allows users to "explore the ecological tapestry of the world."

January 14, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

Report: 2014 the 'Tallest Year Ever' for New Skyscrapers

The heights of the building envelope saw unprecedented expansion in 2014.

January 13, 2015 - Dezeen

Compose Tweet

Editor's Picks: Top Twitter Feeds

Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell shares his favorite Twitter feeds.

January 7, 2015 - James Brasuell

The Year in #CityReads

CityLab gathered the best of its weekly #CityReads compendium for a list of the year's best articles about urban experiences.

December 31, 2014 - CityLab

How Defensive Fortifications Shaped Cities

A post on Gizmodo traces the long and evolving history of defensive fortifications and how they influenced how cities were built and how people lived.

December 31, 2014 - Gizmodo

What Makes a City Global?

Finding the existing frameworks for describing "global cities" to be highly divergent, Aaron Renn suggests his own and requests feedback to continue improving the scheme.

December 30, 2014 - The Urbanophile

nearmap

An Aerial Photography Tool for Planners

File under tools for the tool kit: Jarrett Walker of Human Transit shares details about Nearmap, an aerial photography tool that serves as a helpful alternative to Google Earth.

December 29, 2014 - Human Transit

Buildings Gone Bad: 2014's Worst Architecture

The designs of architecture's most famous practitioners inspire the most public forms of attention and criticism. A recent column in Slate doesn't shy away from the latter.

December 29, 2014 - Slate

Imagining a Self-Contained, Vertical City

A new book makes the case for vertical cities, following a 32-point manifesto about the needs of future cities.

December 28, 2014 - Fast Co.Exist

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.