Exclusives
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Density Bonus?
A density bonus offers development permissions beyond what's allowed by a zoning code as an incentive for developers to contribute to desired policy goals. Density bonus programs can offer numerous forms of incentives, and can be used as an incentive to address a variety of policy goals.
BLOG POST
Five Ways to Build a Sustainable Community through Volunteering
Practicing sustainability can improve communities and the lives of those living there. One of the best ways to encourage sustainable living is through volunteering.
FEATURE
Why Christopher Alexander Still Matters
The author of "A Pattern Language" and "Notes on the Synthesis of Form" had an outsize influence far beyond architecture and urbanism—and still does.
BLOG POST
29 Resources for Onboarding New Planning Employees
New hires are the focus of the Great Reshuffle. While it's tempting to focus on tasks, a balanced onboarding program should also explain how a planning agency's values and policies align with theory and practice. Here are 29 conversation starters.
FEATURE
Urban Highway Removal: 4 Considerations for Reknitting a City’s Fabric
Making the right decisions to create a positive urban legacy.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is CEQA?
Designed to assess the environmental impacts of new projects and provide mitigation measures, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has a controversial history, sometimes serving as a convenient tool for groups intent on stopping or slowing development.
BLOG POST
Traffic Deaths in Cities and Suburbs, a 2020s Update
Traditionally, many cities have had lower car crash death rates than suburbs. But is this still the case?
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a NIMBY?
One of the most politically charged and controversial terms in planning, the acronym NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.
FEATURE
Want Less Polarization? Stop Talking and Start Building
The simple acts of building and playing offer an antidote for today's polarized debates.
BLOG POST
Could High Gas Prices Push Riders Back to Public Transit?
The quick ascent of gas prices, at a time of economic uncertainty for many, could be just the boost public transit needs to get back to pre-pandemic levels of ridership. Or not.
BLOG POST
Planning For Ukrainian Refugees
Millions of Ukrainian refugees are flowing into European cities. This begs the question: how can cities like Przemysl, Poland, and many others, successfully integrate displaced Ukrainians as active members of local politics, economies, and society?
FEATURE
Vital Communities: Housing Quality for Social Equality
Transit-rich, “inner ring” neighborhoods with multi-family, mid- and high-rise housing (going beyond the limits of missing middle housing) will be necessary to deliver access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing.
FEATURE
Toward Better 'Rural Places and Planning'
The authors of the new book "Rural Places and Planning" expand beyond stereotypes of the rural to describe a more supportive approach to rural planning.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is VMT?
A measure of the demand for vehicle travel on public roadways, VMT provides a metric for evaluating the potential impact of road projects and developments and could become an increasingly useful tool for assessing road usage taxes.
BLOG POST
How Cities Are Resisting State Efforts To Increase Density
Cities are attempting to wrest back local control over land use and zoning via some ingenious—and sometimes disingenuous—strategies.
FEATURE
Best Apps for Urban Planning in 2022
Mobile apps continue to redefine the practices of planning—urban planning, regional planning, transportation planning, community planning, and rural planning included.
BLOG POST
Conservatives, Progressives, and Cities
Are liberals more pro-urban than conservatives? On some issues, yes—but in other ways, reality is more complicated.
BLOG POST
Bringing Rurality Back to Planning Culture
Michael Hibbard at the University of Oregon and Kathryn I. Frank at the University of Florida write about their recently published article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is an Entitlement?
In the context of planning and development, an entitlement is the legal agreement between a government and a landowner to allow a proposed development.
FEATURE
Where Words Fail: Teach Architects and Urban Designers Like Violinists
Architects and urban designers justify or explain their work with words, and municipalities govern design with jargon-filled regulations. The outcome is often underwhelming.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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.
