Exclusives

Monotone photo of man waiting on subway platform with blurry train passing by and other passengers walking by

FEATURE

How Can Urban Planning Address the ‘Loneliness Epidemic’?

The U.S. Surgeon General is sounding the alarm about the health effects of isolation. Planners have a role to play in rebuilding our “social infrastructure.”

May 14 - Angie Schmitt

Black and white photo of two young boys standing on a hill overlooking the Frederick Douglass housing project in Anacostia, D.C.

FEATURE

Most Influential Urbanists: Call for Nominees

Change doesn’t happen accidentally. Who are the people shaping cities and communities through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond?

May 11 - Planetizen

Boxes stacked on an orange cart in a large warehouse with racks in background

BLOG POST

How Is Supply Chain Expansion Impacting Urban Development?

Supply chain expansion can have specific impacts on urban development as people move to metropolitan areas and require more involved participation at all levels of the supply chain.

May 10 - Devin Partida

A bike rider navigates a bike lane in a traffic limited zone in Italy, where only one delivery van is visible on the street.

BLOG POST

A Toolkit of Urban Vehicle Access Regulations to Improve Livability

You may have heard Paris is implementing traffic restrictions, but did you know that Paris is very late to the party? European cities, big and small, have been implementing measures to keep traffic from destroying urban quality of life for decades.

May 8 - World Transport Policy and Practice

Clse-up of "Just Say No To Over Development" yard sign on green lawn

BLOG POST

Thinking About Right-NIMBYism

Some conservatives oppose new housing on the ground that exclusion will “save” their neighborhoods from poor people. Is there any response to these arguments?

May 5 - Michael Lewyn


Wheelchair ramp at outdoor train station

BLOG POST

ADA Compliance Slowly Makes Headway

Decades of advocacy are paying off, but it often takes legal action to force cities to make accessibility improvements mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act over thirty years ago.

May 4 - Diana Ionescu

 Old sugar factory in Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York

BLOG POST

Bitter Irony Behind Brooklyn’s Sweet Domino Sugar Sign

A new feature on the Brooklyn waterfront is a reminder that Domino Sugar has made several unsavory appearances in the history of Puerto Rican communities.

May 2 - Mark H. McNulty


Sprawl

FEATURE

Essay: Will America Ever Change its Urban Patterns?

If there has ever been a good time to change our urban patterns, the time is now.

April 30 - Marcelo Remond

A series of screengrabs illustrating the functionality of Google Maps.

FEATURE

Recommended Mobile Apps for Urban Planning in 2023

Planetizen's annual list of top apps for planners is back, ten years after its first appearance on the site. Scores of apps have been recommended by planners as examples of planning in action, or tools for planning action.

April 27 - James Brasuell

Diagram of a roundabout and site photos laid out on a desk

BLOG POST

Transportation Agencies: Improve Your Models or Hire More Lawyers

Transportation models are biased in ways that result in inefficient, unfair and environmentally harmful planning decisions. Improve your analysis or prepare to be sued.

April 26 - Todd Litman

Restored white two-story historic home with black trim in Roanoke, Virginia

FEATURE

Restoring the Vacant Middle: Creating Middle Housing Through Historic Preservation

How flexible zoning in historic districts can support preservation and create affordable housing.

April 24 - Maribeth Mills

Aerial view of sprawling commercial development with parts still under construction and parking lot in Goodyear, Arizona

FEATURE

The Tragedy of Parking

Parking minimums and other zoning laws have made American cities untenable for any other type of transportation. It’s time we find a new way to zone our cities.

April 23 - Eric Carlson

A sign reads “State Fishery Area Public Easement Open to Fishing.” In the background is a stream surrounded by snow on the ground in a natural setting.

PLANOPEDIA

What Is an Easement?

There are limits to the rights and powers associated with land ownership. Easements are a critical example of how property rights can be balanced with the needs of neighbors, the public, and other interests external to the control of property owners.

April 17 - James Brasuell

New York City Zoning Map

BLOG POST

The Myth of Local Control

One common argument against statewide zoning reform is that local control of zoning is a venerable democratic norm. But in fact, state government often controls local land use in a variety of ways.

April 16 - Michael Lewyn

Walkable DC

FEATURE

Opinion: Surprised by Your Neighborhood’s Walkability Score? Don't Be.

A cautionary tale of using indices.

April 12 - Miriam Pinski

Woman with child and stroller waiting on Prague subway platform with blurred train passing by.

BLOG POST

Improving Gender Equality with Urban Planning

“It's a man's world” is not just a saying. As much as we are surrounded by societal structures that contribute to gender discrimination, we are often also surrounded by physical infrastructure that is just as limiting.

April 10 - Devin Partida

Passengers on a women's only subway car in Mexico City, Mexico

FEATURE

Mind the Gender Gap: Achieving Transit Equity Through a Gendered Perspective

How acknowledging the unique transportation needs of women can lead to more equitable, effective public transport service for all.

April 5 - Emma Chapman

Aerial view of green trees over residential neighborhood with Austin, Texas skyline in the background

FEATURE

Street Trees as Climate Resilience

An Austin-based urban designer explains how protecting and encouraging the planting of street trees will make the city more resilient to increasingly common extreme heat events, among many other benefits.

April 3 - Diana Ionescu

People on bikes and pedestrians walking on busy city street in Milan, Italy

BLOG POST

‘World Transport Policy and Practice’ Published by TCSC

The journal World Transport Policy and Practice continues its 26-year publication history.

April 2 - World Transport Policy and Practice

“Moral & Political Chart of the inhabited world:  Exhibiting the Prevailing Religion, form of government, degree of civilization, and Population of each country.” In Woodbridge’s School Atlas, 1831.

BLOG POST

The Pseudoscientific Foundations of Racist Planning Practices

Racist and colonialist narratives in old geography textbooks help explain the prevalence of segregationist and discriminatory policies and other nasty planning practices. It’s time to understand and reconcile.

March 28 - Todd Litman

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.

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