Exclusives

Protest Crowd

FEATURE

Breaking the Bias on Public Transport

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

October 20 - Louise Ribet

Still image of EPCOT city concept from Disney's 1966 promotional film

BLOG POST

EPCOT: The Original 'Smart City'

What can today’s futurists learn from Disney’s unrealized utopia?

October 7 - Diana Ionescu

Woonerf street with no curbs and trees in Lodz, Poland

PLANOPEDIA

What Is a Woonerf?

The woonerf, a type of road design that encourages multimodal transportation and blends pedestrian and vehicle space, was born as a reaction to the car-centric development that began dominating American and European city planning in the mid-twentieth century.

October 5 - Diana Ionescu

People post for photos in front of a colorful mural in the evening.

FEATURE

Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place

Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward.

October 4 - Brian Chambers

Nighttime shot of decorative fountain with horses and Country Club Plaza tower in background

FEATURE

Three Planning Innovations, a Century Later

Three events turning 100 this year have had a long-lasting impact on the shape of American urban design and land use.

October 3 - Diana Ionescu


Rendering of Culdesac Tempe development

PLANOPEDIA

What Is a Variance?

Variances allow for development projects to deviate from the zoning code on a case-by-case basis—if the project developer can prove a unique economic or physical hardship.

October 2 - James Brasuell

A crowd of people cross the street with a sign for the entrance of Disneyland in the background

BLOG POST

Disneyland Is Too Crowded. Is More Capacity Needed?

Disneyland has a plan to create more supply to meet contemporary demand, a strategy reminiscent of contemporary debates surrounding housing and transportation.

September 29 - James Brasuell


Victorian two-story buildings with retail shops in downtown Nashvile, Tennessee

BLOG POST

How Adaptive Retailers Contribute to Positive Urbanization

Retailers must respond to changes to stay successful, and urbanization is one of the major factors influencing changing circumstances. Retail representatives that react with care and thoughtfulness contribute to positive urbanization.

September 29 - Devin Partida

Hyperloop

BLOG POST

The Hyperloop’s Prospects Dim

The media is coming around to the idea that the hyperloop is not a near-term solution for the country’s transportation woes. It’s too little, too obvious, too late.

September 27 - James Brasuell

Outdoor Dining

FEATURE

Revamped Curb Management Strategies Among Pandemic Changes Likely to Stick in Cities

With so many more people working from home, ordering delivery, and moving around the public realm in new ways, advanced curb management strategies are among the pandemic-era innovations likely to stick long into the future.

September 21 - David Thom

Pedestrians

BLOG POST

A Legal Perspective on Transportation Safety

Legal scholars are showing how the federal government frustrates pedestrian safety.

September 19 - Michael Lewyn

Green Healthy Community

FEATURE

Making Healthy Places

The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.

September 18 - Laurie Mazur

Subway riders in Bangkok wear masks during the pandemic.

FEATURE

A Sustainable Future Requires Smart, Data-Driven Public Transport Networks

Devin de Vries, CEO of WhereIsMyTransport, makes the case for new and improved mobility as a tool for sustainability and equitable economic development.

September 14 - Devin de Vries

Governors Island - South Island Rezoning

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Zoning Amendments?

Zoning amendments change the existing zoning code by either of two methods: changing the text of the zoning code or changing the zoning map.

September 8 - James Brasuell

Row of Pallet Shelter tiny home units with bicycles in front

FEATURE

The Role of Microhousing in Ending Chronic Homelessness

Affordable, quick-build ‘tiny homes’ can serve as a key stepping stone to a permanent housing situation for people experiencing homelessness.

September 1 - Diana Ionescu

Pioneer Square, Seattle

BLOG POST

Cool Planning for a Hotter Future

Global warming increases the importance of designing buildings and communities that are comfortable, efficient, and safe in hot conditions.

August 31 - Todd Litman

Highway Interchange

BLOG POST

Do Highways Frustrate Mobility?

One common argument for highways is that even if they fail to reduce congestion, they allow people to go more places. This claim overlooks the effects of highways on development patterns.

August 30 - Michael Lewyn

SLOW painted on asphalt street

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Traffic Calming?

Traffic calming is a set of design interventions aimed at slowing or diverting car traffic to reduce the chance of crashes and improve safety for all road users.

August 29 - Diana Ionescu

A conceptual rendering of a cable-stayed bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Sheboygan River in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

BLOG POST

How Locals Are Planning to Spend $2.2 Billion in RAISE Transportation Grants, Part Two

Part two of a series of post providing specific information for 164 of the 166 projects recently awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE grant funding program.

August 29 - James Brasuell

A pair of electric cars plugged into charge at facilities in the corner of a shopping center parking lot.

FEATURE

Electric Driving Is the Future; Now Is the Time to Price It

EVs are great, but they’re not perfect. Let’s end their free ride.

August 24 - Adam Millard-Ball and Michael Manville

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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