New York

Rendering of Innovation QNS with landscaped open public space on corner and glass-clad building

2.7-Million-Square-Foot Astoria Project Approved

The development will include over 2,800 housing units and 2 acres of public open space.

September 30, 2022 - Urbanize New York

Miami and Key Biscayne

The Great American Exodus: A Conservative's Perspective

During his keynote speech on September 11 at the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis describes the demographic shifts in America since he became governor in 2019 in what he calls the 'Great American Exodus.'

September 27, 2022 - The Wall Street Journal

Building Heights and Step-Backs

When Taller Buildings Don’t Mean More Density

Some New York City developers are building low-density luxury high-rises that, in some cases, have fewer units than the buildings they replaced.

September 27, 2022 - The New York Times

Close-up of reel-to-reel tape recorder with hand turning knob

Press ‘Record’ To Catch Fair Housing Violators—If You Can

Fair housing testers often go undercover to expose discriminatory housing practices, but laws prohibiting recording conversations hamper investigations.

September 20, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

View of New York City street with yellow cabs and purple and red brick apartment buildings in background

New York Hotels to Housing Program at a Standstill

The much-vaunted pledge to turn vacant hotel rooms into supportive housing units has failed to materialize as hoteliers see tourism rebound and developers find regulations too onerous and expensive.

September 20, 2022 - Politico

New York City Pedestrians

Which Road Safety Interventions Work Best?

Data from New York City show that traffic safety projects that give pedestrians the most space are the most effective in reducing fatal crashes and injuries.

September 19, 2022 - Governing

Mega-Developments

Revisiting New York’s Massive Sunnyside Yard Master Plan

You might have lost track of the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan—a proposal for 12,000 new housing units in Queens—because it was announced to the public in March 2020 and has since been shelved.

September 14, 2022 - Gotham Gazette

A view of the Cross Bronx Expressway, an elevated highway that allows cars to drive past apartment buildings.

The Case for Urban Highway Removal

Instead of removing urban freeways, which have proven to be destructive to communities and economies—in some cases deliberately so—many cities are expanding freeways in and around cities.

September 12, 2022 - The New York Times

Automated enforcement sign for dedicated bus lane in Manhattan, New York.

New York To Crack Down on Bus Lane Blocking Violations

The city hopes to improve the speed of its notoriously slow buses by using traffic cameras to ticket drivers who drive or park in dedicated bus lanes.

September 8, 2022 - Politico

Electric Cars

Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?

Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.

September 7, 2022 - The Associated Press

New York City Bike Infrastructure

New York to Plan a Network of ‘Greenway’ Corridors for Bike and Pedestrian Improvements

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has the federal funding to launch a new, equity-focused bike and pedestrian planning initiative.

September 7, 2022 - AMNY

Numerous trains are lined up at the Hudson Yards train depot with the fancy architecture of Hudson Yards in the background.

More Delays, Billions for the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway Program

Considered by some to be the most critical infrastructure project in the country, the Gateway Project is an ongoing example of the extreme costs of bureaucratic and political neglect.

September 6, 2022 - The New York Times

New York City

Massive Empire State Complex Gains Key Political Support

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is backing one of the largest real estate development projects in U.S. history—larger even than the nearby Hudson Yards project.

September 5, 2022 - The New York Times

New York City Winter

New York MTA Cuts Bus Service

The transit crisis continues.

September 4, 2022 - New York Daily News

Cars on a New York City street

New Yorkers Weigh in on Congestion Pricing

Hundreds of people signed up to speak at the city’s first public meeting on the long-delayed plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan’s Central Business District.

August 29, 2022 - Gothamist

Chicago Commuter Rail

Alternative Railroad Electrification

Rather than building costly overhead electrification infrastructure to convert a Chicago-area commuter rail line from polluting diesel power to emission-free electricity, the Metra Board of Directors chose a far less expensive and quicker route.

August 28, 2022 - Metra

"25mph unless otherwise posted" speed limit sign in New York City

New York City To Test Speed Limiting Tech on City Vehicles

Advocates hope the city’s plan to install speed governors on part of its municipal fleet will prompt other cities and government agencies to follow suit.

August 23, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Breaking NYC’s Housing Speculation Cycle

When wealthy investors treat homes like poker chips, it is the tenants who end up losing. How do we interrupt the vicious cycle of speculation and displacement?

August 23, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

California Shelter-in-Place

Analysis of Downtown Recoveries Reveals Post-Pandemic Winners and Losers

The recovery of U.S. downtowns is happening at widely different paces depending on which city you consider.

August 21, 2022 - Institute of Governmental Studies

Uber Dumbo

‘Instagrammed to Death’ or a Return to Pre-Pandemic Normal?

Familiar controversies might seem reassuring in 2022.

August 21, 2022 - The New York Times

Top Books

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Top Websites

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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.