Exclusives

Close-up of red For Rent sign with white text on porck of brick building.

BLOG POST

Understanding Average Versus Median Rent

The disparity between these commonly used terms can give vastly different outlooks on the housing market.

April 16 - Marcelo Remond

View of the stage, crowd, and speaker at the opening session of NPC24.

BLOG POST

Housing and Equity Take Center Stage at NPC24

With discussions centering on how to solve the housing crisis and create more equitable communities, Minneapolis is a fitting host city for APA’s annual National Planning Conference.

April 14 - Mary Hammon

Street scene in Greenwich Village, New York City with people walking through busy intersection and new WTC tower in background.

BLOG POST

Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility

Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.

April 14 - Todd Litman

Wood-frame two-story rowhouses under construction.

FEATURE

Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’

If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.

April 11 - James Jennings

Shopping Mall

BLOG POST

March’s Must-Reads: Our Top 10 Articles from Last Month

Planetizen readers were most interested in March stories about Oregon’s urban growth boundary, New York City congestion pricing, planning with AI, parking reform, and more.

April 10 - Mary Hammon

Aerial view of Monte Alban plaza ruins in Mexico.

BLOG POST

First Cities: Planning Lessons for the 21st Century

A new book about urban planning in the deep human past explores principles, strategies, and lessons relevant for today.

April 9 - Dean Saitta


View of upper story of row of townhomes.

BLOG POST

Can Technology Help Build Better Housing?

Cities need more “missing middle” housing. A new startup aims to help real estate developers build it.

April 8 - Hugh McFall

24-hour parking sign above parking garage entrance through which you can see a white SUV driving

FEATURE

Want to Reduce Traffic Congestion? Cash Out Employer-Paid Parking

Employer-paid parking will undermine New York City’s congestion tolls. But parking cash-out policies like those in California and Washington D.C. can solve the problem.

April 1 - Donald Shoup


Riverside, California

BLOG POST

How Persuasive Are Arguments Against Statewide Zoning Reform?

A leading scholar of state and local government argues that local governments’ need to regulate business should take priority over the state and national interests in lowering housing costs. Are his assumptions persuasive?

March 31 - Michael Lewyn

Urban Garden

BLOG POST

How Nonprofits Are Shaping Sustainable Cities

Learn about nonprofits' pivotal role in urban sustainability, from policy advocacy to launching eco-initiatives that are transforming cityscapes for the better.

March 19 - Devin Partida

A boat floats on a bright green Chicago River lined by skyscrapers.

BLOG POST

An Urbanist’s Guide to St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Festivities in these five U.S. cities and towns honor Irish and Irish American culture with an urban planning twist.

March 15 - Mary Hammon

Aerial view of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with dense, low-rise housing in foreground.

BLOG POST

A Better Understanding of Smart Growth Benefits

Smart Growth creates compact, multimodal communities where residents consume less land, drive less, and rely more on non-auto modes. Planners have important stories to tell about the benefits of Smart Growth.

March 14 - Todd Litman

View down California Street in San Francisco, California with Chinatown pagoda buildings and golden hour sky in background.

BLOG POST

Is Inequality Destroying American Cities?

A recent video claimed that high income inequality is the “Thing That Will Destroy Our Cities.” Is this true?

March 13 - Michael Lewyn

Pink light art installation above public plaza in Singapore by Janet Echelman.

BLOG POST

Celebrating Women Urbanists

This International Women’s Month, we look back on our list of Most Influential Urbanists to highlight the contributions of women in urban planning and urban design.

March 12 - Planetizen

Close-up of front side of blue and white bus with accessibility sticker and people wearing backpacks waiting outside of bus.

BLOG POST

Responding to Public Transit Criticism

Public transit plays a unique and important role in an efficient and equitable transportation system. Planners must communicate the benefits that public transit provides and respond to ill-informed critics.

March 5 - Todd Litman

View of large glass building with glass doors and "To Trains" sign.

BLOG POST

Transit Coordination Leads to Better Transit and More Riders

Regional transit coordination provides the best transit experience in an urban area. It enables better, more affordable transit which in turn improves ridership. After 50 years of experience in Europe, the U.S. should finally embrace the concept.

March 4 - World Transport Policy and Practice

Curbside packed with park cars and cyclist riding on the sidewalk.

FEATURE

Rethinking the Notion of Parking as a Public Good

Parking shapes every element of the urban environment, often to the detriment of a place. Why do we subsidize public parking as a public good, and how can we move forward?

March 4 - David Mepham

Pedestrian street with colorful patio umbrellas and tall palm trees in Miami, Florida.

BLOG POST

Learning From Miami

Miami is denser than most American cities, but is more car-dependent than some less compact cities. Why?

March 1 - Michael Lewyn

Graphic of person's hands with 2024 in middle against backdrop of city skyline and golden hour sky with rays coming through.

FEATURE

Planning Trends to Watch in 2024

Post-pandemic clarity — and sheer necessity — may be bringing some of the most urgent issues of recent years to a head.

February 28 - Diana Ionescu

View from inside York House adaptive reuse building in London.

FEATURE

Adaptive Reuse: The Missing Piece to the Housing Puzzle?

Millions of square feet sit vacant while millions of Americans struggle to find affordable housing. Can reimagining our empty skyscrapers be the key to unlocking both solutions?

February 26 - Ricardo Brites

Looking up at a modern glass skyscraper with green tree next to it.

FEATURE

The Benefits of Trees

In addition to all the economically valuable services they provide, trees are beautiful as pure aesthetic objects and a welcome presence in any landscape.

February 19 - Corey Squire

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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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