Education & Careers
10 Hot Urban Careers
Cities are cool again! The increased interest in urban issues, and rapidly evolving technological landscape, have multiplied the ways in which professionals can create more livable places. Nicole Ferraro looks at ten such positions.
The Power of Place: On Democracy and Public Participation in Planning
More thoughts on how public participation in the placemaking process can create better places and better functioning democracies.
A Plea for Stronger Architectural Ethics
Should architects recuse themselves from designing buildings that violate human rights? Raphael Sperry says yes, especially when it comes to two building types that are ethically troublesome: execution chambers and supermax prisons.
New Project Seeks to Boost Community Planning in the UK
The passage of the Localism Act gave broad new planning powers to local communities across the UK. A new project seeks to build a bottom-up planning culture to take advantage of new opportunities.
The Timeless Value of Visuals to Planning
Throughout the history of planning, compelling visuals have been essential to communicating the concepts established in "our most influential plans," says Howard Blackson. That tradition continues in New Urban placemaking endeavors.
Writing a Statement of Purpose for Graduate Education
How should a statement of purpose for a graduate school application differ from one for an undergrad program? This post outlines the elements of a compelling graduate school statement.
Outlook for Architects Looking Up
With the AIA's Architecture Billings Index at its highest level since November 2007, the future is promising for a profession that's been battered for five solid years. Can the construction industry be far behind? Matt Chaban digs into the numbers.
Reviving the Art of Urban Sketching
Los Angeles County Planner Dr. Clement Lau reviews "The Art of Urban Sketching" (2012) by Gabriel Campanario. The volume has added to his planning skill set and allowed him to discover his inner artist.
Is it Time to Ditch Zoning?
As mixed-use development increasingly supersedes single-use development, Roger K. Lewis argues that we should retire the word "zoning" and its outdated "characterization of how we plan and shape growth."
Is a Lack of Female Architects Harming Britain's Cities?
With women making up only 21 percent of the Britain's registered architects, a percentage far lower than other professions, "insidious" discrimination is common in the field, writes Andrew Hough. Is this harming the nation's built environment?
MIT Shows its Love for 'Advanced Urbanism'
This week, reports Orhan Ayyüce, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the launch of "a major new research center focused on the planning, design, construction and retrofitting of urban environments for the 21st century."
Economic Development and Planning: It's a Match!
Mitchell Silver, Raleigh City Planner and President of the APA, is on a mission to get planners to realize the importance of return on investment (ROI) in their projects. Raleigh is providing the testing ground for his arguments.
Using Instagram as a Planning Tool
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau describes how Instagram, the increasingly popular photo-sharing social media app., has become a valuable addition to his quiver of planning tools.
The World's Largest Architecture Firms
Vanessa Quirk discusses the results of Building Design's annual listing of the largest architecture firms in the world. The architecture and engineering behemoth Aecom has claimed top spot (up from number 2 last year) with 1,370 employees.
Shuttered Schools a Growing Challenge in Cities Across the U.S.
Although young adults and baby boomers are flocking back to America's cities, declines in K-12 enrollment are causing many cities to close their schools. A new report looks at the commons challenges in finding new uses for these buildings.
The Roots of American Planning
During the 1920s, the federal government passed a pair of laws that continue to this day to be hugely consequential to the modern practices of city planning and zoning. The two laws also planted the seeds of the planning profession.
Making the Most of Being a Student, Part 2
Making the most of being a student requires more than just completing the course credits necessary for a degree. See my suggestions for activities beyond the classroom that are key to getting a great education.
Keeping Up with the Field: Computerized Tools for Tracking Research and New Ideas
Urban planning professionals and researchers increasingly face information overload. Todd BenDor and Rob Goodspeed suggest three techniques for strategically monitoring the web for new research and ideas.
The 'Troubling Irony' Beneath the High Line
Presenting the case of New York's High Line, student Sahra Mirbabaee questions who benefits from the city's investments.
Of Plans and Prose: Tips for Planning Journalism
Having served on the editorial board of Plan Canada for more than four years now, I've gained a pretty good sense of what makes a solid article on planning practice, and the common pitfalls to which authors often fall victim. As such, I offer below some guidelines that should assist prospective authors interested in submitting to the practitioner literature in producing the most suitable submissions requiring the least amount of revision.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
