Community / Economic Development

Masked Passengers at Rainway Station

Transportation Equity Lessons from the Pandemic

Almost a year into the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urban Institute assesses what we've learned about transportation equity—and what these lessons mean for the future.

January 12, 2021 - Urban Institute

Parking Lot

Is the Era of Over-Parking Over?

Cities like Vancouver are rethinking parking minimums as they try to meet climate goals, reduce traffic, and reallocate street space to other modes.

January 11, 2021 - Sightline

Shaw, D.C.

Is Anti-Growth the Wrong Approach to Fighting Gentrification?

Limiting development has been a powerful tool for anti-gentrification activists, but have these policies had counter-productive effects?

January 10, 2021 - The Atlantic

Big H. Gateway to the City of Hopewell road art.

Small Towns Provide Fertile Ground for Smart Urbanism

One Virginia town's complete streets transformation shows promise for active transportation interventions in small communities.

January 10, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Stockholm Complete Street

Sweden's 'One-Minute City' Reimagines the Street at a Hyper-Local Level

Rather than trying to meet all of a community's needs within a one-minute radius, Sweden's Street Moves pilot program gives residents the power to decide how street space gets used.

January 8, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Atlanta Park

The Blue Beltway

Ronald Brownstein, a senior editor at The Atlantic, coins a new political-geographic term in the wake of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections to describe a shift in the political alignment of nearly all large metropolitan areas in the nation.

January 8, 2021 - The Atlantic

Baltimore Rail

Report Highlights the Need for Local Governance in Baltimore Transit

The unique structure of the Maryland Transit Administration leaves local stakeholders out of decision-making.

January 7, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Cable Car

What Will California's Commutes Look Like After COVID-19?

As the pandemic begins to wind down, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's Deborah Dagang speculates on the future of commuting, traffic, and public transit as Californians slowly return to their travel routines.

January 6, 2021 - The Mercury News

Houston's downtown skyline

From Dumps to Solar Farms, One Houston Neighborhood Is Planning its Own Future

After decades of fighting landfills and pollution in their community, residents of Sunnyside are working to build a more sustainable future.

January 5, 2021 - One Breath Partnership

East Nashville

What Biden's First 100 Days Will Look Like for Transportation

The new administration's policies are likely to promote clean energy and equity goals and focus resources on maintenance of existing infrastructure.

January 5, 2021 - FreightWaves

Ohio

Ohio Approves New Tax Credit and Crowdfunding to Boost Downtown Development

Two pieces of legislation signed by Gov. DeWine promote investment in "legacy" cities.

January 5, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Lake Powell

The Southwest Contends With a Crisis on the Colorado River

With warmer temperatures sapping the flow of water and communities clamoring for higher volumes, the Colorado River needs strict management to continue serving millions of people and farms.

January 4, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Broadway Bike Lane

The Uncertain Future of Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan

By prioritizing a multi-modal approach and preserving existing vehicle space, the Seattle Department of Transportation risks abandoning the goals of its bicycle master plan.

January 4, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Penn Station

New York's Moynihan Train Hall Opens to the Public

The spacious, glass-ceilinged hall brings much-needed breathing room to the nation's busiest train station.

January 4, 2021 - Curbed

Homeless

Project Homekey Crosses Major Threshold

California's effort to create emergency supportive housing options during the pandemic has completed a large-scale acquisition process.

January 3, 2021 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Restaurant Tables

Cities Regulate Delivery App Fees to Support Ailing Restaurants

High platform fees for food delivery apps have put struggling restaurants between a rock and a hard place.

January 3, 2021 - City Monitor

Los Angeles Freeway

Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies

The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.

January 3, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Bus Only

Richmond Seeks to Expand Bus Rapid Transit

After seeing impressive ridership growth, Richmond's transit agency wants to expand bus rapid transit to more destinations in the region.

December 31, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Japan High Speed Rail

WSDOT Report Outlines Plan for Cascadia High-Speed Rail

A regional high-speed rail network could be coming to the Pacific Northwest, linking cities from Oregon to British Columbia.

December 31, 2020 - The Urbanist

Coronavirus Protest

Urban Planning and the Coronavirus: 2020 Year in Review

If ever there was a doubt about the sheer depth and breadth of intersectionality found in the practice and theory of planning, the pandemic provides daily reminders.

December 31, 2020 - James Brasuell

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.