Exclusives

Orange sign and traffic cones indicating work zone on road.

BLOG POST

Old Versus New Traffic Safety Paradigms

Current U.S. traffic safety programs are failing to reduce crash rates. A new traffic safety paradigm expands the scope of strategies that can be used to reduce crashes, which increases effectiveness and total benefits.

March 2 - Todd Litman

Large flock of purple martin birds at dusk flying above a light pole.

FEATURE

Purple Martins Call Nashville Home. Some Wish They Wouldn't

Each year, the city plays host to hundreds of thousands of birds on their way to and from South America.

March 2 - Maggie Gigandet

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

FEATURE

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28 - Justin Hollander

Close-up of car dashboard with speedometer at 35 on roadway at night.

FEATURE

Has Progress on Travel Safety Run Off the Road?

Changing technology and rebuilding infrastructure to improve road safety are long-term strategies. How can enforcement and interventions that influence driver behavior make a difference in reducing traffic deaths sooner?

February 21 - Steven Polzin

Tiny home village for unhoused reisdents in Torrance, California.

FEATURE

Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi

One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.

February 20 - Mark Tirpak

Paved walking path next to canal in The Woodlands, Texas with office buildings in background.

FEATURE

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50

A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

February 19 - Greg Flisram


Aerial view of South Orange, New Jersey.

BLOG POST

Off-Street Parking in the Midburbs

In several New Jersey cities, eliminating parking requirements has boosted local businesses.

February 18 - Gabe Bailer - PP - AICP - NJ Urbanthinker

Group of five small children running on concrete outdoors on sunny day.

BLOG POST

Planning Communities for Thriving Children

When it comes to children's health and economic success, current trends are dismal. New research identifies how to plan communities where children can thrive. The secret? Compact, mixed-income, multimodal neighborhoods.

February 17 - Todd Litman


Fort Mill, South Carolina: Kingsley Town Center. Mixed use development of repurposed textile mill with smokestack and streets "Textile Way" and "Broadcloth Street."

BLOG POST

Rethinking Suburban Development: New Trends in Creating Livable Communities

Discover new trends in suburban development focused on creating more livable, sustainable communities for future growth.

February 17 - Devin Partida

Community engagement event held outdoors to evaluate opinions on the renovation of MacGregor Park in Houston, Texas.

FEATURE

Public and Private Collaboration Advances Park Development in Houston

Houston may be known to some as a concrete jungle, but its greenspaces continue to expand thanks to combined support from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

February 13 - Beth White

Young girl sitting at school desk taking test with blurred teacher and other students in background.

BLOG POST

Cities and Test Scores

The latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that student learning has not recovered from its COVID-era decline. Is this more true for urban school districts than for the rest of the United States?

February 10 - Michael Lewyn

Edinburg regional medical center under construction in Edinburg, Texas.

FEATURE

Hitting Its Stride Or Hitting A Wall? South Texas At a Watershed Moment

Can South Texas rise up without drying up?

February 9 - Greg Flisram

Large bridge under construction.

FEATURE

From Grants to Growth: The Critical Role of Funding in Urban Transportation Projects

How cities are taking innovative approaches and adopting technology to develop sustainable, long-term funding sources for transportation infrastructure.

February 7 - Timothy Menard

Neoclassical United States Treasury building in Washington, D.C.

BLOG POST

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.

February 6 - Diana Ionescu

The Seat of Government

BLOG POST

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3 - Todd Litman

Looking up at cluster of high-rise modern office buildings in San Francisco, California.

BLOG POST

Navigating the Challenges of Inflation in Urban Development Projects

Explore strategies for urban planners to manage and mitigate the impact of inflation on city development projects.

January 30 - Devin Partida

Cars parked along a narrow street with colorful two-story houses in Dublin, Ireland.

FEATURE

Reimagining the Curb: How Smart Curb Management is Transforming Urban Mobility

Modern demands for curbside space call for new ways to manage and allocate it.

January 30 - Peter Richards

Drone view from Independence Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine.

BLOG POST

Urbanism in a Time of War

The first in a series of posts reflecting on urbanism and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

January 29 - Mikael Colville-Andersen

Aerial view of Klyde Warren deck park on freeway cap in downtown Dallas, Texas.

FEATURE

I Help Plan Cap Parks; Here’s What Austin Can Learn from Other Cities

How freeway capping projects can literally and metaphorically bridge urban divides.

January 24 - Dan Biederman

Front entrance of U.S. Department of Transportation office in Washington D.C.

BLOG POST

Preserving Essential Information in an Uncertain World

The new U.S. federal administration may eliminate useful information sources. Planners should download and preserve key documents and datasets.

January 24 - Todd Litman

Aerial view of Chicago with river in foreground.

BLOG POST

Did Brookings Get It Wrong?

A recent Brookings study on the 2020 homicide wave tells a simple story: unemployment plus closed schools plus guns equals crime. But is the story accurate?

January 20 - Michael Lewyn

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.

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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