Exclusives

A group of protestors support Black Lives Matter and call for police reforms while gathered on top of a bus stop in Los Angeles.

FEATURE

Reparative Planning as Movement Building

The "Metro as Sanctuary" campaign provides an example of movement-based planning. This kind of planning is relational and solidaristic, with an emphasis on collective decision-making, complementary divisions of labor, and mutual learning.

August 25 - Lily Song

A aerial view of Ladera Ranch, California, showing a variety of buildings and open space.

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Master Planned Communities?

Now frequently associated with retirees and sprawling developments in the U.S. Sun Belt, master planned communities, also known as new towns or planned communities, were invented as an escape from the haphazard growth of urban areas in the mid-20th century.

August 24 - James Brasuell

A digital vaccination record appears on a smartphone in front of a blurred background showing diners in an outdoor setting.

BLOG POST

5 Cities Leading the Way in COVID-19 Management Tech

Advanced new contact tracing measures, citizen outreach technology, and other innovations are helping these cities fight the spread of COVID-19.

August 23 - Devin Partida

A small town in the U.S. Midwest at dusk, with cars parked on a street lined with historic buildings and a water tower in the distance.

FEATURE

Small-Scale Manufacturing Can Maximize the Potential of America's Small Cities

Artisans and small-scale manufacturers offer tremendous economic opportunities for cities prepared to harness that creative and entrepreneurial energy.

August 19 - Ilana Preuss

U.S. Census Bureau

BLOG POST

News Brief: Census 2020 Population Data

Most of the media commentary that followed last week's release of Census 2020 data focused on trends in the racial demographics of the country and the country's growing rural-urban divide.

August 18 - James Brasuell


Capitol Hill

FEATURE

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Heads to the House: Details and Reactions From the Planning World

Planetizen gathered explainer posts and advocacy responses that continue to shine a light on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved by the U.S. Senate earlier this month.

August 17 - James Brasuell

Manhattan, New York City

BLOG POST

Cities Are Back (At Least They Were Before COVID)

The 2020 Census results show that central cities were gaining population to a much greater extent than earlier Census estimates had suggested.

August 16 - Michael Lewyn


New York Subway

BLOG POST

Take the A Train: A Musical Inspiration for Planners

"Take the A Train" is a beautiful celebration of rail transit, urban sophistication, and the Harlem Renaissance all packed into the most danceable 2:54 minutes of musical teamwork ever recorded on a 78 disk. It's my inspiration for great planning!

August 16 - Todd Litman

Capitol Hill

BLOG POST

Bipartisan 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes the Senate

A final vote of 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues in the Senate, will send the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the House.

August 10 - James Brasuell

Northern California Wilidfires

BLOG POST

Time Is Running Out to Limit the Damage of Climate Change, According to Historic UN Report

The role of humans in creating immense risks from extreme weather, drought, sea-level rise, and bio-diversity loss is "unequivocal," according to a landmark study by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

August 9 - James Brasuell

Climate Change Protest

BLOG POST

The Climate One-Two Punch

Like a boxer, cities are wielding their one-two punch in the fight against climate change. One punch aims to protect people from the oppressive heat, while the second punch strikes at the source of global warming by reducing overall GHG emissions.

August 2 - Robert Fischer

Raleigh, North Carolina

BLOG POST

It's Good to Be a Small Business in These 6 U.S. Cities

Here are six U.S. cities where small companies are thriving.

July 20 - Devin Partida

Chicago Public Housing

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Urban Renewal?

Ostensibly intended to improve "blighted" neighborhoods and provide better housing conditions, urban renewal often involved displacement and the wholesale destruction of urban communities.

July 16 - Diana Ionescu

The Shanghai Statement signing at Tongji University on 14 July 2001.

BLOG POST

The World's Planning Schools Joined Hands in Shanghai in 2001

The Shanghai Statement creating the Global Planning Education Association Network (GPEAN) was signed by ten planning school associations at the closing ceremony of the 1st World Planning Schools Congress at Tongji University, 20 years ago this week.

July 15 - Bruce Stiftel

San Francisco Traffic

BLOG POST

A Critical Evaluation of the Urban Mobility Report

The Urban Mobility Report (UMR) evaluates traffic congestion problems and recommends congestion reduction solutions. How well does it reflect travelers' priorities?

July 13 - Todd Litman

Bike Lane New York

FEATURE

Biking's Billion-Dollar Value, Right Under Our Wheels

A strategic switch to biking would dramatically reduce the depth of roads, saving untold billions over the next generation.

July 12 - Richard Dion

A worn down industrial building in Brooklyn.

BLOG POST

The Problem With Anti-Commercial NIMBYism

Some people oppose commercial development in working-class neighborhoods, fearing gentrification. But if nothing that makes a place more desirable can be built, jobs will become less accessible to those neighborhoods—an obviously absurd result.

July 7 - Michael Lewyn

Electric Scooter Share

BLOG POST

Planning for New Mobilities: Preparing for Innovative Transportation Technologies and Services

New mobilities—emerging transportation technologies and services—have tantalizing potential. They allow people to scoot, ride, and fly like never before. However, they can also impose surprising problems. How should communities prepare?

June 30 - Todd Litman

A Black woman stands in front of a home holding an umbrella and smiling.

BLOG POST

The Beginning of Housing Reparations

In a growing trend, both local and state governments are addressing the nation's huge racial wealth gap by working to reverse the legacy of discriminatory housing and lending policies.

June 30 - Joan Fitzgerald

Highway Interchange

BLOG POST

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Compromise Includes Cuts to Transit and 'Human Infrastructure'

An agreement laid out last week by the White House and Republican lawmakers makes dramatic cuts to funding for public transit, rail, and "human infrastructure" projects while leaving highway funding almost intact.

June 29 - Diana Ionescu

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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