Exclusives

This week's top urban planning news headlines on Planetizen.com

BLOG POST

Planetizen’s Most Popular Stories This Week

Massachusetts TOD law update, Google’s nuclear power agreement, and other Planetizen headlines, along with a few other things we’re reading.

October 27 - Mary Hammon

Brown-haired woman in an orange jacket walking down crowded street smiling

BLOG POST

How the Built Environment Affects Your Mood

Humans have survived for millennia by staying together, not apart.

October 27 - Marcelo Remond

Sign with icons indicating access to multiple transportation modes in Le Havre, France

BLOG POST

Evaluating Transportation Affordability: How Planners Can Better Respond to Demands for Lower Cost Travel

Affordability is an important but often overlooked transportation planning issue. A new report provides practical guidance for evaluating transportation affordability and achieving affordability goals.

October 24 - Todd Litman

Bird's eye view of park with green trees, concrete walkways, and benches on lake or riverfront.

FEATURE

Not a Walk in the Park: What It Really Takes to Build Green Spaces

Park creation can take decades of perseverance to overcome financial, regulatory, and social hurdles, but the end result for the local community is more than worth it.

October 23 - Clement Lau

Two-way green painted bike lane in city.

BLOG POST

Book Review: Combining Sustainability and Smart Growth

A review of The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, by architects Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson.

October 22 - Michael Lewyn


Two workers in yellow safety vests and hard hats looking at multiple computer monitors.

BLOG POST

The Role of AI in Streamlining Municipal Services and Operations

Explore how artificial intelligence optimizes municipal services, enhancing efficiency in urban planning, traffic management, and public safety.

October 18 - Devin Partida

Car half submerged in brown flood water in Asheville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.

BLOG POST

Love Letter to Asheville

A River Arts District resident and urbanist reflects on her experience in the former “climate haven” in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

October 17 - April Economides


Aerial view of a single-family neighborhood with trees.

FEATURE

Planning Fair: How Fair Housing Intersects with Planning

The successful implementation of fair housing laws requires the active participation of urban planners, land use boards, elected officials, and the wider planning community.

October 15 - Jenny Raitt

Single-family house with two-car garage under construction

BLOG POST

YIMBY Right And Left: A Review of Two Books

A review of two books about the American housing crisis — one tailored to liberal readers, another tailored to conservative readers.

October 15 - Michael Lewyn

Two older women sitting on green sofa looking at paperwork or bills.

FEATURE

LGBTQ+ Elders Face Compounded Challenges in Accessing Fair and Equitable Housing

Lessons for building affirming, inclusive, and trauma-informed housing developments for older LGBTQ+ adults.

October 14 - Sydney Kopp-Richardson

Close-up of U.S., California, and POW-MIA flags on California state capitol dome.

BLOG POST

California’s New Housing Laws: What You Need to Know

The state legislature passed dozens of new laws aimed at improving housing affordability and streamlining the development process to meet rising demand.

October 13 - Diana Ionescu

Banner for urban planning creators with logos.

FEATURE

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know in 2024

Whether you’re a TikTok enthusiast or a Substack reader, you can find plenty of valuable and engaging urban planning content in the new media landscape.

October 11 - Planetizen

Black-and-white 1924 photo of a street in Los Angeles with a street car, cars driving in the other lane over street car tracks and pedestrians walking on sidewalk and middle of street.

FEATURE

The 100-Year Road to Car Dependency in the US

October 8, 2024, marks the centennial of the publication of what would soon become the Los Angeles Traffic Ordinance — a landmark on the road toward our car-dominated status quo.

October 8 - Peter Norton

September's must-reads: Planetizen's top 10 articles from September with aerial view of Akron, Ohio, in the background.

BLOG POST

September Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Housing affordability, Texas high-speed rail, school drop-off congestion, Project 2025 transportation policy, and more — here are Planetizen’s most popular headlines from September 2024.

October 6 - Mary Hammon

MARTA train tracks run in the middle of a six lane highway with an overpass and the Buckhead city skyline of skyscrapers in the background.

BLOG POST

How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?

Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.

September 29 - Marcelo Remond

People in large plaza in front of Zurich Opera House in Switzerland.

BLOG POST

But... Europe

European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?

September 26 - Michael Lewyn

Rear view of woman in blue coat riding bike on busy road signals with left hand to merge into lane of traffic.

BLOG POST

The Risks of Self-Fulfilling Travel Forecasts

Transportation agencies continue to apply predict-and-provide planning which simply extrapolates past trends to predict future needs. It’s time to apply decide-and-provide planning to better achieve community goals.

September 23 - Todd Litman

Green "Dispensary Now Open" banner on tan/orange building.

BLOG POST

Economic Impacts of Zoning for Cannabis Businesses

Discover the economic impacts of zoning for cannabis businesses, including how these regulations affect local economies, influence real estate values, and shape community development.

September 19 - Devin Partida

College Students

FEATURE

Urban Planning Is Often Overlooked as a Career — Why Is That?

Research shows that the majority of young people aren't aware of urban planning, let alone of its potential as a career. This article offers three ways colleges and universities with undergraduate degrees and masters programs in urban planning can do to attract children and young people from diverse backgrounds to the profession.

September 16 - Stephen Kofi Diko

Street with blurred traffic and office buioldings in background in Tucson, Arizona at dusk.

FEATURE

When ‘Prioritizing All Modes’ Is a Lie

In many cases, it’s impossible to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users without sacrificing some speed.

September 16 - Anna Zivarts

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.

Write for Planetizen