Government / Politics

BaltimoreLink System Map

Baltimore Could Reallocate Police Funding to Public Transit

Baltimore is taking steps to divest from policing and makes decisions about where to invest $22 million in reallocated funds. One proposal: use the money to support public transit.

June 22, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Florida Sign - Welcome to Florida

Model Predicts Next U.S. Coronavirus Epicenter

For the third consecutive day, COVID-19 cases in the Sunshine State have set records, exceeding 4,000 for the first time. PolicyLab in Philadelphia now predicts Florida will be the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. by mid-July.

June 22, 2020 - WTSP-TV

Coronavirus

City vs. State: Mayors Want Power to Require Mask Wearing to Slow Coronavirus Spread

Coronavirus cases are surging in the Lone Star State's urban areas, so mayors of nine of its largest cities asked Greg Abbott for the power to mandate the wearing of masks or facial coverings, prohibited by executive order, to slow viral spread.

June 21, 2020 - The Texas Tribune

Al Fresco Gelato

Prioritizing Open Air Spaces in Pandemic Recovery Efforts

Businesses and public health officials are working together to develop guidelines to provide goods and services to the public safely. They're visioning creative ways to bring businesses outdoors and promoting al fresco spaces.

June 21, 2020 - The Urbanist

Snowy Residential Neighborhood

Property Tax Disparities Grow as Housing Prices Grow

The authoritative report on the state of property taxes in the United States was released earlier this month.

June 18, 2020 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Public Outreach

Regulatory Considerations for Online Public Engagement: Ensuring the Viability of Projects

As online engagement becomes increasingly important during COVID-19, so does understanding compliance with legal requirements.

June 17, 2020 - Stantec

Park Rendering

Community Park Addresses Open Space, Air Quality Disparities in L.A.

Lou Calanche and Esther Feldman discuss the Natural Park at Ramona Gardens, a green solution project to improve air quality and community health in one of the most polluted neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

June 17, 2020 - The Planning Report

Sherman, Texas

Pandemic Data for Planners

The right data will be critical in crafting effective responses to the threats posed by the coronavirus.

June 16, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

Abolish the Police

The Bike as a Symbol of Freedom

It's no geographic accident that so many of the images emerging from nationwide protests have featured numerous protestors on bikes. These forces have been coalescing for years.

June 15, 2020 - The New Yorker

Woodburn, Oregon

What's So Special About Oregon and Utah?

These two Western states did something that none of the 20 other states in the nation going the wrong way in the pandemic have yet to do: they paused their reopening plans due to rising coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.

June 15, 2020 - Politico

Rally

Lack of Progress on Racial Justice Is Blocking Progress on Climate Justice

Climate justice and social justice are closely linked. Black climate expert Ayana Johnson explains why racial justice strides are required to make leeway for climate change issues.

June 15, 2020 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus Protest

Academic Studies: Staying at Home Saved Millions of Lives Globally

Separate coronavirus studies from the University of California at Berkeley and Imperial College London published June 8 in the journal Nature show the life and health-saving value of domestic stay-at-home orders, global lockdowns, and other measures.

June 15, 2020 - The Washington Post

Black Lives Matter

Can it Happen Here? Is it Happening Here?

An urban planning scholar of foreign conflict shares insights into how recent political unrest in the United States resembles and distinguishes from the ethnic and nationalistic conflict experienced in other countries in recent decades.

June 14, 2020 - Scott Bollens

Bike Cops

Vision Zero...Without the Enforcement

As a leading bicycle advocacy organization withdraws support for police enforcement of Vision Zero plans, the discretionary practices of traffic enforcement come under rejuvenated scrutiny.

June 11, 2020 - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Homelessness

Housing Programs on the Chopping Block in Philadelphia

The city of Philadelphia is facing a $649 million budget shortfall, and Mayor Jim Kenney is proposing to cut deeply from the city's housing budget to make up the difference.

June 11, 2020 - WHYY

Brazil Olympics

The Pandemic's New Epicenter

On May 22, the World Health Organization declared Latin America the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil is second in the world in reported cases after the U.S., and Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Mexico are also suffering disproportionately.

June 10, 2020 - The Washington Post

Southeast Asia

The Singapore Exception

Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were credited early in the pandemic with having successfully contained the coronavirus without resorting to lockdowns. However, Singapore lost its standing in that elite group. Crowding vs. density may explain why.

June 9, 2020 - NPR - Goats and Soda

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Coronavirus Success Stories

While the U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and deaths, a small group of nations defied the odds and has shown remarkable success in containing the coronavirus. NPR investigates what they share in common, with a focus on New Zealand.

June 8, 2020 - NPR

New York Subway Coronvairus

New York City Reopens Today. How Will People Travel?

The last of the ten economic regions in the Empire State opened for Phase One on June 8. Transportation planners fear massive traffic congestion as residents and workers may abandon the subway due to concerns about being infected by the coronavirus.

June 8, 2020 - The New York Times

Black LIves Matter

The Shifting Geography of Protest

Compared to 1992 in Los Angeles, the protest and civil unrest of 2020 have relocated to neighborhoods farther north, and further entrenched by white wealth.

June 5, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

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.