The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Apartment renter

Strengthening the Safety Net With Universal Housing Assistance

The Urban Institute simulated a model to predict the cost of a universal housing assistance program to support those who face homelessness.

April 15 - Urban Institute

High Line with Denari

Superstar Cities Are Struggling Now, But Could Recover to Gain Even More Economic Power

The public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus are threatening to further entrench inequality in America—between regions and within cities.

April 15 - Brookings

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

Concern About the Direction of the Next Federal Stimulus Bill

Congressional leaders are discussing the shape and size of the next federal stimulus bill. The following critique argues that the next bill should do more to expand testing, contact tracing, and quarantine capacity at the state level.

April 15 - The New Republic

Steptoe Butte State Park

BLOG POST

Does Dispersion Help?

Only 7 percent of U.S. residents live in the nation's largest metropolitan area (New York). Has that made coronavirus less deadly?

April 14 - Michael Lewyn

Restaurant Business

A Rare Chance for Urban Innovation

The realities of social distancing are allowing for innovations and experimentations with real opportunities for long-term benefit in cities, according to an article by Allison Arieff.

April 14 - The New York Times


For Rent

Experts Expect Rent to Drop, Along With Incomes

There is no silver lining in the news that experts expect the cost of rental housing to decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

April 14 - NBC News

One57

Office-to-Residential Conversions Considered as Workers Go Remote

Reduced demand for office space after coronavirus could lead New York landlords to consider the conversion of offices to residential spaces.

April 14 - The Real Deal


Coronavirus Social Distancing

BLOG POST

Lessons from Pandemics: Comparing Urban and Rural Risks

Many people assume that infectious disease risks make cities dangerous, but this is generally untrue. Other factors have more effect on pandemic risk and mortality rates, making cities safer and healthier than rural areas overall.

April 14 - Todd Litman

Columbus, Ohio skyline reflected in the Scioto River

Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right

Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.

April 14 - The Washington Post

San Francisco

Early Indications of Car Industry's Future Emerge

Evidence from Wuhan, China, the used car auction market in the United States, and the Trump administration reveal some of the potential futures for the car industry.

April 14 - Bloomberg

New York Public Transit

Race, Planning Intersect as the Coronavirus Kills Black and Latino Americans at Higher Rates

Black and Latino Americans in the United States are dying from COVID-19 at a much higher rate than whites. The foundation for the tragedy has been laid for decades.

April 14 - ProPublica

Self-Driving Cars

Ups and Downs for Self-Driving Cars During the Pandemic

While some driverless car companies have expanded operations in the past month, some industry observers caution that the business of autonomous vehicles remains stuck in neutral.

April 13 - Axios

Olympia, Washington

Questioning Washington State's Commitment to Greenhouse Gas Reductions

Lawmakers in Washington state fell short of passing comprehensive legislation this year to meet long-term goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

April 13 - Crosscut

Campanile

Distance Learning and University Challenges Under COVID-19

University of California Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez shares the University of California's real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting economic and pedagogical impacts for the system.

April 13 - The Planning Report

Gentrification

Disaster Gentrification and COVID-19

Disaster gentrification is a widely documented phenomenon, like in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The coronavirus and the resulting economic downturn could have similar consequences.

April 13 - Crosscut

The Tenderloin

Safe At Home: Securing Affordable Housing in a Pandemic

An interview on the critical importance of securing quality affordable housing during the pandemic, coupled with the challenge of responding to the operational needs of ongoing development projects.

April 13 - The Planning Report

Wisconsin

Will the Coronavirus Spare Rural America?

Many counties throughout the nation have recorded no deaths from COVID-19. A perception exists that population density is responsible for the massive death toll in New York and New Jersey and that exurban and rural counties may be spared.

April 13 - The New York Times

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Opinion: Transit Has Always Been an Essential Service

Ridership is the wrong way to think about the importance of public transit.

April 13 - CityLab

Italy Coronavirus

FEATURE

Overcoming Social Distance

People are finding new ways to connect digitally across physical spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, and these temporary solutions could have a lasting impact on the way we live.

April 13 - Lev Kushner

Telegraph Avenue

74 Miles of 'Slow Streets' in Oakland

Suddenly, cars aren't the first priority on 10 percent of the roadway in Oakland, California.

April 12 - KRON

Post News

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.