The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

An aerial view of Teotihuacán, with the modern settlement of San Juan Teotihuacán in the background.

BLOG POST

Deep History, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Planning

David Graeber and David Wengrow’s new book, "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity," offers an important counter-narrative to the usual history of cities that’s rich with implications for urban scholars, policy-makers, and planners.

November 14 - Dean Saitta

One man, wearing a mask, walks down an otherwise empty 16th St in Denver.

COVID: Colorado Activates Partial Crisis Standards of Care

In a sign that the pandemic is far from over, Colorado reactivated its crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems on Nov. 9 as infections increased modestly nationwide. Gov. Polis made all vaccinated adults eligible for a booster.

November 14 - Bloomberg Prognosis

CN Tower rises above Gardiner Expressway on Toronto Waterfront

Proposed Toronto Highways Raise Environmental Concerns

Opponents of two new planned highways in greater Toronto argue the construction of new roads is 'short-sighted at best' and would threaten the region's greenbelt areas.

November 14 - blogTO

Brooklyn, New York City

Gowanus Rezoning Moving Forward: Could Bring 8,000 New Apartments to Brooklyn

A controversial zoning—one of the last of a de Blasio administration that has rezoned parts of every borough in the city—last week cleared a key City Council committee.

November 14 - Gothamist

drinking water fountain

In Need of Water to Grow, North Texas Looks to Controversial Reservoir

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is seeking to boost its water supply by building a new reservoir that opponents claim would destroy thousands of farms, homes, and jobs.

November 12 - KERA News


20 MPH speed limit sign

Latest to Say '20 Is Plenty': Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk joins several other cities in smoothing the way for 20 MPH speed limits on neighborhood streets to promote its Vision Zero goals.

November 12 - WTKR

Contracting with the Community

To connect with hard-to-reach communities, a Twin Cities agency diverted some of its consulting budget away from national firms and to organizations that already had those relationships.

November 12 - Shelterforce Magazine


An image of the Brooklyn Tower under construction in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn's First Supertall Skyscraper Almost Done

The tallest building in Brooklyn is nearing completion. The Brooklyn Tower will reach 1,066 feet tall.

November 12 - Crain's New York Business

A rendering of a proposed affordable housing project in Livermore, California

Local Group Ordered to Pay $500K Bond for Delaying Affordable Housing Project

What starts as a familiar story about a local group wielding the California Environmental Quality Act to delay an affordable housing project includes a surprise twist: another state law requires the group to cover some of the cost of the delay.

November 11 - The Mercury News

Chicago Chinatown

In Defense of Asian American Neighborhoods

How do you address a history of anti-Asian housing discrimination? Not by destroying Asian American communities.

November 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of Seaside, Oregon

State Study Calls For Tsunami Evacuation Structures In Coastal Communities

A Washington state study recommends the construction of dozens of tsunami evacuation facilities along the Pacific Northwest coast.

November 11 - KUOW

Cool shops along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

FEATURE

An Expanded Approach to the Analysis of Cities

Even with so much data in the world, cities are a slippery subject. What if an everyday part of life in cities—the "scenes" comprised by businesses, people, and practices of similarly distinct aesthetics—can help our understanding?

November 11 - Martha Frish

Train Rendering

California High-Speed Rail Could Benefit From New Federal Funding

If state lawmakers can agree to support matching funds for the project, California's high-speed rail could compete for $36 billion in new federal grants.

November 11 - Streetsblog California

Methane

Countries Underreport Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A Washington Post investigation found major discrepancies between actual emissions and the levels reported to the United Nations.

November 11 - The Washington Post

Bike Infrastructure

Opinion: Sharrows Are 'Make Believe Infrastructure'

The road markings known as 'sharrows' are meant to make streets safer for cyclists, but critics argue they're nothing but a convenient compromise that favors drivers and fails to improve road safety.

November 11 - Medium

Aerial view of downtown Atlanta, Georgia

Tallest Skyscraper in 30 Years Proposed in Midtown Atlanta

If approved, a 61-story tower would be the tallest built in Atlanta in three decades.

November 11 - Urbanize Atlanta

A black and white photo of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Robert Moses, Robert Caro Back in the News, Along With a Debate About Systemic Racism

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off a social media frenzy by referencing an anecdote from "The Power Broker." While some didn't understand the reference, others repeated long-standing questions about the source.

November 10 - The Washington Post

Wildfire

Fire Experts Weigh In On Management Practices

To fight increasingly devastating wildfires, government officials and landowners must develop new strategies that proactively address the biggest risk factors.

November 10 - High Country News

COVID-19 Test

Global COVID Death Toll Reaches Another Grim Milestone

The official death toll due to COVID-19 since the first recorded death in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 10, 2020, passed 5 million on Nov. 1, although The New York Times stresses that's a vast undercount. The WHO points to Europe as the latest hot spot.

November 10 - The New York Times

Port of Los Angeles

BLOG POST

Zoning and the Global Supply Shortage

Zoning has been blamed for a lot of things in recent years, but a global supply crunch increasing prices and creating shortages of household goods—and potentially ruining the holidays—is a new one.

November 10 - James Brasuell

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.