In an interview with Builder Magazine, Andrés Duany says that citizen participation in one of the biggest roadblocks to smart growth, because people don't understand the benefits yet.
"BUILDER: Proponents say that smart growth can't happen effectively without regional-scale planning because so much of it is about connectivity. How do you reconcile citizens' rights to have a say in their communities with the need for big-picture thinking and decision-making?
DUANY: There is a theory of subsidiarity that considers at what level a decision is properly made. Most of today's planning decisions--large and small--are made at the wrong level. Take transit. You do not ask the neighbor next to a 16-mile bikeway whether they want a bikeway in their back yard because they will say no. That's a decision that needs to be made at the regional level."
FULL STORY: Andres Duany on Smart Growth
The Definition of Planning Insanity
The new planning and zoning tools needed to achieve a more sustainable and equitable urban form, according to urban planning consultant Howard Blackson III.
How to Make NIMBYs Part of the Solution
A look at how to program social equity into the planning process, and balance NIMBY concerns with collective goals, by Howard Blackson, leader of AVRP SkyPort Studios Urban Design practice in San Diego.
CNU 25 Seattle: Highlights from the Silver Anniversary
A summary of last week's events in Seattle: CNU 25 and ULI, written by Hazel Borys.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service