The Most Popular Posts of 2017

All the planning news that's fit to print.

2 minute read

December 26, 2017, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell

@CasualBrasuell


White House

Michael Candelori / Shutterstock

Every end of the year list of "most popular" posts is like a mirror to the audience, and given Planetizen's focus on the fields of urban planning and its related fields, there is an additional layer of meaning available for interpretation when we gather lists like these.

This mirror is pointed a collection of professionals, academics, and interested observers, interested in preparing and building for the future while armed with the best possible information about the past and present.

To end the suspense, I am sure is keeping you all on the edges of your seats: there is only a little Donald J. Trump lurking in this mirror. In fact, there's even less Trump here than there was in the first six month of the year, when we took a look at traffic to satisfy our curiosity about Trump's impact on our audience's interest. It's hard to say with any certainty, but Planetizen readers must be getting their fill of Trump news elsewhere (likely), realized that the world must go on (also likely), or they just don't care about Trump (not very likely).

News

  1. Uber Releases Trip Data in Select Cities
  2. Trump's California Double Play: Potential Fatal Blow to Commuter and High-Speed Rail
  3. Bill Gates Buys 25,000 Acres in Arizona for a Master Planned 'Smart City'
  4. Two Simple Sentences Could Reshape Suburban America
  5. Which Is the Most Sprawling City in the World?
  6. Bikelash Reaches a Whole New Level
  7. Whole Foods to Undergo Unprecedented Downsizing
  8. Eight Cities Rolling Out Streetcar Projects
  9. Friday Eye Candy: Comparing a Square Mile of the World's Famous Cities
  10. Seattle Pulls the Plug on its Bikeshare System

Features

  1. The Top Schools For Urban Planners
  2. New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior
  3. The 100 Most Influential Urbanists
  4. Planetizen's Top Ten Books of 2017
  5. Top Planning Websites - 2017
  6. America's Largest Suburb Flirts With Urbanization
  7. Forget 'Smart'—We Need 'Context Cities'
  8. Planning and the Alt Right in the Time of Trump
  9. A City With Room for Everyone
  10. Seeing the Better City, Making a Better Place

Blogs

  1. The Best Planning Apps for 2017
  2. Is It Time to Rethink the Legacy of Enrique Peñalosa?
  3. Has Placemaking Become Cliché?
  4. The Many Problems With Autonomous Vehicles
  5. Gentrification, for Better and Worse
  6. Unaffordability is a Problem but Sprawl is a Terrible Solution
  7. City Books For Non-Planning Nerds
  8. New Urbanism Emerged in Response to Sprawl, but Does it Really Offer an Alternative?
  9. Is There a Perfect Density?
  10. Which Cities Are Gentrifying?

While you're here, it's also worth a look at last year's list to perform a little compare and contrast on the year that was 2017.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Blue and white Seattle Link light rail train exiting concrete Downtown Bellevue Tunnel in Bellevue, WA.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?

Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

April 7, 2025 - Todd Litman

Two people on bikes in red painted bike lane with bus in traffic lane next to them.

Understanding Road Diets

An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.

April 17 - Momentum Magazine

Aerial view of large warehouses across from development of suburban single-family homes in Jurupa, California with desert mountains in background.

New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution

A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.

April 17 - Black Voice News

Purple Phoenix light rail train connected to overhead wires at sunset.

Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension

The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.

April 17 - Arizona Republic