App

Black car parked in bike lane

New App Pays Users to Report Illegally Parked Cars

A Swedish company is leveraging the power of crowdsourcing and the gig economy to enforce parking laws.

April 22, 2024 - Euronews

Woman Walking London

An App That Maps Safer Cities for Women

The Safe & the City app uses data to help women find the safest routes in cities.

March 17, 2019 - TechCrunch

Pokémon Go

Time to Try Pokémon Go: Augmented Reality Connecting People to Places

Planners across the globe have been exploring opportunities to use augmented reality to enhance the way the public engages with the city. Over the last few days Pokémon Go took off, and now people are wandering across cities to catch Pokémon.

July 13, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Cars in the snow

It's Snowing—There's An App for Tracking That

A snow storm came through overnight, your street hasn't been cleared. When can you expect to have your street cleared? Cities are increasingly providing snowplow tracking information to residents.

January 11, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Map and Phone Navigation

The Best Planning Apps for 2016

A list of mobile apps that support planning, as part of an annual update. Learn about exciting new ways to explore cities and enhance planning via mobile apps. Please feel free to add your own favorites.

January 4, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Google Mobility

Transportation Apps Designed to Ease the Commute

We all travel, so it's great when a handy new mobile app makes it easier to move around. Whether it is navigating the city, parking, or making our ride safer, there is likely a transportation app for that.

August 18, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Turnstiles

Enabling Travel Through Your Smartphone: Mobility as a Service

Imagine on your phone being able to wake up and with a simple click be able to arrange all of your transportation needs for the day. Soon your bus pass, carsharing pass, bikesharing pass, and your personal vehicle will go away—replaced by an app.

July 14, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Paris Skyline

Cleaner Air In Paris? There Will Be an App for That

Cars, smartphones, and Paris’ air quality crisis.

March 18, 2014 - Scott Le Vine

A stream of mobile apps

The Best Planning Apps for 2014

We have compiled a list of mobile apps to support planning, as part of our annual update. Learn about exciting new ways to explore cities and enhance planning via mobile apps. Please feel free to add your own favorites.

January 11, 2014 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

There's a Planning App for That

For my annual update of the apps that support planning I've compiled a list of the latest applications for sharing information, visualizations, sensing, predicting, supporting decision making, crowdsourcing, and engaging.

January 25, 2013 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Using an App to Shame Property Violators Into Repenting

In Philadelphia, resourceful City Councilman Bobby Henon has introduced a free app named CityHall, which has quickly become a weapon of choice for getting landlords and tenants who blight their blocks to clean up their acts, reports Dan Geringer.

October 12, 2012 - Philadelphia Daily News

Agrisaurus: An App for Growing Food

A new suite of tools to help you design, plan, and manage your plot is looking for investors on Kickstarter.

October 5, 2012 - Inhabitat

Can a New App Prevent Traffic Jams?

Zak Stone spotlights a new app being tested in Germany that can predict and prevent traffic jams, and promises to reduce CO2 emissions in the process.

July 27, 2012 - Good

Paying Toll at a Tollbooth? There's An App For That

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) is about to test run a system where drivers can pay their toll using only their iPhone, Blackberry, or MS Windows Mobile-enabled phone.

February 4, 2010 - TOLLROADSnews

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.