Coronavirus

Coronavirus

4 Predictions for Urban Planning Post-Coronavirus

The big question for planners since the outset of the pandemic has been how cities and communities will change, and what role planners will take in implementing those changes. Here are four potential ways for urban planning to respond to the crisis.

May 27, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

Coronavirus Lock Down

Commercial Rental Market Teeters on the Brink

Large numbers of commercial renters in New York City are missing rent, according to reports.

May 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Social Distancing

New Coronavirus Hotspots Flaring Up in Rural America

The novel coronavirus is outlasting the narratives of March 2020, and the country will have to reevaluate its assumptions to understand and respond to shifting threats as the public health crisis deepens.

May 26, 2020 - The Washington Post

Quarantine

Nursing Homes With Black and Latino Residents Have Much Worse Covid-19 Rates

Age segregation has contributed to the tragic outbreaks of Covid-19 in nursing homes all over the country, but racial data adds another layer of tragic consequences of the pandemic.

May 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus

Study: 36,000 American Lives Would Have Been Saved if White House Acted One Week Earlier

Research from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health looks at the timing of the imposition of public health control measures, at the start of the pandemic and in the present if infections increase, to project lives saved or lost.

May 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Streets

NACTO Releases Pandemic Streets Design Guide

After three months of study and analysis, NACTO is providing authoritative guidance on new ways of thinking about rights of way now that the coronavirus has changed the way we live and work in cities.

May 25, 2020 - National Association of City Transportation Officials

California Shelter-in-Place

Recording the Quiet of Cities During the Pandemic

The usual sounds of the city have subsided, replaced by birds and quiet that at times can be eery and unsettling.

May 25, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus and Transportation

New York's Open Streets Program Leaves Out Neighborhoods That Need Open Space Most

New York City has opened an increasing number of street miles for pedestrians and people on bikes, but far fewer streets have been opened in the neighborhoods that need it most—low income neighborhoods lacking walkable access to parks and open space.

May 25, 2020 - New York Daily News

Virgin Trains USA

Virgin Trains USA Not Restarting Service Yet

The closely monitored private rail company says it has no plans to reopen in Florida any time soon, even as the state relaxes its stay-at-home orders and intercity rail in other parts of the country prepares to restart.

May 24, 2020 - Bloomberg

Public Transit

Edmonton Could Suspend Transit Service for the Summer

As the city of Edmonton waits to hear about funding prospects, Mayor Don Iveson deliberates parking buses over the summer to make up for revenue loss.

May 24, 2020 - CBC

Coronavirus

Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety

Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.

May 24, 2020 - The Oregonian

Alternative Transportation

Electric Bike Sales Explode as Cities Rethink Streetscapes

North America has experienced a 5% jump in rates of cycling since the U.S. started staying home. As electric bikes enjoy impressive sales increases, cities around the world consider making the shift permanent by planning bike-friendly infrastructure.

May 22, 2020 - The Verge

Women Public Space

Adapting Public Engagement to Social Distancing

TransitCenter published a new report on the emerging practices of public engagement at a time when large gatherings have been prohibited.

May 21, 2020 - TransitCenter

New York City Traffic Cop

Fatal Collisions Increase Per Vehicle Miles Traveled During Pandemic

Data from the National Safety Council show the first evidence that with fewer cars on the road during the pandemic, fatal collisions have actually been more common for every mile driven.

May 21, 2020 - The Washington Post

child playing in Peavey Plaza fountain in Minneapolis

2020 ParkScore Ranks Minneapolis at the Top

The need for access to parks and open space has never been as obvious, or as pressing.

May 21, 2020 - The Trust for Public Land

Coronavirus Ridership

Subway Ridership Starting to Rise in New York City, but not as Quickly as Car Trips

A noticeable increase in subway ridership has been taking place on subway trains in New York City, but not enough to call it a comeback, yet.

May 21, 2020 - StreetsBlog NYC

Active Transportation

2020's Hot Transportation Trend: The Bike

A prominent consequence of the stay-at-home orders and social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States has been a dramatic surge in the popularity of bike transportation.

May 20, 2020 - The Guardian

Social Distancing

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced 17% Worldwide in April, Study Says

A recently published study predicts a 4 to 7 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 compared to 2019.

May 20, 2020 - The Washington Post

Diner

Uncertain Futures for U.S. Restaurants Raise Larger Concerns About City Vitality

In many American cities, restaurants are beacons of economic revitalization and social vibrancy. Calculations are still being made to determine the toll taken on the nation's eateries, and in turn, the urban economies they serve.

May 20, 2020 - The New York Times

Washington D.C.

U.S. Homelessness Could Jump 45%, Study Says

Unemployment of historically devastating proportions will force people out of their homes and onto the streets, according to a new study by an economist at Columbia University in New York.

May 19, 2020 - Community Solutions

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.