COVID 19

Adaptive Reuse

Task Force Would Ensure Social Justice in COVID-19 Response in Pittsburgh

If approved by the Pittsbugh City Council, the proposed Greater Pittsburgh Covid-19 Racial Equity Task Force would work toward more equitable distribution of economic and public health resources, during the coronavirus pandemic and after.

May 8, 2020 - Trib Live

Street Vendor

Street Vendors Rally for Rent Cancelation in Los Angeles

Street vendors gathered in front of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in a May Day action to their make demands heard.

May 7, 2020 - Streetsblog Los Angeles

Coronavirus Protest

The Rush to Open: California is No Exception

California was the first state to require all residents to submit to a stay-at-home order, and it appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ensure it's not the last one to relax that order, regardless of whether it meets the federal guidelines.

May 7, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Black Lives Matter

Let's Interrupt History: Racial Equity in a Time of Crisis

Data on the pandemic shows once again the dramatic consequences of racial inequalities. Community Development Financial Institutions must focus on ensuring equity for Black-owned businesses.

May 7, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Uber Eats

Job Losses Strike a Blow to Gig Economy Darlings

Uber and Airbnb both announced massive layoffs this week, after Lyft did the same last week, as the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on very contemporary corners of the economy.

May 7, 2020 - The Washington Post

Neighborhood Development Corporation

Viral Inequality and Climate Justice

Several cities have modeled an economic recovery that centers environmental justice. Political will is necessary to ensure a safer and healthier future for all communities.

May 7, 2020 - Joan Fitzgerald

Home Sold Sign

Home Prices Expected to Hit a Coronavirus Speed Bump in 2020

A report by Zillow predicts a sudden reversal for the housing market, which has been soaring in many places around the country ever since the worst of the financial crisis and housing market crash of the Great Recession.

May 7, 2020 - CNBC

Coronavirus Volunteering

100 Million 'New Poor' Predicted as a Result of the Pandemic

The fiscal effects of the pandemic are likely to make it very difficult for governments to invest in economic and quality of life improvements for people on the edge of poverty.

May 6, 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation

Grocery Store

Early Economic Effects of COVID-19 Concentrated in Large Metros

Big cities suffered the worst economic effects if the pandemic as of March, according to April data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

May 6, 2020 - Brookings

Rent Jubilee

Campaign to Cancel Rent Raises Questions for the Affordable Housing Movement

What would it actually mean to cancel rent?

May 6, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Cutout paper people on wooden table and artistic shadows

Social Distancing Is Not a Novel Concept

Initial research on social isolation as a method to combat contagious disease included a high-school science fair project modeling social networks. Doctors learned that the spread of disease could be decelerated by disrupting these networks.

May 6, 2020 - The New York Times

Air Travel

For Coronavirus Aid, Air France Must Stop Competing With Rail

France is proposing a momentous step toward clean transportation.

May 6, 2020 - International Railway Journal

Bangkok, Thailand

Forecasts for New U.S. COVID Cases and Deaths Skyrocket

A draft report from the CDC projects that new cases will grow to 200,000 and deaths to 3,000 – daily, by June 1. The model the White House coronavirus task force uses has increased the projected deaths to nearly 135,000 by early August.

May 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

cars

Americans Would Prefer to Drive Themselves After the Pandemic, Survey Says

A massive survey on the sentiments of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic reports that many people are less likely to ride public transit, or rely on Uber and Lyft, in the future.

May 5, 2020 - Car and Driver

Retail Apocalypse

J. Crew the First National Apparel Chain to Fall During the Pandemic; More Expected to Follow

Another brutal chapter of the retail apocalypse is underway.

May 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus

Poll: One-Third of Americans Thinking of Moving to Less Densely Populated Areas

In the midst of the pandemic, Americans are expressing a new preference for less crowded spaces, according to the results of a Harris Poll conducted last week.

May 5, 2020 - Axios

Masks for Public Health

Lessons from Pandemics: Disaster Resilience Planning

What can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to help plan more resilient communities that can respond to all types of economic, social, and environmental shocks?

May 4, 2020 - Todd Litman

Social Distancing

Report: Expect to Live with Two More Years of Social Distancing

As a majority of states relax stay-at-home restrictions, a prestigious team of experts from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Tulane universities warns that the coronavirus will likely last 18 to 24 more months, returning in successive waves.

May 4, 2020 - CNN

Telegraph Avenue

Watch Oakland's Slow Streets Program in Action

Oakland offers a model for other streets looking to provide new space for pedestrians and people on bikes to get exercise at a space physical distance.

May 4, 2020 - StreetsBlog NYC

Coronavirus Hygiene

Urban Planning Resources for COVID-19

Online misinformation has been unavoidable, but the Internet is also full of tools essential for understanding the changed world of COVID-19.

May 4, 2020 - James Brasuell

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.