COVID 19

Construction

Demand Expected to Slow in U.S. Rental Market

Analysis from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University predicts the pandemic will reduce rents, but only at the top of the market.

April 20, 2020 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Coronavirus Lock Down

The Geography of Low-Income Job Losses

The historic job losses of the past two months have hit the most vulnerable workers harder than others, so far. The Urban Institute estimated and mapped where more low-income jobs have been lost.

April 19, 2020 - Urban Institute

Custer, North Dakota

Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy

As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."

April 19, 2020 - The Washington Post

New York Public Transit

Why, and How, to Cut Public Transit Service

There wasn't a playbook for this kind of emergency at the beginning of the year.

April 19, 2020 - Human Transit

COVID-19 Mobility

Watch: The Future of Cities After COVID-19

An expert panel convened to discuss the effect of the coronavirus on the foundations of society and contemporary life. The future, both the remaining time dealing with the pandemic and after, is becoming more clear with every passing day and week.

April 17, 2020 - Planetizen Courses

NYC from Hoboken

How the Post-Pandemic Future Could Resemble the Pre-Pandemic Future

Response to coronavirus challenges in urban settings will likely be a continuity of work started decades ago.

April 16, 2020 - CityLab

New Orleans Doors

High-Risk, Essential, and Illegally Evicted

Eviction moratoriums are only as good as their enforcement, as one man’s harrowing story in New Orleans shows.

April 16, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

American Dream Meadowlands

American Dream Mall, Delayed Due to Coronavirus, Will Open Testing Facility

Delays have been part of the story with the American Dream mall in New Jersey since its earliest inception, and the mall has been lauded in the past for evolving to match the American retail landscape.

April 16, 2020 - Business Insider

New York Housing

Expanding Housing Choice Vouchers Would Strengthen the Safety Net

An expanded housing voucher program is needed to address the medium- and long-term economic consequences of COVID-19.

April 16, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Seeks Delay

Citing complications from the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau is seeking a 120-day delay in concluding the Census process, with potential consequences lasting into 2021.

April 15, 2020 - Associated Press via ABC 7 News

Public Health

COVID-19 Impacts on the Future of Transportation

MoveLA's Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit.

April 15, 2020 - The Planning Report

Houston, Texas

Texas Losing its Housing Affordability Advantage

Trends pre-dating Covid-19 showed housing affordability slipping away from many residents in Texas. The pandemic will likely only exacerbate the trend, according to this analysis.

April 15, 2020 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Apartment renter

Strengthening the Safety Net With Universal Housing Assistance

The Urban Institute simulated a model to predict the cost of a universal housing assistance program to support those who face homelessness.

April 15, 2020 - Urban Institute

High Line with Denari

Superstar Cities Are Struggling Now, But Could Recover to Gain Even More Economic Power

The public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus are threatening to further entrench inequality in America—between regions and within cities.

April 15, 2020 - Brookings

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

Concern About the Direction of the Next Federal Stimulus Bill

Congressional leaders are discussing the shape and size of the next federal stimulus bill. The following critique argues that the next bill should do more to expand testing, contact tracing, and quarantine capacity at the state level.

April 15, 2020 - The New Republic

Steptoe Butte State Park

Does Dispersion Help?

Only 7 percent of U.S. residents live in the nation's largest metropolitan area (New York). Has that made coronavirus less deadly?

April 14, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Restaurant Business

A Rare Chance for Urban Innovation

The realities of social distancing are allowing for innovations and experimentations with real opportunities for long-term benefit in cities, according to an article by Allison Arieff.

April 14, 2020 - The New York Times

One57

Office-to-Residential Conversions Considered as Workers Go Remote

Reduced demand for office space after coronavirus could lead New York landlords to consider the conversion of offices to residential spaces.

April 14, 2020 - The Real Deal

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Lessons from Pandemics: Comparing Urban and Rural Risks

Many people assume that infectious disease risks make cities dangerous, but this is generally untrue. Other factors have more effect on pandemic risk and mortality rates, making cities safer and healthier than rural areas overall.

April 14, 2020 - Todd Litman

Columbus, Ohio skyline reflected in the Scioto River

Another State (Ohio) Gets It Right

Washington and California have been praised for early efforts to mitigate community spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in relatively low rates of infection, hospitalization, and ultimately, death. Add Ohio to the bunch.

April 14, 2020 - The Washington Post

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.