New York City

Walkable DC

The "College-Dense and Car-Light" Theory

Is there a relationship between carless households and density of college graduates? Derek Thompson of The Atlantic connected the dots using Michael Sivak's latest 'peak car' study and saw a relationship between the two variables.

January 29, 2014 - The Atlantic

New York's Rooftop Water Tanks Hide Unhealthy Conditions

A New York Times examination of the conditions of the city’s ubiquitous water tanks reveals unhealthy levels of E. coli and coliform—bellwethers for many varieties of disease-causing microorganisms.

January 28, 2014 - New York Times

Pedestrian Safety Becomes a National Issue

With people young and old embracing urban lifestyles and cities working to create more walkable environments, pedestrian safety is a growing concern across the U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has embraced the issue as a priority.

January 17, 2014 - DC.Streetsblog

De Blasio Outlines Plan to Eliminate NYC Traffic Deaths

Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio launched “Vision Zero”, a multi-agency effort to eliminate NYC's traffic deaths within a decade. With eleven deaths (seven of them pedestrians) already recorded in the new year, progress can't come soon enough.

January 16, 2014 - Streetsblog

Esplanade at Battery Park

The Evolving Legacy of New York City Park Design

An interview with Thomas Balsley, landscape architect and designer of hundreds of parks and plazas in New York, reveals inside baseball about the evolution of park design, planning, and approvals in the Big Apple.

January 14, 2014 - Metropolis

What Villaraigosa’s Los Angeles Can Teach de Blasio’s New York

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio enters office with strong progressive credentials, similar to those of Los Angeles’ recently-termed-out Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Can New York find lessons from the Los Angeles political experience?

January 14, 2014 - The Nation

New York Sandy Power Outage

Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities: 33 Chosen, What's Next?

In December, the Rockefeller Foundation chose the first 33 cities to receive funding and support through its 100 Resilient Cities Challenge. Here's what comes next.

January 13, 2014 - Future Cities

Bed Stuy in the snow

NYC Lost 40% of its Affordable Housing Over the Last Decade

A new study by the Community Service Society has found that New York City lost an astonishing percentage of apartments affordable to low-income residents over the past decade. The study supports Mayor de Blasio's "tale of two cities" narrative.

January 13, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

How Jane Jacobs Saved Greenwich Village, Once Again

The opponents of New York University's controversial expansion plan for Greenwich Village owe their recent court victory to the legacy of Jane Jacobs' legendary fight against the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway.

January 11, 2014 - The New York Times

MoMA Decides to Demolish Folk Art Museum

The stay of execution that was granted to the Museum of American Folk Art after protests from architects and preservationists has been lifted. MoMA has announced plans to demolish the celebrated building to accommodate its expansions plans.

January 9, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Judge Halts Controversial NYU Expansion Plan

Opponents of a massive plan to expand New York University's footprint in Greenwich Village have succeeded in convincing a state judge that a large portion of the project should not be allowed to proceed.

January 8, 2014 - The New York Times

Flooding in Howard Beach

New NYC Zoning Rules Will Help Residents Build Against Floods

New municipal zoning laws don’t necessarily make for the most compelling reading material, but a new set of New York City regulations are worth paying attention to.

January 6, 2014 - Next City

New York Department Becomes Model for Integrating and Empowering Immigrants

As cities across the Unites States look to lure immigrants to grow their populations and economies, many are turning to a program in New York for advice. Kirk Semple looks at the city's pioneering Office of Immigrant Affairs.

January 2, 2014 - Jonathan Nettler

New York Escalates Academic Building Boom

With nearly $10 billion in construction expected over the next five years (in addition to the $4.2 billion spent over the last five), New York City is in the midst of a higher education building boom being led by investment in science and technology

January 2, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

NYC Will Pursue Place-Based Approach to Addressing Inequality

In remarks delivered last week, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's choice as New York's deputy mayor for economic development and housing hinted at how the city plans to tackle affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.

December 30, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

NYC Parking Meters Set to Get Smart

Outgoing mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that New York’s drivers will soon be able to pay for street parking via their smartphones after a successful pilot project undertaken in the Bronx.

December 29, 2013 - Politicker

Should New York Better Police Its Skyline?

As a Billionaires' Row of sky-high residences rises along 57th Street, towering above Central Park, Michael Kimmelman wonders if it's time to tame the "leggy, cloud-piercing, sliver-thin residential towers".

December 24, 2013 - The New York Times

Whole Foods as Gentrification Bellwether

Whole Foods' newest store in Gowanus, Brooklyn is causing local vendors and artists to tread "a fine line" between reaching new customers and supporting what they think of as new, "big" development.

December 23, 2013 - The New Yorker

As Developers Reach for the Sky, New Yorkers Lose Their Access to the Sun

While much attention has been paid to the stunning views that NYC's new skyscrapers offer their affluent tenants, the effects on those left in their shadow are rarely discussed.

December 22, 2013 - The New York Times

Bloomberg Leaves de Blasio a Waste Management Morass

The NYC Sanitation Department's budget has tripled over the past 17 years, despite Mayor Bloomberg's waste management reforms. With recycling rates dismally low and a long-range management plan stalled, Bill de Blasio will have to clean up the mess.

December 19, 2013 - WNYC

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.