Planning

Zoning Changes Could Allow More Restaurants and Bars in D.C. Neighborhoods
Zoning can limit more than just multi-family housing.

Is Twitter Still an Effective Planning Tool?
Twitter has been a daily dose of drama and upheaval ever since Elon Musk offered to pay over $40 billion to buy the social media platform. Media outlets and public transit agencies had been abandoning the social media platform—should planners?

Ottawa’s New Transportation Master Plan Sets 20-Year Planning Priorities
Canada’s capital city recently completed the first step toward adopting a new Transportation Master Plan.

D.C. Fare-Free Transit Program Could Come at the Expense of the K Street Transitway
When presented with a choice between investing in improved service or funding a fare-free program, the D.C. Council is choosing fare-free transit, and potentially overriding the wishes of the mayor.

Los Angeles Finalizing Three Long-Awaited Community Plan Updates
Los Angeles is poised to approve a trio of long-planned zoning code updates—for the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, Downtown, and Hollywood—as the first test cases for a new citywide zoning code update known as re:code LA.

Recommended Mobile Apps for Urban Planning in 2023
Planetizen's annual list of top apps for planners is back, ten years after its first appearance on the site. Scores of apps have been recommended by planners as examples of planning in action, or tools for planning action.

Columbus Rewriting its Zoning Code
Planners in Ohio’s capital city hope a new zoning code will help reverse some of the damage done by the city’s previous zoning codes.

East Lansing Parking Plan Aims for Walkability
East Lansing wants to ditch some of its surface parking to encourage economic activity and walkability.

Atlanta Housing Targets 10,000 Affordable Units in Five Years
Atlanta Housing plans to use a combination of development and preservation to ensure 10,000 affordable housing units in the next five years.

Survey: Help Identify the Best Planning Apps of 2023
Planetizen needs your help updating the definitive list of mobile apps for professional, student, academic, or citizen planners.

Vancouver Approves New Metro 2050 Regional Plan
The region around Vancouver in British Columbia has a new 30-year regional plan.

Pittsburgh Moves Ahead With Zoning Changes for University-Adjacent Neighborhood
The implementation of a new master plan for the neighborhood of Oakland, home to the University of Pittsburgh, is moving forward despite controversy and a contentious community engagement process.

Planning Trends to Watch in 2023
The days and weeks since the arrival of Covid-19 have been filled with so much noise about the future, it’s been difficult to distinguish between big stories and frivolous distractions. Planetizen is here to help.

‘We Will Chicago’ Plan Adopted in the Windy City
Chicago has its first “comprehensive plan” since the 1960s, but without a land use map, the “We Will Chicago” plan is devoted more to laying out the issues and challenges facing the city than setting new policies.

New Plans for Transit Oriented Development in South Central L.A.
Los Angeles County recently adopted the Florence-Firestone Transit Oriented District Specific Plan.

San Francisco Plans for 82,000 New Housing Units
California housing regulators have granted preliminary approval for the city of San Francisco’s housing element as mandated by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.

The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.

Redesigning Streets for Livability: A Global View
An excerpt from the introduction of the recent book, “Streets For All: 50 Strategies for Shaping Resilient Cities,” edited by Vinayak Bharne and Shyam Khandekar.

City Council Controversy Threatens L.A.’s Proposed Downtown Plan
A Los Angeles Times editorial explains how political intrigue is spilling over into planning frustration in the city of Los Angeles.

Zoning Reform: New Politics, Same Old Challenges
The political will for zoning reforms has never been stronger. The traditional opponents of development, however, are still finding ways to push back.
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