Planning

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Portland

Reflecting on Regional Planning—50 Years Later

The planning world celebrated Jane Jacobs's 100th birthday earlier this month, and has already begun commemorating the centennial of New York's first zoning code. But did you know regional planning rose to prominence 50 years ago?

May 25, 2016 - MZ Strategies

Mehaffy Portland Image

Has Portland Lost its Way?

Oregon's poster child for livable planning is embroiled in new controversies over destructive growth, skyrocketing prices, and back-room cronyism.

May 25, 2016 - Michael Mehaffy

Toronto Bike Locks

New Ten-Year Bike Plan Proposed in Toronto

Toronto planners have proposed a new ten-year bike plan that focuses on connecting and improving the city's current network of bike infrastructure.

May 19, 2016 - The Toronto Star

Toronto Streetcar

Meet the Avatars Helping to Plan Toronto's Downtown

Introducing a group of 16 avatars meant to represent the people who live, work, and play in downtown Toronto.

May 18, 2016 - Toronto

China Flood

World Bank Report: Climate Change Puts 1.3 Billion People at Risk

Among the other interesting facts acknowledged by the World Bank: the costs of dealing with the effects of climate change are already increasingly quickly.

May 17, 2016 - The Guardian

trax light rail train in foreground, snow-covered mountains in background

Cities Discovering the Limitations of Half-Baked Rail Plans

Presenting less of an argument against transit than an argument for good transit and land use planning, Streetsblog surveys some of the country's worst performing rail lines.

May 13, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Los Angeles Smog Skyline Zoom

The Role of Planning in Fixing Los Angeles' Development Woes

Globe St. featured an exclusive interview with Gail Goldberg, executive director of the Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles Chapter, and former planning director of Los Angeles and San Diego.

May 12, 2016 - Globe St.

East River

Meet New York City's First Regional Planning Director

A city planning office with a regional focus? Such a rare beast is real in New York City. There's even a new leader at the helm of the operation.

May 11, 2016 - Politico New York

Houston

Planning in Houston: No Longer an Oxymoron

Houston, Texas, adopted its first general plan called Plan Houston late last year. Plan Houston covers everything from economic development to education to public health to arts and culture.

May 10, 2016 - Next City

Canton Mellett Mall

Two Rustbelt Cities Take Similar Tacks to Future Planning

Erie, Pennsylvania and Canton, Ohio have faced the challenges of shrinking populations and fewer job prospects, but new comprehensive plans in each city may provide a pathway to resurgence

May 6, 2016 - The Canton Repository

Mobile Engagement

6 Trends in Online Community Engagement: the Good and the Bad

With the constellation of civic technologies, like online community engagement platforms, growing quickly, it's important to recognize the positive and negative consequences of new practices in community engagement.

May 6, 2016 - Dave Biggs

Canada

Urban Planning Ranked as the Second Best Job in Canada

It might come as a shock to planners who lived and worked through the great recession, but a Canadian publication has named urban planning in the number two position on a ranking of "Best Jobs" in the country.

April 26, 2016 - Canadian Business

Charlotte Housing Development

Battle Lines Drawn Over Density in Charlotte

The Charlotte Observer recently described the landscape of proposed apartment developments in the city of Charlotte.

April 25, 2016 - The Charlotte Observer

Robert Moses

Contest: Create a Game Based on the Life and Times of Robert Moses

The so-called Robert Moses Cup invites the gaming- and planning-inclined to design a game capturing the essence of Robert Moses.

April 25, 2016 - Grist

Future City

Letting Kids Design the Cities of the Future

The Box City event held in Denver recently educated children on the process of planning by letting them create their own version of a city.

April 25, 2016 - The Denver Post

Habitat Restoration

New Community Plan to Remake Canada's Capital of Sprawl

Abbotsford is the fifth-largest city in British Columbia by population but the largest by land size. The city's most recent community plan is designed to accommodate new growth without sprawling any farther.

April 21, 2016 - Vancouver Sun

Many Benefits Expected for Changes to Rockaway Community

Officials see chance to move residents out of flood zone, improving access to beach, and deliver affordable housing and infrastructure.

April 20, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Expo Line LA Skyline

Los Angeles Looking for New Planners, New Community Plans

Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced his commitment to the planning process in Los Angeles by proposing a program that would hire new planners and launch new planning efforts at the community level.

April 18, 2016 - KPCC

Anchorage Alaska

Anchorage Plans for the Future

Municipal officials and staff in Anchorage, Alaska, are hard at work drafting an updated land use plan that incorporates modern planning principles in the city's vision for development.

April 17, 2016 - Anchorage Press

A Critical Take on Public Engagement

Zelda Bronstein makes plenty of points likely to inspire disagreement among planners in this argument calling for a better form of public engagement—one that's substantive and integral, not an afterthought.

April 14, 2016 - 48 hills

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.