Public Health
This Is Your Brain on E-Scooters
A survey from scooter operator Spin indicates that e-scooter users experience a boost in relaxation and positive feelings after a ride.
California Bill Could Ban Freeway Expansions in Underserved Neighborhoods
A proposed bill in the California State Legislature would bar the state from funding road construction in communities at risk for displacement and health impacts.
Using Tech to Control Noise Pollution
Several cities are piloting programs that use machine learning to identify and understand urban noise patterns and enforce noise ordinances.
How Urban Design Affects Children's Cognitive Development
A European study suggests that good urban design can affect cognitive and motor function development in young children.
Study: Poor Air Quality Fuels COVID Transmission
Communities exposed to higher levels of air pollution experience higher rates of infection, particularly in areas with high population density.
Opinion: Renters Shouldn't Be a 'Buffer' for Single-Family Homes
Despite the well-documented impacts of traffic noise and pollution, Vancouver's housing policy effectively relegates multi-family apartment buildings to busy arterial roads.
Improving Housing Through Trauma-Informed Design
A growing awareness of the link between the built environment and mental health has led some designers to examine the ways we can make housing feel more safe and welcoming for vulnerable populations.
The Return to the Office Around the World
Cities around the world are employing vastly different strategies in the effort to get workers back in the office.
5 Tips for Planning Safe Post-Pandemic Events
As community events start move off-screen and become available to the public again, here are five ways organizers can ensure public health and safety.
750,000 Evictions Predicted as Moratoria End
Analysts from Goldman Sachs predict a wave of evictions as eviction moratoriums end with millions of households still behind on rent.
Colorado DOT To Study Air Quality Near I-270 Project—Residents Are Skeptical
The Colorado Department of Transportation has pledged to evaluate direct mitigation measures to reduce the impact of construction projects on nearby communities.
Cities Need More Public Bathrooms–Well Beyond the Pandemic
COVID-19 laid bare the dismal state of public bathrooms in America, and some cities stepped up to add more facilities. But why remove them while the need remains?
Supreme Court Allows Indiana University's Vaccine Mandate to Remain in Place
The Supreme Court rejected a request brought by students to block Indiana University from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. Students, faculty, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated by August 15.
Why It's So Difficult to Measure Heat Deaths
Without a standard for recording and classifying heat-related deaths, experts believe the scale of the problem is much bigger than numbers let on.
What Is the Future for Transit After COVID? - A Debate
Critic Randal O'Toole and advocate Todd Litman debate how communities should plan for public transit in the post pandemic future. Should it contract or expand?
COVID-19, AIDS, and CDC Guidance
Music critic Joel Rozen pens a unique perspective for Slate's "Coronavirus Diaries" on the Provincetown, Massachusetts cluster that prompted the CDC on July 27 to reverse its masking guidance for the fully vaccinated issued a month earlier.
Congress Shortchanges School Bus Electrification in Infrastructure Bill
Greening school buses, which represent the bulk of America's mass transit, would reduce children's exposure to harmful diesel emissions and remove millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from our roads.
Opinion: Keep Public Toilets at L.A. Homeless Encampments
The city is planning to remove the hundreds of public toilets and hand-washing stations installed during the pandemic. But the need for them isn't going away.
The Public Health Benefits of Bike Share, Quantified
New research shows that bike share use has a positive impact on public health, even in less bikeable cities.
How Mapping Tools Played a Role in Understanding COVID-19
A new episode of the Geospatial Revolution Project assesses how scientists used digital mapping tools to think about the pandemic.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
