Schools

Phoenix Facilitates School-to-Affordable Housing Development
Two Phoenix school districts are selling their underused properties to build over 200 units of affordable housing.

Cities and Test Scores
The latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that student learning has not recovered from its COVID-era decline. Is this more true for urban school districts than for the rest of the United States?

Did Brookings Get It Wrong?
A recent Brookings study on the 2020 homicide wave tells a simple story: unemployment plus closed schools plus guns equals crime. But is the story accurate?

Repurposing Vacant Schools
Some communities are turning abandoned campuses into offices, art studios, and housing.

A Better Way to Plan School Facilities
Taking a wider view of communities could help keep schools open despite falling enrollment.

New York Law Addresses Extreme Heat in Schools
The law calls for heat mitigation measures when temperatures exceed 88 degrees.

Parents Turn to Ride-Hailing as Schools Pull Bus Transportation
Some districts are cutting back on school buses, leaving some children without reliable transportation to and from school.

Fact Check: New Housing Doesn’t Lead to Overcrowded Schools
A common refrain heard by locals opposed to new housing developments is that area schools can’t absorb the increase in students they’ll bring. As the nation approaches an “enrollment cliff,” the data tells a different story.

Expanding the Mission: Community Groups Serving Schools
Some community development organizations have added education to their traditional focus on housing and economic development, looking for ways to support families and children by partnering with local school districts. How is it working?

School Drop-Off Traffic Is Causing a Congestion — and Social — Crisis
School drop-off lines are becoming longer and more isolating than ever.

The Role of Schools in Fostering Vibrant and Inclusive Communities
Discover how schools play a crucial role in community development by fostering inclusivity, enhancing local engagement, and serving as hubs for social and cultural activities.

Big Box Schools with Jeff Vincent: The Planning Commission Podcast
Why are new school campuses antithetical to everything we promote about what constitutes good planning?

Historic Chicago School Building to Become Affordable Housing
The adaptive reuse project will create 50 income-restricted housing units and community amenities.

An Urbanist Agenda for Education
An opinion article by Angie Schmitt addresses the neglect of education policy in the urbanist political platform, and proposes two specific education policy goals for urbanists to get behind.

Protecting Kids from Climate Change by Greening Schools
Los Angeles Unified School District is in the process of implementing a plan to ensure that at least 30 percent of all campuses include green spaces by 2035.

L.A.’s New Homelessness Plan: Ban Camping Near Schools, Daycares
The city of Los Angeles is scrambling to keep up with its growing homeless population, and increasingly leaning on punitive measures in response to the crisis.

'Greening' L.A.'s Schoolyards
Advocates for increasing green space on school campuses say giving students a more healthy outdoor environment can also reduce the urban heat island effect and improve public health in historically underserved communities.

Pandemic Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Individual Liberties
The American Civil Liberties Union stepped into the nation's masking debate in K-12 schools on the side of parents of students with disabilities. They won the first round in the U.S. Southern District Court of Iowa. Mask mandates are permitted again.

Reopening Schools: CDC Reduces Social Distancing Requirement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now supports three-foot distancing in elementary school classrooms provided there is universal masking. For middle and high schools, it depends on the level of coronavirus transmission in the community.

Opinion: Stop Paving Seattle Playgrounds for Parking Lots
Seattle schools are often forced to reduce their playground space in favor of parking and circulation for private cars, but altering the city code could change that.
Pagination
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research