Schools

Google street view of vacant lot in Phoenix, Arizona.

Phoenix Facilitates School-to-Affordable Housing Development

Two Phoenix school districts are selling their underused properties to build over 200 units of affordable housing.

February 25, 2025 - The Copper Courier

Young girl sitting at school desk taking test with blurred teacher and other students in background.

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?

February 10, 2025 - Michael Lewyn

Aerial view of Chicago with river in foreground.

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?

January 20, 2025 - Michael Lewyn

Abandoned school building with brick smokestack in winter.

Repurposing Vacant Schools

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

January 16, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Children walking toward yellow school bus on a sunny day.

A Better Way to Plan School Facilities

Taking a wider view of communities could help keep schools open despite falling enrollment.

January 8, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

View from back of classroom of young children at desks raising hands.

New York Law Addresses Extreme Heat in Schools

The law calls for heat mitigation measures when temperatures exceed 88 degrees.

December 29, 2024 - WBEN

Children boarding yellow school bus.

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.

December 18, 2024 - Associated Press

Group of elementary school children running in an outdoor corridor.

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.

December 16, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Group of children with backpacks walking toward colorful modern school building.

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?

December 5, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Girl wearing Covid mask and backpack getting dropped off by mom at school.

School Drop-Off Traffic Is Causing a Congestion — and Social — Crisis

School drop-off lines are becoming longer and more isolating than ever.

September 20, 2024 - The Atlantic

Back view of group of six children and one adult walking down school hallway.

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.

August 20, 2024 - Devin Partida

Green graphic with headshot of Jeff Vincent for The Planning Commission podcast.

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?

January 5, 2024 - The Pllanning Commission Podcast

Google Maps street view of historic red brick school building in CHicago, Illinois

Historic Chicago School Building to Become Affordable Housing

The adaptive reuse project will create 50 income-restricted housing units and community amenities.

September 19, 2023 - Block Club Chicago

View of concrete schoolyard in New York City through fence

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.

August 23, 2023 - Angie Schmitt

View of park playground with palm trees in background

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.

August 21, 2023 - The 19th

A homeless encampment fills a sidewalk in front of a Sizzler restaurant advertising Thanksgiving dinner.

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.

June 1, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Low-saturation image of a concrete schoolyard with basketball hoop

'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.

March 29, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Pandemic Protest

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.

September 20, 2021 - Des Moines Register

Back to School September 2020

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.

March 29, 2021 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

School Drop Off

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.

March 5, 2021 - The Urbanist

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.