Urban Planning

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)

Some commentators defend anti-urban government policies such as exclusionary zoning on the basis that homeowning suburbanites have high birth rates. But this doesn't seem to be true in recent decades.

April 7, 2025 - Michael Lewyn

New modern home in grays with ADU and porta-potty out front being built in Kirkland, Washington.

March Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Proposed housing solutions, Chicago transit in peril, and executive actions in limbo.

April 1, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "City Hall" plaque on building with gold lettering on black.

Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?

Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.

March 23, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

The Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. viewed from middle of Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lanes.

Planning Trends for 2025: Creative Housing Solutions, Ongoing Transit Woes, and the Ever-Creeping Tentacles of AI

Urban planners have no shortage of urgent issues to delve into, from a deepening housing crisis to an increasingly unpredictable climate to a new federal administration bent on slashing key funding for everything from electric cars to housing assistance.

March 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Collage of 5 GIS maps from the ESRI American Community Survey (ACS) Atlas Collection.

Explore US Demographics With the New ACS Atlas Collection

Esri's new ACS Atlas Collection offers interactive applications that visualize the latest U.S. demographic and socio-economic data, enabling users to explore over 175 curated web maps across various thematic areas.

February 27, 2025 - ArcGIS Blog

Downtown Los Angeles skyline at sunset with new 6th Street Viaduct arches in foreground.

Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025

Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.

February 21, 2025 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Aerial view of South Orange, New Jersey.

Off-Street Parking in the Midburbs

In several New Jersey cities, eliminating parking requirements has boosted local businesses.

February 18, 2025 - Gabe Bailer - PP - AICP - NJ Urbanthinker

Group of five small children running on concrete outdoors on sunny day.

Planning Communities for Thriving Children

When it comes to children's health and economic success, current trends are dismal. New research identifies how to plan communities where children can thrive. The secret? Compact, mixed-income, multimodal neighborhoods.

February 17, 2025 - Todd Litman

Fort Mill, South Carolina: Kingsley Town Center. Mixed use development of repurposed textile mill with smokestack and streets "Textile Way" and "Broadcloth Street."

Rethinking Suburban Development: New Trends in Creating Livable Communities

Discover new trends in suburban development focused on creating more livable, sustainable communities for future growth.

February 17, 2025 - Devin Partida

Neoclassical United States Treasury building in Washington, D.C.

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.

February 6, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Drone view from Independence Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Urbanism in a Time of War

The first in a series of posts reflecting on urbanism and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

January 29, 2025 - Mikael Colville-Andersen

View of brick buildings and One World Trade Center building and New York City skyline.

Is the Urban Form Sustainable?

One author offers a framework for resilience that rethinks common assumptions about the inevitability of cities as we know them.

January 28, 2025 - Next City

Tram and cyclist on Amsterdam street with sunrise or sunset in background.

Looking for the Light in a Dark Age

Professor Glenn Lyons offers insights about the challenges facing planners in times of rapid technological, cultural, and social change, in Local Transport Today's first ‘Deep Thinking Initiative’ article.

January 24, 2025 - Local Transport Today

Front entrance of U.S. Department of Transportation office in Washington D.C.

Preserving Essential Information in an Uncertain World

The new U.S. federal administration may eliminate useful information sources. Planners should download and preserve key documents and datasets.

January 24, 2025 - Todd Litman

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

String lights across an alley in Cranford, New Jersey at night.

Midburbs: A New Definition of Suburbs

When the name “suburb” just doesn't quite fit.

January 17, 2025 - Gabe Bailer - PP - AICP - NJ Urbanthinker

Low angle view of busy crosswalk with pedestrians and a bike.

Planning Year in Review 2024: An Ongoing Housing Crisis, the Fight for Climate Resilience, and a Mixed Bag for Transportation

A pedestrian safety crisis, rising housing instability, and destructive extreme weather events set the stage for an eventful year.

January 12, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of white sign with red letters "NO THRU TRAFFIC"

The Link Between Urban Design and Crime

A meta-study shows that public realm interventions can help reduce crime rates.

January 9, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Large brutalist building and skyscrapers viewed from middle of wide street in downtown Houston, Texas.

Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness

An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.

January 3, 2025 - Wired

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.