Walkability

Land Use Success and Failure in Two Florida Towns

This post from NRDC's Kaid benfield compares the two Florida cities of Lehigh Acres and Venice, where land use decisions created one city doomed to fail and another that's on a fast rise.

March 25, 2010 - NRDC Switchboard

Is Walkscore A Useful Planning Tool?

The online walkability tool is sexy but not perfect. Real estate site are beginning to use it; could planners use it too? Bill Fulton gives his two cents.

February 9, 2010 - California Planning & Development Report

Carfree Design Manual

As planners, one of our roles is to help stretch the scope of what is considered possible. For example, between 1950 and 2000 most development was highly automobile-dependent, based on the assumption that almost all travel would be by personal automobile and other modes were relatively unimportant. This pattern is so well established that many people have difficulty imagining anything different. It is useful to help people understand the full range of options available, from automobile dependency to carfree communities.

February 8, 2010 - Todd Litman

A State-by-State Look at Biking and Walking

A new report from the Alliance for Biking & Walking takes a state-by-state look at the cycling and walking community, safety statistics, and investment figures.

February 1, 2010 - Streetsblog

Walkability and Housing Values

Walkability is gaining ground in the determination of housing values.

January 12, 2010 - The New York Times

Carfree Guangzhou

While car use is growing in Beijing and other Chinese cities, cars account for less than 1% of trips in the Xiguan district of Guangzhou. Karl Fjellstrom explains how the city has used preserved its historic core for walking.

January 6, 2010 - Carbusters

Somewhere Between Blight and Gentrification...

Is there a happy medium between the run-down liquor store and the gourmet shop?  What is the best form of Main Street retail, as people move back to the city and re-emergent neighborhoods acquire shops and services that were once lacking?

November 15, 2009 - Diana DeRubertis

Walkable Las Vegas?

Developers and locals in Las Vegas are pinning hopes onto the new CityCenter development to bring walkability to the desert city.

November 12, 2009 - MSNBC

A Sea of Infrastructure

An ex-pat American returns home to Milwaukee, and is overwhelmed by the extensive auto-oriented infrastructure needed to support the U.S. lifestyle, very different from his life in Almeria, Spain.

November 9, 2009 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Walkscore to Get Bus Points

Transit stops are now included on Walkscore, the map-mashup website that scores neighborhoods based on their accessibility and walkability.

November 7, 2009 - NRDC Switchboard

Halloween Costumes for Urban Planners - 2nd Edition

The second edition list of the best urban planning costume ideas.

October 26, 2009 - Nate Berg

Sidewalk Design Vehicle

A few days ago I posted a blog that discussed the concept of Universal Design (transportation facilities designed to accommodate all possible users, including those with disabilities and other special needs) and the value it provides to individuals and communities. One way to approach this issue is to define the design vehicle for pedestrian facilities.

October 15, 2009 - Todd Litman

El Paso to Walk the Walk

Citing a recent study that demonstrates higher home values in walkable neighborhoods, officials in El Paso say it's time to change the way their city grows.

October 14, 2009 - El Paso Times

Study Shows TND Encourages Walking

Orenco Station in Portland, OR shows that traditional neighborhood development (TND) can decrease car use and encourage walking, according to a new study.

September 16, 2009 - New Urban News

Residential Infill, 70's-Style

  In 1979, the City of San Diego launched a plan to steer new development into the craftsman-lined neighborhoods close to downtown.   The idea was sound:  scatter higher density housing throughout existing smart growth communities. 

August 25, 2009 - Diana DeRubertis

Can Local Stores Have An Impact on Global Warming?

A revival of small, neighborhood retailers could be an important strategy for countering climate change, enticing people to run errands without driving their cars.

August 22, 2009 - Grist Magazine

Houston To Require Better Walkability Around Transit Stations

City officials in Houston have unanimously approved zoning and policy changes that will encourage walkable development around the city's expanding light rail network.

August 21, 2009 - The Houston Chronicle

Better Walkability, Higher Value

A recent study finds a correlation between a neighborhood's walkability and its home values.

August 18, 2009 - Inman News

Recasting the Station as the Neighborhood Nucleus

Zoning changes around the train station in New Carrollton, Maryland seek to redefine the city into a more vibrant, walkable area. The changes have received preliminary approval.

August 18, 2009 - The Washington Post

Can "Walkable" and "Bucolic" Go Hand in Hand?

There is controversy over new sidewalk laws in Washington, DC.

August 12, 2009 - The Washington Post

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.