Walkability

Map drawing from Lake Wales, Florida master plan highlighting green networks.

Florida Town Master Plan Encourages Active Living

Lake Wales is redesigning its car-oriented streets to make it easier for residents to walk and bike.

January 7, 2024 - Congress For New Urbanism

View of narrow alley on Philadelphia's Quince Street with fall leaves.

Video: A ‘European-Style’ Street in Philadelphia

With its narrow lanes and mature trees, Philadelphia’s Quince Street illustrates what’s possible.

December 28, 2023 - Next City

Man using cane for visual impairment waiting to board subway train on platform.

How Car Dependency Impacts People With Disabilities

People who are physically unable to drive can benefit from effective public transit systems and accessible, mixed-use neighborhoods.

December 21, 2023 - Salon

People walking on paved path in green city park with trees and tall city skyscrapers in background.

Green Spaces Benefit Neighborhoods—When Residents can Reach Them

A study comparing green space and walkability scores found that, without effective access to local parks, residents of greener neighborhoods don’t reap the health benefits.

December 3, 2023 - American Heart Association News

Ground-up view of man using wheelchair waiting to board a light blue bus.

Commentary: Avoiding Ableism in 15-Minute Cities

One author calls on planners to challenge assumptions that exclude people with mobility challenges and other disabilities.

November 21, 2023 - The Conversation

Group of children running outdoors toward camera.

Designing Cities With Youth in Mind

The car-centric design of many U.S. cities traps young people at home, preventing them from engaging in social activities and urban life.

November 16, 2023 - CNU Public Square

College students walking on green lawn with neoclassical red brick domed building in background on University of Illinois campus.

Why College Campuses Make Ideal Models for Cities

College campuses serve as ideal models for cities, with their integrated infrastructure, vibrant communities, sustainability initiatives, and innovation hubs inspiring urban planning and development for a brighter future.

November 16, 2023 - Devin Partida

"Post Oak Boulevard" street sign in downtown Houston, Texas with glass high-rises in background.

Houston Awarded $18.5M for Trail Linking Uptown and Memorial Park

The grant will make the freeway-bounded park more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

November 3, 2023 - Houston.org

Google Maps view of one-story shopping center with large parking lot.

Ohio Suburb Reenvisions Car-Oriented Shopping Center

Garfield Heights wants to transform a 1960s complex nestled in a sea of surface parking into a walkable, mixed-use development.

October 31, 2023 - Cleveland.com

Photo of Goat Blocks development, Portland, Oregon with five-story brick building and wide concrete staircase.

Goat Blocks: A Blueprint for Urban Placemaking and Walkability

How one development harnesses placemaking tactics to build community at the street level.

October 26, 2023 - Jason Roberts

Close-up of decorative water fountain on La Rambla pedestrian street in Barcelona, Spain with blurred pedestrians in background.

Rick Steves on Walkability Lessons From Europe

Many of Europe’s pedestrian-friendly, transit-rich cities weren’t always that way.

October 22, 2023 - Strong Towns

Street sign for Fifth Avenue in New York City.

What Will Become of Fifth Avenue?

Visitors to the iconic shopping street overwhelmingly arrive by walking, transit, or bike. Why are bike and pedestrian infrastructure improvement lagging so far behind another famous NYC street, Broadway?

October 4, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

Students walking on sunny walkway on college campus.

How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream

Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.

September 27, 2023 - The Daily

Young girl with pigtail braids boarding bus with blurred bus driver in driver's seat in background

The Unspoken Link Between Transit and Child Care

Already a challenge for many American parents, finding child care within reach of transit can be nearly impossible.

September 22, 2023 - Next City

Man in orange jacket wearing surgical mask and bike helmet looks at phone while wearing delivery backpack and holding bicycle

How Long Covid Changes the Transportation Conversation

People living with long Covid symptoms can find themselves unable to make the same mobility choices they used to.

September 20, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

African-American parents push stroller down residential neighborhood sidewalk as young child rides scooter in front of them.

Appreciating the Spaces That Connect Us

Often overlooked, liminal spaces like front porches and sidewalks can boost social connections.

September 19, 2023 - CNU Public Square

Three toddlers playing in a colorful playroom

Vancouver Day Care Rejection Poses Larger Questions

What does it mean for cities and civic life when neighborhoods are viewed as products geared for individual consumption rather than ever-evolving communities?

September 10, 2023 - Strong Towns

View of Dallas city skyline with moderately busy freeway in foreground at twilight.

How to Reduce Excess Vehicle Travel

Some experts claim that remote work is the most effective way to reduce vehicle travel, but my research indicates that improving and encouraging walking, bicycling, and public transit can provide larger impacts and benefits.

September 8, 2023 - Todd Litman

Blurred pedestrians on busy walkable street in Copenhagen, Denmark with old buildings in background

How the ‘Social Field of View’ Impacts Street Life

The vibrancy of a neighborhood may be defined by what people can see in their immediate vicinity.

September 8, 2023 - Happy Cities

A rendering of the Utah City master planned, mixed-use development.

700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah

A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.

August 31, 2023 - Daily Herald

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.