Transparency

Winter City

Detroit Launches Website To Track Spending of Federal Dollars

A new web portal allows Detroiters to see how the city is spending hundreds of millions in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

March 15, 2022 - Detroit Free Press

Interactive Map of Boston

New Citywide Mapping Tool Marks a New Era for Planning in Boston

The Boston Planning & Development Agency released a powerful new map of the entire city—complete with layers like shadows, flood plains, and zoning districts—to the public.

May 9, 2018 - The Boston Globe

Future Farmers of America

Trump Administration's Draft Budget Raises New Concerns About Data Collection

President Trump has made no secret of his disdain for many of the traditional data points used to represent the health and prosperity of the country. The budgetary process offers an opportunity to match words with action.

March 9, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Austin

New Tool for Measuring Progress of Sustainability in Austin

Austin Office of Sustainability upgrades transparency with a new online resource.

October 17, 2016 - Next City

Lyft

How Cities Are Regulating the Sharing Economy

Compiled from interviews conducted with city officials, this National League of Cities report gives us a regulator's-eye-view of the sharing economy. Among the topics discussed are equity, taxation, and data transparency.

April 15, 2015 - National League Of Cities

'Open by Default': Louisville Opens Data to the Public

Louisville has shown leadership in the open data movement by doubling the amount of data it shares with the public in the past year.

November 3, 2014 - WFPL News

Can L.A.'s New Mayor Drag the City's Operations Into the Digital Era?

With a goal of improving the quality of life for the city's residents, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is embarking on a titanic task: using technology, transparency, and accountability to transform the city's "lumbering" bureaucracy.

September 27, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

China's Cities Hold the Key to the World's Future

In a globalized world, China's economic, environmental and urban development has implications for us all, posits Henry M. Paulson Jr. The problems the country faces, and any potential solutions, revolve around its approach to urbanization.

December 9, 2012 - The New York Times

The Trouble With Government Transparency

Keeping government open and accountable has led to some problems for cities, according to John D. Donahue.

February 12, 2010 - Governing

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.