New York

High Line Crowds

Comparing Public Space in New York City and Paris

A recent article examines the ways New York City and Paris support large-scale pedestrian use and support the shared use of public space.

March 3, 2014 - Project For Public Spaces

Music to the Subway Rider’s Ears

James Murphy has composed a “Subway Symphony”—a unique set of notes for each station in NYC’s Metro system that would sound when users swipe their fare cards. “The busier a station becomes, the richer the harmonies would be.”

February 25, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Evaluating Bloomberg’s Massive Rezoning Efforts

While the rezoning of neighborhoods like West Chelsea garnered plenty of attention, less analysis has been devoted to the impacts of zoning changes enacted by the Bloomberg Administration in places like Ozone Park.

February 25, 2014 - Capital New York

Downtown Flint Michigan along Saginaw Street

More Debate About 'Saving' Rust Belt Cities

The populations of at least a dozen major cities declined by more than ten percent between 2000 and 2010, including Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Detroit. How best to regenerate those “legacy cities” is a matter of no small amount of debate.

February 22, 2014 - Cato @ Liberty

Excavations Unlock New York City’s Dramatic Geologic Foundation

A decade of subterranean excavations on the Third Water Tunnel, the Second Avenue Subway, and the Long Island Rail Road’s East Side Access Project has provided geologists with unprecedented access to New York City’s physical structure.

February 22, 2014 - New York Times

New York Mayor de Blasio Details Vision Zero Traffic Safety Plan

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio gathered Police Commissioner William Bratton and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to make the potentially historic policy announcement: the Vision Zero plan, which treats all traffic deaths as preventable.

February 19, 2014 - New York Times

Using Public Surveillance to Track Pedestrian Congestion

A startup called Placemeter is using public surveillance to track pedestrian traffic in New York City to provide real time information about wait times at services and facilities around the city.

February 18, 2014 - Fast Co.Exist

Subway Transfer Signage a No-Go in NYC

A recent guerrilla campaign designed to ease train-to-train transfer on the New York subway displeased both the MTA and regular commuters.

February 17, 2014 - Next City

Are Social and Economic Justice Planning Outcomes?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Planning Commission Chair Carl Weisbrod while promising planning decisions that produce economic and social justice benefits. The question is to what degree planning can influence those outcomes.

February 15, 2014 - TransitCenter

New Study Claims Airbnb Is Fudging Its Numbers

Airbnb, arguably the most famous symbol of the sharing economy, has a court date with the New York State Attorney General in March. Meanwhile, a new report has evidence that Airbnb is fudging its numbers relevant to a key issue in the case.

February 14, 2014 - Skift

Friday Funny: A Map for Finding Lost Mittens

It’s Valentine’s Day, and it’s been a long winter in most parts of the country, so in the interest of staying warm and rightful pairs sticking together, here’s a website that lets people map the locations of lost mittens around New York City.

February 14, 2014 - TLDR

City Visas: The Right Way to Lure Talent?

Should dying cities like Detroit get their own visa programs to attract skilled foreign workers? What about prosperous cities like New York and London?

February 13, 2014 - Future Cities

An Unflattering Look at Transit Accessibility

A newly released series of animated GIFs provides a powerful visualization of how paltry even the most robust transit systems in the world look to those with special needs.

February 11, 2014 - Mappable

A Discussion About the Post-Gentrification Discussion

“At this point I’m battling gentrification fatigue,” proclaims Dax-Devlon Ross, who has written extensively about his experiences as a self-proclaimed “black gentrifier” in West Harlem.

February 11, 2014 - Next American City

De Blasio Selects Planning Director

Mayor Bill de Blasio has selected Carl Weisbrod, the co-chairman of his transition team and a veteran New York City real estate executive to be the Chair of the City Planning Commission, aka Planning Director. Housing affordablity will be a priority.

February 10, 2014 - The New York Times N.Y. / Region

What Makes A ‘Metropolitan Version of Nature’?

Metropolis Magazine examines the 21st century efforts at creating wild places in cities, exemplified by the Buffalo Bayou Promenade in Houston and the Passaic River in Newark.

February 7, 2014 - Metropolis Mag

Massive Swan Kill Planned in New York

“Across millennia [mute swans] symbolized transformation and devotion, light and beauty,” says a recent article in Wired. Not so much in New York City, where the city’s population of mute swans will be reduced to zero to protect other native species.

February 7, 2014 - Wired

MoMA’s Latest Controversy: Free Sculpture Garden Access

As part of an already controversial expansion plan, MoMA will allow free access to the cloistered sanctuary of its sculpture garden. Not everyone is a fan of the idea, saying crowds will spoil the effect.

February 5, 2014 - New York Times

The Dramatic Impact of LED Streetlights on Celluloid

Los Angeles recently completed a comprehensive installation of LED streetlights—and New York City is not far behind. Among the unintended consequences of the new technology? Cities will now look completely different on film.

February 4, 2014 - No Film School

Behold the First-Ever Regional Transit Map of New York

For anyone not a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, the best result of this year's Super Bowl might have been the first-ever regional transit map of New York.

February 3, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

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.