New York

The Experience Heading Into The Urban Policy Office

This piece from The New York Times looks at the career and experience of Adolfo Carrion, the new director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs.

March 3, 2009 - The New York Times

New York's Pedestrian Malls: Architects and Planners Weigh In

Six architects, planners, public intellectuals and authors give their differing opinions on Bloomberg's plan to turn Broadway into a pedestrian-only space.

March 2, 2009 - Freakonomics - NY Times Blog

Obama Budget A Boon For New York

The new federal budget represents a broad increase in funding for urban programs. New York in particular is to benefit greatly from the new spending plan.

March 1, 2009 - New York Daily News

New York City to Reclaim Broadway For Pedestrians

Mayor Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan have unveiled plans to turn a large segment of midtown into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. The bold move is being applauded by livable street advocates across the United States.

February 27, 2009 - Streetsblog

Is Mayor Bloomberg Feeling Squeezed?

Starting with a tony 5-floor, 7,500 square foot townhouse on the Upper East Side, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has quietly bought 4 of the 6 neighboring townhouse apartments and combined them into what is now a 12,500 square foot mansion.

February 27, 2009 - New York Times

Mid-Town Manhattan To Go Car-Free

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced plans to close off parts of Broadway in Manhattan to car traffic. The city will experiment with the closing as early as May, creating a large pedestrian zone near Times Square.

February 26, 2009 - The New York Times

Why Bus Rapid Transit Works

This interview with Walter Hook, director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, probes the merits of Bus Rapid Transit versus subways and light rail. The first of four installments.

February 25, 2009 - Streetsblog

Condo Composting

With few options besides sending food scraps to landfills, New Yorkers are composting in their homes.

February 23, 2009 - The New York Times

Coney Island Concepts Debated

The Municipal Art Society wants Coney Island to be bigger and more attractive, but the developer says time-share hotels and big boxes are the key the landmark's financial sustainability.

February 19, 2009 - The New York Times

Seeking Access To An Underground Railroad's History

A man who has been leading tours of abandoned underground railroads in New York City is hoping to gain permission to break through a 19th century brick wall below the streets to find a perfectly preserved locomotive from the mid-1800s.

February 17, 2009 - The New York Times

How to Strengthen New York City's Middle Class

David Giles explains the economic extremes that now characterize New York City and offers four suggestions on how to retain and strengthen its middle class.

February 12, 2009 - City Limits

Buffing Up The Bronx

City planners are rezoning an area of the Bronx known for auto shops and storage units to try to create a new bustling neighborhood like SoHo.

February 9, 2009 - The Daily News

New York City's Fleeting Middle Class, Broken Down

A new study shows that New York City is losing is middle class, and quick. However, says one planner, the findings, though detailed, don't give the big picture.

February 6, 2009 - Crain's New York Business

NY's Middle Class Still Exists

Maybe they're not in Manhattan, but Queens and Brooklyn are still home to much of New York's diverse middle class. And although facing some economic stress, they're not likely to go anywhere soon, according to Joel Kotkin.

February 4, 2009 - New Geography

New York City Bus Tracking System Delayed

A long-help plan to install GPS-ready bus tracking equipment to New York City buses has been pushed off indefinitely.

February 3, 2009 - NY1 News

A Streetcar on 42nd Street?

A nonprofit organization is promoting the idea of closing Manhattan's 42nd St. to traffic and putting in a 2.5 mile street level light rail line.

January 29, 2009 - The New York Times

Streetsblog: Advocacy Journalism and the Reconquering of the American City

The Internet is a trove of great ideas about improving cities. Filling blogs and personal websites, the vast majority of ideas out there are little more than that: ideas. New York City's Streetsblog -- now a growing nationwide force -- is transforming the conversation into action.

January 29, 2009 - Mike Lydon

1984 in a New York Apartment Building

Rockrose Development Corporation in New York sees itself as in the business of creating community in its buildings. But some tenants have found that if you're critical of Rockrose, you might find yourself on the street.

January 27, 2009 - The New York Times

Filling a Need But Blocking the View

Plans for a new school and mixed use development in Brooklyn have neighbors excited about the project filling a need but also disappointed about the new project's height, which they say will ruin their view.

January 22, 2009 - The New York Times

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.