New York

San Francisco Mural

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents

Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.

May 22, 2017 - CityLimits.org

George Washington Bridge Bus Station Reopens After Delayed Renovation

The George Washington Bridge Bus Station should have reopened at the end of 2016, but now that it is, a lot of weary commuters have received a huge quality of life improvement.

May 21, 2017 - NorthJersey.com

A Deadly Crash Is an Accident Because it Isn't Terrorism

Cable news networks interrupted broadcasts on Thursday morning with breaking news: a vehicle had just driven three block on the sidewalks in Times Square, New York, resulting in massive casualties. Anchors asked, "Was it terrorism or an accident?"

May 21, 2017 - Daily News

Four Miles of Protected Bike Lane Proposed After Queens Bike Fatality

A two-way bike lane protected by a concrete barrier could be on the way for Northern Boulevard in Queens as a way to increase bike safety around the Joe Michaels Mile bike path.

May 20, 2017 - StreetsBlog NYC

nyc. subway.

New York MTA Proposes 6-Point Plan to Reduce Subway Headaches

The new plan to reduce delays on New York's subway system will rely on short-term fixes, rather than long-term modernization projects.

May 19, 2017 - The New York Times

Central Park from Rockefeller Center Historic Photo

Friday Eye Candy: A Mobile App That Provides a Historic Window Into New York

The Urban Archive app will be popular with anyone interested in the history of New York City. Hopefully the idea spreads to other cities soon.

May 19, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

New York City

Big, Expensive Idea: Bury Six Miles of Expressway Under Brooklyn

The Gowanus Expressway is a big polluter and a traffic nightmare. Some see putting the road underground as a solution.

May 17, 2017 - Crain's New York Business

Wind

Maryland Positions Itself as Nation's Leader in Offshore Wind Power

In a few years, Maryland is expected to be the nation's leader in offshore renewable wind power made possible by the Public Service Commission's approval on May 11 of credits to two projects by U.S. Wind and Skipjack Offshore Energy.

May 15, 2017 - Planetizen

Op-Ed: The High Cost of Free Electric Vehicle Parking

Two New York city councilmembers are hoping to entice more residents to buy electric cars by offering free parking for the electric vehicles on Saturdays. Not so fast, says an op-ed for Streetsblog USA.

May 14, 2017 - Streetsblog USA

WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLLS

Friday Funny: New Transit Mode: White House Briefing Room Podium

TIL that there are no podium helmet laws in New York City.

May 12, 2017 - Vox

Trick Biker

'Bikelife' Brings BMX Style to a New Generation

The Wall Street Journal introduces "Bikelife" to the masses, showcasing an another side to bike culture.

May 8, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Iowa

Federal Reserve Banks Look for Small Town Lessons in Growth

What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.

May 7, 2017 - Chicago Federal Reserve

Jane Jacobs

'Citizen Jane' Sets the Battle Lines for the Future of Cities

Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.

May 4, 2017 - James Brasuell

New York Subway

Is this Any Way to Run a Subway?

In New York's subway, stations are not the only historic parts of the 113-year-old system. Essential communications infrastructure responsible for keeping the trains running belongs in a museum, explaining the cause of many recent delays.

May 4, 2017 - The New York Times

Penn Station Interior

Cuomo Has a Unique Opportunity with Penn Station

The disastrous state of the country's most busy transit station presents an opportunity to make big improvements.

May 4, 2017 - The New York Times

Wheelchair Accessible

Disability Activists Sue New York MTA

Two class action lawsuits take New York’s inaccessible metro system to task.

May 1, 2017 - New York Times

Detroit Vacant Properties

Using Big Data to Identify Problem Properties

In New York state, municipalities can apply to use a new tool that gathers property data and sifts for red flags. The intent is to identify potential blight before it sets in.

April 29, 2017 - NextCity

Barbie Store

Friday Funny: Commuter Barbie Rides the Subway, Deals with Manspreading

Millennial Barbie reads literary fiction and wants you to know about it.

April 28, 2017 - Gothamist

Toronto Subway

MTA Ready for Open Gangway Subway Cars

Open gangways are featured on subway trains in Toronto and Montreal. They could also be a welcome addition to the crowded New York Subway by 2023.

April 27, 2017 - New York Daily News

Harlem River

Rezoning Coming to East Harlem

New York City has commenced a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in the neighborhood of East Harlem. This would be the second rezoning toward Mayor de Blasio's goal for 15 rezonings.

April 25, 2017 - The Real Deal

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.