New York

Telephone Pole

Broadband Inheriting the Discriminatory Patterns of Previous Infrastructure Systems

The challenges of bridging the digital divide are exacerbated by the racist legacies of previous infrastructure systems, according to a recent presentation to the New York Regional Plan Association.

July 18, 2016 - RPA Lab

Uber Car

Uber Creeping Into Transit Territory

One of the great, looming questions of transportation is whether transportation network companies will complement or compete with transit. A recent promotion moves toward the compete end of the spectrum.

July 16, 2016 - The Huffington Post

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Supreme Court to Decide on Interpretations of Historic Preservation

A brief by the Cato Institute describes historic preservation laws as arbitrary and ambiguous. A case before the Supreme Court could decide on either side of the issue.

July 13, 2016 - Market Urbanism

Designing for Physical Inactivity

In this New York Times opinion, health issues correspondent Meera Senthilingam writes that too much of New York City is not designed for physical activity, including walking. Imagine what the suburbs and less vibrant cities are like!

July 13, 2016 - The New York Times - Opinion

Zoning Amendment Allows Changes to Privately-Owned Public Spaces in Manhattan

Privately-owned public spaces on Walter Street in Manhattan could get a little more private and a little less public under terms of a new zoning amendment approved by the City Council.

July 12, 2016 - amNew York

Hamburg Sets Inclusionary Zoning Pace in Western New York

With less than 60,000 residents, Hamburg, New York might fly under the housing policy radar, but the small town is the first in Western New York to approve inclusionary zoning. Buffalo could be next.

July 10, 2016 - The Buffalo News

New York City Zoning Map

Reexamining the Origins of Zoning

According to Seymour Toll's 1969 book, New York City's 1916 zoning code was less a civic-minded project than an attempt to protect elite retail districts from the riff-raff. The ramifications for American zoning at large are significant.

July 7, 2016 - PlanPhilly

NYC-crosswalk

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street

In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

July 7, 2016 - The New York Times

Roman Aqueduct

The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective

How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.

July 5, 2016 - The Planning Report

urban park

Is New York Distributing Its Public Plazas Equally?

An analysis of the geographic distribution of New York's new public plazas sought to determine if the program was meeting one of its stated goals: providing access to public plazas for low- and moderate-income households.

July 5, 2016 - Placemeter

Meter Maid

Pesky Parking Tickets? There's an App for That

An intrepid student has created a simple chatbot program that helps people get out of parking tickets.

July 4, 2016 - Ars Technica

Bicycle Cops

Judge Throws Out Key Component of New York's Vision Zero Policy

Citing drivers for failure to "exercise due care" (administrative code 19-190) is a key enforcement tool of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero policy, but a judge just threw it out.

June 30, 2016 - DNAInfo

Busy Crossing Street

New York Launches New Pedestrian Safety Plan

The New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan will invest $110 million to improve pedestrian safety in the state of New York.

June 28, 2016 - The Lansing Star

Manhattan Developers Go 0-2 in Recent Preservation Battles

Local advocates have won a string of political victories against developers in New York City.

June 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Waldorf-Astoria

1,100 Waldorf Astoria Hotel Rooms to Make Way for Condos

A Chinese company has sent a dramatic signal about the evolution of New York, moving forward with a plan to convert most of the rooms in the famous Waldorf Astoria into condominiums.

June 28, 2016 - Bloomberg

Grand Central Station

Friday Funny: Watch These New Yorkers Just Miss Their Train

Ok, some are going to catch the train, too. You just never know when it's your lucky day.

June 24, 2016 - Gothamist

Gowanus Canal

Parking Spaces Give Way to Stormwater-Collecting Dumpsters in Gowanus

A project proposal from Alloy Development and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy makes creative use of space to achieve stormwater benefits in the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal.

June 21, 2016 - Brooklyn Paper

img_7314

Solar Canopies Provide a Solution for New York Roofs

A design fix helps Brooklyn brownstones go green.

June 20, 2016 - Wired

Shuttering of Illinois Nuke Plants Cause Enviro Groups to Rethink Opposition

The Wall Street Journal reports that the climate crisis is causing some mainstream environmental groups, including the largest, the Sierra Club, to rethink their long-standing opposition to the carbon-free power source.

June 20, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Staten Island Ferry

Details of New York's Ferry Service 'Gamble'

An ambitious and aggressive plan to launch new ferry service connecting all five boroughs in New York is scheduled to launch in January 2017.

June 18, 2016 - 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.