Environment

Dalton highway and Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Plan to Auction Oil Drilling Rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Finalized

The Trump administration has a new signature achievement, in finalizing a plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

August 18, 2020 - The Washington Post

Los Angeles Earthquake

Resilient Los Angeles: Preparing for Overlapping Disasters in Pandemic

L.A. City Chief Resilience Officer Aaron Gross elaborates on how the pandemic is shaping the city’s understanding of resilience and the cascading impact that overlapping disasters of earthquake or wildfire could have on the city’s limited resources.

August 17, 2020 - The Planning Report

New York City Subway

Advocates: It's Time to Get Back on Transit

The story about the safety of public transit has changed since the early days of the pandemic.

August 17, 2020 - Scientific American

Bike Lanes

Bogotá Commits to the Bicycle

Colombia's capital city, the birthplace of the Ciclovía, is devoting public space to bikes during lockdown. To reduce traffic, the city plans to allocate even more public space to bike infrastructure and sustainable mobility moving forward.

August 13, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Pacific Ocean Beaches

Imagine Honolulu Without its Beaches

Beaches and parks on Oahu are closed to the public once again as the city attempts to control the spread of COVID-19.

August 11, 2020 - The Honolulu Star Advertiser

San Francisco, California

Can Planners Advance Environmental Justice When Rebuilding Existing Locally Unwanted Land Uses?

Miriam Solis, of the University of Texas at Austin, writes about a recent article she authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

August 11, 2020 - JPER

Seattle Protest

Planning for an Equitable Economic Recovery

The Seattle Planning Commission recently published a report titled "A Racially Equitable and Resilient Recovery."

August 10, 2020 - The Urbanist

South Beach Open Streets

The Cost of COVID Carbon Reduction: $3,200-$5,400 a Ton

The short-term environmental effects of the pandemic economic downturn are clear in the amount of carbon emissions that have been removed from the economy. The long-term effects, however, are subject to a number of contingencies.

August 10, 2020 - Taking Stock 2020: The COVID-19 Edition

Waterplace Park

Transitioning from Climate Justice Planning to Climate Justice Action

The Providence Climate Justice Plan offers an exemplary approach to prioritizing the communities and neighborhoods most impacted by the environmental effects of development and industrial pollution.

August 10, 2020 - Joan Fitzgerald

Arlington County, Virginia

Limiting Sidewalk Gatherings to Limit the Spread of Coronavirus

Pedestrians in Arlington County, Virginia can be fined for gathering on sidewalks in groups larger than three.

August 7, 2020 - DCist

Subcompact Cars

Good Luck Buying a Small, Affordable Car in the United States

Honda recently ended the Fit, a small, affordable subcompact car favored by urban dwellers (like the managing editor of Planetizen). The U.S. car market is now completely dislocated from the reality of the rest of the world.

August 7, 2020 - Vice

Washington State

Washington State Having a 'Dam-Busting Summer'

Two dams have been removed from watersheds in Washington State in as many months.

August 6, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Hiking Trail

The 'Great American Outdoors Act' Signed Into Law

By signing this new law into effect, President Trump seems ot have departed from his administration's previous actions on public lands.

August 5, 2020 - The Mercury News

COVID-19 and Public Health

Mask Mandates Without Enforcement Amount to Half-Measures

Issuing a ticket to a pedestrian for not wearing a mask in Miami is like issuing a ticket to a motorist for not wearing a seatbelt, states a specially-detailed Miami police officer. Welcome to the "new normal" in this coronavirus hotspot.

August 4, 2020 - The Washington Post

Electric Vehicle Charging

Cost of Electric Vehicles Will Soon Rival Gasoline Counterparts

As soon as a few years from now, electric sedans will cost the same as an equivalent gas vehicle. A team at Carnegie Mellon University is researching how long it will take for other types of electric vehicles to catch up.

August 4, 2020 - Inside Climate News

COVID-19

Staying Healthy During the Pandemic

Local parks and green spaces that enable safe social distancing have never been more important to people living in cities. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report showing their importance and the challenges they are facing.

August 4, 2020 - The Washington Post

United States map

One U.S. State Boasts 33% Fewer Carbon Emissions Per Capita Than Any Other

California, the largest state by population in the United States, is responsible for 33% fewer carbon emissions per capita than any other state, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

August 3, 2020 - The Mercury News

New York City

New York Updating its Comprehensive Waterfront Plan

Vision 2030 will update the award winning Vision 2020 New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan.

August 2, 2020 - NYC Planning

Houston Texas

Connecting Traffic, Air Quality, and Coronavirus Spread

Early in the pandemic, bike sales soared and vehicle miles traveled plummeted. As people have been driving more, more people have also been infected with the novel coronavirus.

July 31, 2020 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Chicago River Industrial Area

Chicago's New Approach to Air Quality Includes Zoning Changes

Improved air quality can help achieve equitable economic growth, according to Chicago's newly announced Air Quality Agenda.

July 31, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

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.