Exclusives

BLOG POST
Using Google Earth to Understand Parking Utilization
As planners we use maps on a daily basis. This article shares how to find the date and time that a Google Earth image was taken, which can be helpful in undertaking site analysis and understanding parking utilization.

FEATURE
Top Planning Trends – 2014
A deeper look at the traffic data on Planetizen reveals trends from the planning and urban design conversation of 2014.

BLOG POST
Is Mismanagement the Cause of Legacy Cities' Decline?
One common argument against attempts to control sprawl near declining cities is that the problem is the fault of mismanaged city government.

BLOG POST
The Best Planning Apps for 2015
A list of mobile apps that support planning, as part of an annual update. Learn about exciting new ways to explore cities and enhance planning via mobile apps. Please feel free to add your own favorites.

BLOG POST
2014 in Review—Music About Places
A list of personal favorites—music that expressed more than research or rhetoric can about the places where we live, work, and play.

BLOG POST
Part One: Should MoMA Tout Tactical Urbanism(s) as a Solution to Uneven Growth?
In part one of a two-part series, I introduce MoMA's latest Issues in Contemporary Architecture exhibit and offer a definition of Tactical Urbanism.

FEATURE
The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2014
We've been collecting data on the posts you made the most popular for the year 2014.

BLOG POST
The Economist and Suburbia: A Fistful of Myths
A recent set of articles in the Economist argued that the continued spread of suburbia was inevitable and perhaps desirable. But the article's arguments are not always applicable to North America.

FEATURE
Back to Basics: the Diggs Town Public Housing Revitalization
Some of the most effective solutions in urban design involve the simplest design changes. Revitalizing public housing is difficult, but not impossible, as shown by Ray Gindroz and his team at Urban Design Associates in Norfolk, Virginia.

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Dumping in Dixie and the Inequity of Place
Only by better addressing issues of inequity can we create truly sustainable and livable communities. But is that even possible today?

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Nature and Art: A Christmas Plea for Cities
I wrote an urbanist Christmas wish list last week for Fast Forward Weekly. I figured I'd elaborate on one of my wishes for weedy nature and public art: disturbance oriented art.

BLOG POST
Five Things You Need to Know About E-Bikes—An Urban Transportation Paradigm Shift
When you have a small electric motor, a battery, and a throttle on your bicycle, it becomes very difficult to make any more excuses. Here's why...

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Secrets of Congestion-Busting Cities
Only nine regions experienced reduced traffic congestion between 1991 and 2011. What do they have in common?

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Popular in 2014: Increasing Transient Occupancy Taxes
Fourteen California municipalities attempted to increase their Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOTs) through ballot measures this November. Why are cities around the state looking to TOTs to increase revenues?

FEATURE
Top 10 Books - 2015
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the ten best books in urban planning, design, and development published in 2014.

BLOG POST
The Eco Village Concept: Climate Mitigation Might Require Experimentation
Robert Boyer of UNC-Charlotte discusses his new article on the hurdles surrounding building environmentally friendly Ecovillages. Follow Journal of Planning Education and Research @JPER7.

BLOG POST
Should I Present at a Conference? And If I Don't Present, Should I Attend?
One question I get asked a lot is if students should present at conference. In fact it is often more of a statement of intent rather than a question about whether it is useful. The answer, however, is not as clear as many students believe.

BLOG POST
A Playful Approach to Activating Spaces along the Los Angeles River
An interview with two of Project 51's co-founders, John Arroyo and Catherine Gudis, on the collective's recent "Play the LA River" card deck, a playable guide which invites participants to discover 56 unique sights along the entire Los Angeles River.

BLOG POST
Critiquing the 'Twenty Percent' Argument Against Transit Funding
This post critiques a common argument against federal support for public transit: that transit gets 20 percent of transportation spending yet has a much lower market share.

FEATURE
South Park Neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles Partners for Greener Alleys
The South Park BID and LA Sustainability Collaborative came together to organize the "Green Alleys in South Park Visioning Report," with plans to connect its next steps in sustainable action to city, development, and third-party projects.
Pagination
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.
