Government / Politics

Pandemic Bike Lanes

Paris Plans to Become a '100 Percent Cyclable' City

Mayor Anne Hidalgo continues her commitment to making Paris more bikeable with a new plan that will improve bike parking and facilities in the French capital.

October 28, 2021 - Forbes

Chicago Street

Chicago Grants Support Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

The eTOD program centers equity as a consideration for new projects.

October 27, 2021 - WBEZ

Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas

Austin Leaders Denounce 20-Lane Freeway Project

TxDOT is pushing ahead with plans for a massive freeway expansion project through downtown Austin despite opposition from virtually all local leaders.

October 27, 2021 - Slate

MARTA Bus

Downtown Atlanta Association Calls for Changes to Proposed BRT Line

The group expressed concerns with changes made to a key segment, which leaves riders with fewer connections to existing transit and does not position the line for future growth.

October 27, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

Abandoned buildings on Hart Island

New York Plans to Improve Access to Hart Island, the Nation's Largest Public Cemetery

Managed for decades by the Department of Corrections, the island could soon become a public park with regular ferry service and expanded visiting hours.

October 27, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Mass Vaccination

COVID Vaccination Strategy: What the U.K. and U.S. Could Learn from Israel

Cases are surging in the U.K. despite 68% of its population being fully vaccinated. Experts say that U.K. officials should observe how Israel, with 63% of its population fully vaccinated, managed to reduce transmission after a similar surge.

October 26, 2021 - Bloomberg Prognosis

New York Bus

What COVID Taught About Mobility Justice

Transit agencies are waking up to the inequities in transportation systems—highlighted by the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic.

October 26, 2021 - Grist

Empty living room/dining room in an apartment in a 1920s apartment house, Los Angeles, California.

Spiking Rents Putting More People at Risk of Eviction

Housing costs across the country are becoming more and more unaffordable for low- and moderate-income households, a trend that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 26, 2021 - The New York Times

Delivery Trucks

How Street Configuration Impacts Equity

With urban pollution and traffic violence disproportionately affecting communities of color, better management of public space and streets could improve equity in cities.

October 25, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Tilikum Crossing

Portland and Multnomah County Push for Lower Speed Limits on Bridges

The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County agree on a 30 mph speed limit on five downtown bridges, but the state's department of transportation denied the change on two key spans.

October 25, 2021 - Bike Portland

First-Time Buyers

Study: Half as Many Metro Areas Affordable to Low-Income Homebuyers in 2021 as in 2020

Over 13 million potential first-time homebuyers were priced out this year, putting homeownership out of reach for low-income households in most of the largest U.S. cities.

October 25, 2021 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

California State Water project

California Governor Declares Statewide Drought Emergency

The declaration applies to all of California's 58 counties, with agencies and households urged to implement stricter conservation measures as the historic drought deepens.

October 24, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

California Houses

New 'Housing Accountability Unit' to Enforce California's Housing Goals

Part of the state's Housing and Community Development Agency, the unit will focus on enforcing existing laws around housing production and ensure cities build the housing needed to alleviate the current crisis.

October 24, 2021 - CALmatters

The Hudson River Way, a pedestrian bridge that links Broadway in downtown Albany, New York with the Corning Preserve on the bank of the Hudson River.

How Albany Can Reclaim Its Waterfront From a Bad Highway

Finding full-scale highway removal nearly impossible, advocates in the New York state capital turn to creative workarounds to reconnect the city to the Hudson River.

October 24, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Chicago Street

Recommendations for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant Program

The Capital Investment Grants program should focus on improving service on heavily-used lines, expanding access to jobs and amenities, and increasing multimodal accessibility.

October 21, 2021 - TransitCenter

COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Major Shortcoming in Biden's COVID Action Plan

Dr. Leana S. Wen, an emergency physician and public health expert, writes that Covid will become a 'manageable problem' with three key actions, only one of which hasn't received the attention it deserves in the Biden administration's action plan.

October 21, 2021 - The Washington Post

Detroit

How Legacy Cities Can Leverage Federal Funds for 'Transformative' Projects

Now is the time for cities to make strategic investments to scale up existing revitalization efforts.

October 21, 2021 - The Brookings Institiution

Map of Pentagon City Planning Study Area

The New Pentagon City Could Be More Sustainable, Walkable

In a draft plan, planners in Arlington County, Virginia call for improved pedestrian infrastructure, higher-density housing, and more public parks.

October 21, 2021 - ARLnow

Pit bull puppy sitting on grass looking up at the camera

How Pit Bull Bans Exacerbate Housing Issues

While many places have eliminated their breed-specific bans, some counties hold on to outdated stereotypes that create additional challenges in an already tight housing market.

October 21, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Housing Construction

Opinion: Biden's Housing Plan is 'Both Necessary and Excellent'

The housing programs proposed in the reconciliation bill could help millions of Americans who desperately need housing assistance and begin to mitigate the damage of a stagnant housing supply.

October 20, 2021 - The Week

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.