Infrastructure

London Bikes

Bike Lanes Don't Cause Congestion

Research from Europe shows bike infrastructure doesn't add to urban traffic and can shift mode share from cars to bikes and reduce the need for solo car trips.

January 2, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Pacific Ocean

Santa Monica Offers Affordable Housing to Residents Displaced by Freeway Construction

A new program seeks to make restitution for the damage inflicted on Black communities by highway construction and urban renewal.

January 2, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

A conceptual rendering showing an extended shoreline, filled with green park space, along the shore of Lower Manhattan.

Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Plan Released

The Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan will extend the shoreline in Lower Manhattan by up to 200 feet.

January 2, 2022 - New York City

Large numbers of young people, some wearing and masks and others note, walk around an outdoor shopping mall in Southern California.

The Most Popular Articles on Planetizen in 2021

The most-read news, features, blogs, and Planopedia posts on Planetizen in 2021.

December 31, 2021 - James Brasuell

Walkable Street

Ten Urban Success Stories From 2021

Still battling a global pandemic and its widespread economic and social effects, cities nevertheless made progress in some unexpected ways.

December 31, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Curb cuts at an intersection in Neponsit, Queens, New York

Federal Government to Enforce Accessibility Guidelines

Local agencies will soon be tasked with adhering to federal right-of-way accessibility rules: comprehensive guidelines for accessible streets and sidewalks.

December 30, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

SR-99 on-ramp in Seattle

Seattle Neighborhood Calls for Highway Removal

South Park becomes the latest community to call for the removal of a highway segment that has cut off the neighborhood from local amenities for decades.

December 30, 2021 - The Urbanist

The historic Pearl District in San Antonio is pictured on a beautiful dat.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department Launched in San Antonio

San Antonio has set goals for diversity and inclusion in all services by establishing a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department.

December 30, 2021 - San Antonio Report

Joe Biden sits in a chair holding a microphone in front of a screen that reads Wall Street Journal and Infrastructure

Year in Review: The Stories That Defined Urban Planning in 2021

Part two (of two) of Planetizen's review of 2021 collects the biggest stories and storylines of the year from the wide world of planning.

December 30, 2021 - James Brasuell

Multiple bridges busy with cars cross Lady Bird Lake outside downtown Austin, Texas.

Vision Zero Projects Reduce Carnage in Select Corners of Austin

Vision Zero safety improvements at High Injury Roadways and implementation and Leading Pedestrian Intervals are reducing crashes in Austin. The city has a long way to go to achieve Vision Zero.

December 29, 2021 - Fox 7 Austin

A pair of bikes are leaning against a street sign on an urban street in Philadelphia.

New Philly Bike Racks Blend Form, Function, Fire Hydrant Access

The clever designs serve multiple purposes—providing more bike parking while getting cars out of illegal parking spaces.

December 29, 2021 - Next City

Water SUpply

States Agree to Drastic Water Cuts From Colorado River

In the throes of a historic megadrought, three Southwestern states will make deep reductions in their water usage to preserve diminishing resources.

December 28, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle Coronavirus

Seattle Times Editorial Board: Time for Pike Place Market to Go Car-Free

It's been more than a century since the Seattle City Council decided to remove farmstands to make space for cars at the Pike Place Market. Public and political opinion is starting to see that decision as a mistake that can be reversed.

December 28, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Texas Bullet Train

Eminent Domain Questions Still Dog Texas Central High Speed Rail Plans

The Texas Attorney General took a break from its crusade against unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud to weigh in on a controversial question of property rights.

December 28, 2021 - Texas Tribune

Fringe Development

O'Toole, Cato Institute Part Ways

Randal O'Toole, who resisted contemporary progressive planning trends by supporting the unfettered expansion of automobile infrastructure and single-family residential development, is no longer employed by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute.

December 27, 2021 - The Antiplanner

Gaslamp Quarter

SANDAG Plan Retreats on Road Usage Charge, Proposes Other New Taxes

In response to conservative opposition to a proposed road user charge, San Diego's regional planning agency is proposing other revenue sources including a tax on ride-hailing and three sales tax increases.

December 27, 2021 - Voice of San Diego

New York Construction

New Interactive Mapping Tool Tracks all of NYC's Infrastructure Projects, Housing Permits, and City Facilities

The New York Department of City Planning has taken its open data practices to a new level with the launch of the Capital Planning Explorer.

December 27, 2021 - New York Department of City Planning

An Amtrak passenger train is shown on a spring day, rolling through a rural area in Missouri.

Amtrak Hits New Top Speeds Between St. Louis and Chicago

A project that won funding from federal stimulus programs during the Obama administration is finally paying off on the Amtrak route between Chicago and St. Louis.

December 24, 2021 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Magellanterassen at HafenCity, Hamburg, Germany

Living With Flooding in a German Port Town

A riverside neighborhood in Hamburg embraces flooding as part of its resilience planning, using old techniques to protect modern communities.

December 24, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Solar Installation

California Could Drastically Cut Solar Incentives

Rooftop solar customers in California could face higher costs and reduced incentives if a proposed overhaul of the state's solar program is approved by the Public Utilities Commission.

December 23, 2021 - Los Angeles 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.