North America

How to Rethink the Suburbs: A Lesson From Toronto
A new zoning law in Toronto could enable its hundreds of suburban tower developments to become vibrant and active communities.
A Reversal of Direction for TransCanada
TransCanada, the company that hoped to build a Canada-to-Gulf Coast pipeline, now wants to build one to carry Bakken oil from North Dakota to Canada, transporting oil now hauled only by trains that have caused recent deadly explosions.

Canada Is Looking Better and Better
Alan Mallach unpacks a remarkable project currently underway in Toronto, suggesting that sometimes higher, rather than lower, density may be the best way to go.

U.S. Won Space Race but Lost High Speed Rail Race
The U.S. ranked 19 out of 20 for countries with high speed rail service according to a new survey by GoEuro.
Sticking Together Could Pay With Truck Platooning Technology
Autonomous cars are making headlines, but what about using automated platooning technology for truck fleets or the military? The technology may be able to cut fuel costs and allow for the driverless transport of goods through dangerous areas.
Uber for Trucking: Matching Freight with Haulers
Finding freight to haul—or truckers to move merchandise—is as easy as logging into one of many so-called "Uber for trucking" smartphone applications on the market.
How Not to Measure Traffic Congestion, Redux
The 2015 Inrix Traffic Scorecard provides less useful information about traffic problems than previous editions, as discussed in this City Observatory Commentary.
Following Fido: Considering Other Measures of Gentrification
The most effective measure of gentrification will not be a magic bullet, but rather a constellation of variables aimed at addressing its processual and multi-dimensional character.
The Next Frontier for Compact Walkability? It's Gotta Be the Burbs
Suburban retrofit: what's next in issues, approaches, strategies, and tools.
Social Equity: The Missing Leg of the Three-Legged Stool of Climate Action
Climate action plans cannot succeed without bona fide action on social equity and job creation, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing Murtaza Baxamusa.
President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau Agree to Reduce Methane Emissions
Climate change was front and center at a Thursday morning joint press conference at the White House, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to several energy, environmental, and Arctic initiatives.

Using the Wrong Tools to Build Affordable Housing
What's the best way to deliver long-term affordable housing?
California State Senate Reacts Quickly to Air Management Board Shakeup
New Republican majority of SCAQMD voted to adopt oil industry-backed emissions rules on refineries and other major pollution sources
Retail: Walkable Urban Primer with Southwestern Inspiration
Need some pointers on how to make downtown retail sing? Check out Hazel Borys' crib notes on Bob Gibbs' directions.
New Apps to Enable Citizen Science
Professor Zhenghong Tang, from the Community and Regional Planning Program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, taps mobile tech, aids access to environmental data.
International Bike Count: Spain's Ridership Growing Fastest
Between 2014 and 2015, Spain led 16 other countries by increasing its bicycle mode share the most—8 percent.
Making Sense of Community
Most of us Planetizen readers were inadvertently complicit in killing the term "sense of community." Scott Doyon points out where we go from here.
So, About That Anti-Inclusionary 'Study'
Last week, I submitted the following letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times in response to a vicious, and more importantly, extremely misleading op-ed that decried inclusionary housing as a development killer.

Socially-Blind Urban Planning
In this era of increased inequality, socially-blind urban planning is morally questionable. Specifically, on the issue of homelessness in America, there are three problems to which planners need to pay particular attention.

Towards a More Equitable Transit Future
"Next Stop Equity" evaluates the fairness of public transit service allocation and pricing in the Toronto, Canada region, and recommends policy reforms to better achieve social equity objectives.
Pagination
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.
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