Social / Demographics

Digital City

How the Pandemic Is Reshaping Ideas of the 'Smart City'

Accelerated investment in smart city technologies presents increased opportunity for connection and data-driven decision making, so long as cities can avoid the common pitfalls of implementation.

August 5, 2020 - Citymetric

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

Trump Sign

How Trump's Version of the Suburbs Gets it Wrong

Analysis of Trump's favorability ratings with suburban voters and the demographic trends of recent years could doom his recent messages regarding the Democratic agenda for the suburbs.

August 4, 2020 - The New York Times

Detroit Freeway

Detroit Highways: Tear Them Down

Urban planning decisions about highway placement in Detroit damaged Black communities. Nithin Vejendla shares an opinion about how to address this legacy and move toward justice.

August 3, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

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

Stone Arch Bridge

Structural Racism in the Zoning Code

A pair of articles from the Twin Cities, revealing the racist motivations of exclusionary zoning.

August 2, 2020 - Rewire

Coronavirus Testing

A Grim Coronavirus Milestone: 150,000 American Deaths

A grim warning was issued by the non-profit group that represents America's medical schools and teaching hospitals: if the nation doesn't change its response to the pandemic, "Multiples of hundreds of thousands" of additional deaths may occur.

July 31, 2020 - CNN

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

Epdemiology

Do You Know Your COVID-19 Colors?

Harvard University's Global Health Insititute and Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics have launched a new online tool for planners, policy makers, and the public to determine the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in one's county and state.

July 29, 2020 - Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics

HUD Secretary

Trump Finally Follows Through on Threat to Gut Obama-Era Fair Housing Rule

It's not clear if President Trump is aware that his administration has been working to rescind the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule since 2018, but he's recently doubled down on messaging that pit suburbs against the Fair Housing Act.

July 28, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Inwood Hudson RIver

NYC Rezoning Plan Reinstated Despite Lack of Racial Impact Analysis

The New York Appellate Division's First Department made short work of a ruling that reinstated the Inwood NYC Action Plan, which a lower court dismissed in December 2019.

July 28, 2020 - City Limits

Coronavirus in Oregon

The Great Debate: Will the Pandemic Alter the Course of Urbanism?

The geography for the coronavirus has changed, but most of the debate about the future of cities continues along many of the same lines as in the early months of the pandemic.

July 27, 2020 - James Brasuell

Black Lives Matter

Systemic Racism Starts and Ends with Housing

Along with standing up against police violence and systemic racism, we must also fight to end housing systems that devalue Black people.

July 27, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Starr County, Texas

Beleaguered Texas Hospital to Ration Treatment of COVID Patients

A second county in the Rio Grande Valley has issued an unenforceable stay-at-home order to reduce transmission of the coronavirus. Its one overwhelmed hospital will implement a triage system to determine which patients to treat and whom to reject.

July 27, 2020 - CBS News

Cleveland i-80

New Layer of Equity Analysis Considered for Regional Planning in Northeast Ohio

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is considering a new policy that will add considerations about regional economic inequities when evaluating potential highway projects.

July 27, 2020 - The Plain Dealer

Southern California Coast

Community Planning Groups Scrutinized for Demographic Disparities in San Diego

Older, white homeowners take up far more than an equal share of the seats at the planning table in San Diego.

July 26, 2020 - Voice of San Diego

pedestrians in a Time of Coronavirus

'We Are Living Right Now Through a Historic Pandemic Outbreak.'

On the day before America reached the grim milestone of four million COVID-19 cases, with one million added in the last 15 days, Anthony Fauci shared views on where the nation is headed in the pandemic.

July 26, 2020 - Newsweek

Mission, Texas

Texas County First in Nation to Issue Second Stay-at-Home Order

The first shelter-at-home order issued in the pandemic's resurgence in the U.S. took effect Wednesday morning in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, an overwhelmingly Latino region that has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

July 23, 2020 - The Monitor

Rockaway Beach Bus

Three Key Calls to Action to Improve Racial Equity in Transit Policy

Important changes are necessary to promote racial equity in transit policy, governance, and agency recruitment, according to Darnell Grisby, director of policy development at the American Public Transit Association.

July 23, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Denver, Colorado

Stapleton, Denver Neighborhood Named for Klu Klux Klan Member, Getting a New Name

Central Park, Concourse, Meadowlark, Mosley, Park Central, Peterson, Randolph, Skyview, and Tailwinds are the options for renaming the neighborhood of Stapleton in Denver.

July 22, 2020 - The Denver Post

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.