New York City

Urban Planning's Broadway Moment
Elizabeth Vaughan, the lead character in the Broadway musical 'If/Then' may be the most famous urban planner in the United States, thanks to the star power of Idina Menzel and a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the planning field.
Beware of Energy Rankings for Cities
In a special "Energy for Tomorrow" report, The New York Times looks at "clean city rankings" of energy efficiency and land use. But ranking cities is no easy task—"winners on one list may appears as sinners on another."

Study to Address Staten Island Transportation Deserts
Residents of Staten Island suffer from very long commutes, and many rely on cars. The New York City Council has proposed a study to determine how additional transit could be implemented in the borough.
Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals
One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.

Krugman Argues the Supply Side to Combat Urban Inequality
Paul Krugman, one of the most influential voices of liberal policy in the United States, has identified a culprit in the U.S. affordability crisis: over-regulation.
Businesses in Brooklyn Opening at Twice the Rate of Previous Decade
A Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce report offers compelling evidence of the borough's ongoing transformation.
Melting Pots and Shrinking Islands
Brooklyn-based artist Ekene Ijeoma newest piece shows what parts of New York City are affordable to different people across the spectrum of salaries in the form of crystalline islands called "wage islands."

Designated Zones to Protect New York Manufacturing
Without designated industrial zones, New York manufacturing companies risk losing their facilities to the residential development market. The de Blasio administration has promised some zoning protections for industrial enclaves.

Do Bikeshare Users Wear Helmets?
Bicycle sharing has exploded in popularity across the United States. Importantly, bikeshare users are likely to wear bicycle helmets while ride.
How a Simple Shuttle Enables Campus Diversity
Access to campus is a primary obstacle for low-income, minority students to overcome in attending college. The College of Staten Island has found a simple solution that applies in less urban communities as well.
Brooklyn Community Board Rejects Upzoning Proposal
The latest chapter in the ongoing supply vs. demand chronicles takes place in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where a community board came down firmly in opposition to new density in their neighborhood.
Track the Cycles of New York's Skyscraper Habit
Much has been made of New York's current boom in high-rise construction. A new interactive feature by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat allows for some historic perspective on the city's penchant for building skyward.
Residential Construction Still Riding a Tax-Break Surge in NYC
Big investments in residential building in New York City indicate the strength of the city's economy, according to an article in Crain's New York Business.

MTA Capital Plan Approved—Thanks to Compromise from Cuomo and de Blasio
A long, contentious political process has finally produced an approval for a massive capital investment program for the New York MTA. Some questions about funding remain, however.
Watch and Learn: The Critical Importance of New Hudson River Tunnel
The Regional Plan Association has created an animated video that simply and artfully explains the importance of a new Hudson River tunnel.
Friday Funny: A Sample of New York Transit's Negative Yelp Reviews
The online customer review platform Yelp and the New York public transit system: A match made in heaven?

Op-Ed: Why Cities Need the 'Poor Door'
Drawing on a distinction between equality and equity, Rick Jacobus argues that so-called 'poor doors' are a necessary compromise to promote affordable housing and neighborhood integration.
Newark and New York
Only 10 miles separate New York City and Newark, New Jersey, but the two can seem worlds apart. Damon Rich, who moved from New York in 2008 to lead Newark's planning office, speaks about how his work there has shaped his perception of both cities.

The Unexpected Unpleasantness of New York's New LED Street Lights
As New York rolls out its LED streetlights, one resident bemoans the ugly blue glow taking over the city.
Checking on the Status of Rebuild by Design
The hoopla has subsided surrounding nearly $1 billion awarded by HUD to fund coastal resilience projects on the Atlantic Coast, but the work of implementing the winning Rebuild by Design projects has continued.
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