Public Health
What Would a 'Run Score' Look Like?
A writer in Toronto imagines how the city would be evaluated according to a "Run Score"—a fast-paced version of the Walk Score.
24-7 Public Bathroom Pilot to Expand in San Francisco
An experiment in round-the-clock public bathroom access has proven successful, and San Francisco is expanding the program.
Study: Uber Might Have Curbed Drunk Driving, But Not Drunks
A news study raises questions about the public health effects of the widespread availability of a ride enabled by companies like Uber and Lyft—while it's easier to avoid drunk driving, it's also easier to drink.
Study First to Link Air Pollution to Brain Cancer
The particulate pollution released by automobile travel can carry carcinogens to the brain, according to new research.
Wildfires and Public Health
California is being forced to reckon with numerous negative public health outcomes caused by wildfires.
When Noise Is a Matter of Life and Death
The world is noisier than ever, and the long-term effects of exposure are serious. Still, noise pollution isn’t considered a legitimate environmental hazard.
Better Urban Planning for Better Public Health (In the Real World)
A researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia offers three recommendations for planners to better negotiate the real world of politics and governance to help create healthier communities.
In Detroit, Plant Growth on Vacant Land Has Created a Pollen Problem
The reforestation of Detroit has become a problem for allergy and asthma sufferers in the area.
Toxic Algae Blooms, Explained
Toxic algae is in the news again, so it's a good time to learn as much as possible about the environmental threat that is likely to be a reoccurring theme in the era of climate change.
Debunking Anti-Tree Myths
Most of the reasons street trees are sometimes unpopular with residents are either untrue or can be mitigated.
Hepatitis A Outbreak in Philadelphia Leaves City Scrambling
Philadelphia isn't the first city to deal with a Hepatitis A outbreak after wavering on the question of whether to deploy public bathrooms and hygiene stations
Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings
On Tuesday night, the City Council of Berkeley, Calif., unanimously voted to ban natural gas infrastructure from new buildings starting next year, the first city in the U.S. to pass such an ordinance. Fifty cities in the state could be next.
Summertime Ethanol Restriction Lifted to Help Corn Farmers—But at What Cost?
President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.
San Francisco to Use Conservatorship for Some Mentally Ill Homeless People
Thanks to legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener passed last year, San Francisco will apply a new tool to force treatment on some homeless, mentally ill people who refuse it, but it's limited to five people annually. A new Wiener bill would expand it.
Closing Liquor Stores, Hoping to Gain Public Health
A new zoning code in Baltimore will reduce the number of liquor stores in the city in hopes of reducing the violent crime rate. Will there be unintended consequences?
Asthma and Planning
Re-evaluating the role of planning in creating, and reversing, disturbing public health outcomes, like asthma rates among African-Americans in Philadelphia.
Studies on Media Coverage of Bike and Pedestrian Crashes Reveal Bias
Road safety advocates, particularly those who promote walking and biking, have long understood the importance of language, such as using "crash" rather than "accident." Two new media studies shed more light on bias in media coverage of crashes.
Study Documents the Public Health Effects of Long School Commutes
Richard Florida cites new research to argue that car culture and car oriented communities are the main culprits in the unhealthy lifestyles of U.S. school children.
CDC Releases Report on Electric Scooters and Public Health
A highly anticipated analysis of public health outcomes caused by the proliferation of electric scooters has been released. Most of the reported are considered preventable.
Noise Pollution in Densifying Cities
Noise pollution tends to impact low-income communities more than others. For those who can afford the luxury, there are ways to shut out the noise.
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
