Sprawl
European Cities Act on Density
The sprawling mass of suburbia has been a disaster for the environment. But now smaller, denser cities herald a renaissance in city living.
The Consequences of Sprawl: Overcrowded Housing and Covid Deaths
Los Angeles is the nation's capital of both crowding and sprawl. A feature published by the Los Angeles Times provides the history of how the metropolis achieved this contradiction.
D.C. Regional Framework Emphasizes Equity, Connectivity
The Region United Framework for 2030 outlines a plan for sustainable, equitable development, calling for a 'holistic' approach to regional planning.
The Inflation Reduction Act Missed a Chance to Rein in Car-Dependent Sprawl
The federal government is so far unwilling to reverse course on car-dependent sprawl. The Inflation Reduction Act is the latest example.
Will Autonomous Cars Live Up to Their Potential?
A new report details the promise and perils of the growing autonomous vehicle industry.
Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California
A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.
Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan
The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.
Urbanist TikTok Takes Aim at the Suburbs
Planners are using the popular video platform to explain how car dependence and single-family zoning deepen suburban isolation and affect affordability and sustainability.
Connecting Land Use and Transportation Planning to Save the Climate
The United States will have to make major changes to long-standing land use and transportation paradigms to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change. How to make those changes was the subject of a recent podcast.
Obama on the Record Against Sprawl, Inequality by Design
Former President Barack Obama was at the AIA’s national conference in Chicago earlier this month. His presentation included some strong words about the effects of sprawl.
Snohomish County, Washington, Sets its Sights on Sprawl
Advocates say it’s unnecessary, but Snohomish County is preparing to expand its urban growth areas to allow for more low density residential development.
Supporting Workers in Suburban Job Centers With Microtransit
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is partnering with local governments and nonprofits to create new transit options for the thousands of workers flocking to the region’s new job centers.
The Pandemic Population Picture Comes Into Focus
Big U.S. cities lost population as the pandemic loitered into its second year. Suburban cities in Idaho, Arizona, Texas, and Florida grew the fastest during that time.
Boise’s New Planning Director Warns Against 'Dysfunctional Highways'
On the heels of his stint as Atlanta’s planning director, Tim Keane says Boise should avoid following in the path of American cities that have let highway expansion and sprawl go unchecked for decades.
Opinion: Ohio Needs Public Transit
A new Intel facility is set to bring thousands of workers to rural Ohio. Will the state embrace mass transit or give in to auto-centric sprawl?
Public Perceptions of Sprawl and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Urban density has a bad reputation.
Density and Driving: A Second Look
A common argument against more compact housing is that increased population density will only reduce vehicle miles traveled at moderate levels of density, as opposed to very low-density and very high-density areas. But this might not be so.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That
The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.
What Is a Planned Unit Development?
A Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a specific type of plan or development commonly associated with master planned communities and sprawl. The specific definitions of a PUD vary by jurisdiction, but the term generally refers to a flexible approach to the planning of a variety of housing types and land uses on a relatively large portion of land.
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
