New York
Advocates Push for Gowanus Rezoning, Stuck in COVID-19 Limbo, to Move Forward
According to advocates, the relative affluence of Gowanus is the reason a plan to rezone the neighborhood must move forward.
Bike-Centered Brooklyn Bridge Redo Under Consideration
City officials in New York are discussing the possibility of converting a car traffic lane on the Brooklyn Bridge for use by people on bikes.
Five Borough Bikeway Plan Released
The Regional Plan Association is calling on New York City to implement an ambitious plan to transform the city into a world class city for biking—for the benefit of the public health and economic realities of the pandemic and beyond.
Lack of Racial Impact Analysis Opens Inwood Plan to Legal Challenge in New York City
New York City is appealing a judge's decision to toss the Inwood NYC Action Plan, approved by the city in 2018. Next City describes the racial justice implications of the court case and the plan.
Academic Studies: Staying at Home Saved Millions of Lives Globally
Separate coronavirus studies from the University of California at Berkeley and Imperial College London published June 8 in the journal Nature show the life and health-saving value of domestic stay-at-home orders, global lockdowns, and other measures.
Ithaca Approves Historic #CancelRent Legislation
Ithaca, New York is the first city in the nation to go through with a plan to cancel rent, giving three-quarters of the residents in the city a needed safety net as the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic crisis persists into the summer.
20 Miles of Bus Lanes and Car-Free Busways Coming to New York City
While it falls short of a more ambitious proposal pitched by the MTA recently, a new plan to expand bus priority on the streets of New York City would mark a significant expansion of a trend that started on 14th Street in Manhattan.
The Singapore Exception
Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were credited early in the pandemic with having successfully contained the coronavirus without resorting to lockdowns. However, Singapore lost its standing in that elite group. Crowding vs. density may explain why.
New York City Reopens Today. How Will People Travel?
The last of the ten economic regions in the Empire State opened for Phase One on June 8. Transportation planners fear massive traffic congestion as residents and workers may abandon the subway due to concerns about being infected by the coronavirus.
MTA Calls for 60 Miles of Bus Lanes and Busways in New York City
New York City Transit wants to make improved bus transit a feature of the post-pandemic recovery in New York City.
A 21st Century Planning Case Study: Buffalo, New York
Frederick Law Olmsted called Buffalo the best planned city in the United States, but in the second half of the 20th century it transitioned into a prototypical "Rust Belt" city.
Commandeered Buses, System Shutdowns—Transit on the Frontlines of Protests
The optics of public transit suffered over the weekend, as a few transit agencies have been commandeered by police and even shut down entirely with little or no notice, stranding protesters and essential workers alike.
Reopening California: Respected County Health Official Issues Warning
Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer widely credited for leading the Bay Area into issuing a 6-county shelter-in-place order on March 16, the nation's first, warns that the pace of reopening is too fast.
Profiling NYC Transit's New President—Starting the Job Just Days Before a Global Crisis
Sarah Feinberg took over as the interim president of New York City Transit on March 2, 2020. In May 2020, Feinberg rides the subway to a deserted office to begin the work of bringing public transit back from an unprecedented crisis.
Commercial Rental Market Teeters on the Brink
Large numbers of commercial renters in New York City are missing rent, according to reports.
Recording the Quiet of Cities During the Pandemic
The usual sounds of the city have subsided, replaced by birds and quiet that at times can be eery and unsettling.
New York's Open Streets Program Leaves Out Neighborhoods That Need Open Space Most
New York City has opened an increasing number of street miles for pedestrians and people on bikes, but far fewer streets have been opened in the neighborhoods that need it most—low income neighborhoods lacking walkable access to parks and open space.
Miss the Subway? There's an App for That
The NYC Subway Sounds app is a great tool for dealing with nostalgia for the old ways of life.
Subway Ridership Starting to Rise in New York City, but not as Quickly as Car Trips
A noticeable increase in subway ridership has been taking place on subway trains in New York City, but not enough to call it a comeback, yet.
Hotels Could Play a Critical Role in Containing Coronavirus in Crowded Cities
Some cities are leasing entire hotels to provide rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to infected people, to allow for safe and supportive isolation away from family or household members who risk being infected.
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
