Pennsylvania

Levittown: "It Was Wonderful"

Locals celebrate 60 years of Levittown, the trend-setting, post-war suburb of Philadelphia. Meanwhile nearby, a 17th century mansion is saved.

June 25, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Perpetual End of Philadelphia's SEPTA

Forever plagued with issues, from lack of funding to a lack of political support, Philadelphia's SEPTA mass-transit network is (again) on the verge of collapse.

June 22, 2012 - Philadelphia City Paper

Philadelphia Making History With Stormwater Management Program

With cities across the country seeking to find innovative and economical solutions to problems caused by combined sewer systems, could Philly's popular Green City, Clean Waters program be a model worth copying?

June 11, 2012 - National Geographic News

Will Philadelphia Experiment Alter the Course of American Food Policy?

With the highest obesity rate and poorest population of America’s big cities, Philadelphia is launching an ambitious plan to increase residents' access to healthy food, reports Sarah Kliff.

June 9, 2012 - The Washington Post

Bethlehem Reclaims its Industrial Heritage

Rather than turn its back of the remnants of the industry that made and unmade this quintessential steel town, Bethlehem is rethinking its identity with the abandoned steel plant turned cultural magnet as its centerpiece, writes Tom Stoelker.

June 8, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Introducing the Text Hall Meeting

A free platform that promises to "bring citizen feedback into the digital age" is being employed to help shape Philadelphia's comprehensive plan, reports Matt Bevilacqua.

June 6, 2012 - Next American City

Philadelphia Tackles Gentrification

As Philadelphia seeks to shift the basis of its property tax system, Catherine Lucey and Jan Ransom report on legislation to be introduced by two City Councilmen that could provide property tax relief to long-time residents of gentrifying areas.

June 1, 2012 - philly.com

Against All Odds, Philadelphia's New Museum Works

The result of a contentious battle over its eventual relocation from a Philadelphia suburb to downtown, the new building designed to house the renowned Barnes Collection is reviewed by Ada Louise Huxtable, no less a national treasure herself.

May 25, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Healthcare Fuels Pittsburgh's Comeback

The onetime steel capital's transition to an economy based on the healthcare sector has helped Pittsburgh emerge from the recession much quicker than many other cities, bringing welcome jobs and questions about its sustainability, reports Don Lee.

May 14, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Proposed Pittsburgh Transit Cuts Spark Outrage

An unprecedented 35 percent transit service reduction scheduled to commence on September 2 has united Pittsburgh lawmakers, business owners, and medical professionals in opposition, reports Jon Schmit.

May 7, 2012 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Celebrating a Decade of Progressive Planning in Philly

On the tenth anniversary of the founding of PennPraxis, Tom Stoelker looks at the consultancy's contribution to advancing community-based planning, and several crucial projects, in Philadelphia.

April 26, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Philadelphia Poised to Jump on the Elevated Park Bandwagon

Tyler Silvestro reports on the release of new designs for the SEPTA Spur by Studio Bryan Hanes and Urban Engineers, a significant step in realizing Philadelphia's Reading Viaduct revamp.

April 9, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

New Riverfront Rail Trail in America's "Most Livable City"

Pittsburgh is smoothing over the residue of its industrial past, turning an abandoned railway into a waterfront park, Paige Miller reports.

April 6, 2012 - Smart Growth America

Great Lakes Turbines Get Second Wind

Just months after a proposal to build the first wind farm to be located offshore on any of the Great Lakes was shelved, five neighboring states have struck a deal with the Obama administration to develop offshore wind farms more quickly.

April 4, 2012 - The Buffalo News

City Hacking Goes Mainstream

Within the last six months, two forward thinking American cities have created new positions for Chief Innovation Officers, with a mission to connect city hall with a new generation of problem-solvers outside of it, reports Emily Badger.

March 19, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

New Plan Seeks to Reunite Philly With Its Waterfront

Despite last minute wrangling, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission unanimously adopted the Master Plan for the Central Delaware Waterfront on Tuesday, with the promise of creating new recreational and green space and spurring economic growth.

March 8, 2012 - Plan Philly

In a Distressed Philadelphia Neighborhood, Art Brings Hope

Kia Gregory reports on a mural program implemented in the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Mantua over the last year, that has transformed the area into a work of art.

March 7, 2012 - philly.com

Shop While You Stop: The Next Trend in Grocery Shopping

Eric Jaffe writes on the appearance of the grocery store of the future in an unlikely place, Philadelphia's SEPTA transit stations.

February 25, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Philadelphia Passes Long Overdue Zoning Code Reform

The prior code, adopted in 1962 and amended with with nearly 1,000 ad-hoc revisions since then, required a strict separation of uses and outlawed the classic Philadelphia rowhouse typology.

January 26, 2012 - APA Sustaining Places

A Profile of the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design'

Mackenzie Carpenter has written an engaging profile of David Lewis, the community planning pioneer whom Richard Florida calls the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design,' as he celebrates his 90th birthday.

January 24, 2012 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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.