United States

2002 APA National Planning Conference

With over 5,000 planners in attendance, and 200 sessions ranging from smart growth to gay urban aesthetics, Chicago is the place to be this week as the American Planning Association hosts its annual National Planning conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

April 17, 2002 - Kevin Keller

The Straw Bale House

A small but growing movement is bringing back what proponents say is a remarkably energy-efficient and earth-friendly way of building.

April 17, 2002 - The Christian Science Monitor

Community-based Conservation Leads To New National Park

Ranchers and farmers in Colorado's San Luis Valley are uniting with conservationists to transfer land to the US government and create America's 57th national park.

April 17, 2002 - The Christian Science Monitor

Car Sharing Spreading Across Country

Programs in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Chicago and Boston are growing in popularity as more people look for affordable alternatives to car ownership.

April 16, 2002 - The San Francisco Chronicle

One Of World's Largest Rail Network Turns 150

It was born on April 16th, 1853. Today, it is one of the largest rail networks in the world, carrying 13 million passengers and nearly two million tonnes of freight every day.

April 16, 2002 - BBC News

Solving Northwest's Gridlock

Joel Connelly writes about urban sprawl and transit issues in the Pacific Northwest.

April 15, 2002 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The End Of The Master Builder?

The age of the "master builder" has been replaced with a new "planning democracy."

April 15, 2002 - The New York Times

Ridership Of Amtrak's Acela Express Growing

In the Boston-Washington corridor, the ridership of Amtrak's Acela Express is steadily growing.

April 15, 2002 - The New York Times

Profile Of Three Planners

PLANetizen is pleased to offer profiles of planners from across the U.S.

April 15, 2002 - Planetizen

General Accounting Office Reports Amtrak Numbers

The General Accounting Office says Amtrak is successfully competing with airplanes on shorter routes.

April 15, 2002 - The New York Times

Alternative Fuel Vehicles: A 'Well-Kept Secret'

The latest cars pollute less and are more fuel-efficient.

April 12, 2002 - Wired

Fresh Fields

Farm Bill can encourage farm entrepreneurs, control sprawl.

April 12, 2002 - Michigan Land Use Institute

After Terrorism, Construction Insurance Is Costly

"If people cannot buy insurance on a construction project, they're not going to build the project," says President Bush.

April 11, 2002 - FOX News

'Can Transit Tame Sprawl?' Some Have Doubts

If higher housing costs mean lower transit costs, and vice-versa, can improved public transit provide sufficient incentives to rein in sprawl? Not, according to Anthony Downs, if NIMBYs continue to push local governments to reject higher densities.

April 11, 2002 - Governing

Australia's New Rail Line Through The Outback

$685 million line links the closest port to Asia to other Australian cities.

April 10, 2002 - Yahoo! Newswire

Economic Growth Without More People

A local economy can boom, even if the area's population is not growing.

April 10, 2002 - California Planning and Development Report

New Radio Show Covers Sprawl, Smart Growth

Hear Bruce Katz on "Smart City," a public radio program out of Memphis Tennessee's WKNO-FM. Hosted by Carol Coletta, this "Smart City" segment discusses sprawl, smart growth, and the critical role of infrastructure.

April 10, 2002 - WKNO-FM

How The Auto Changed Cities

The Economist reviews "Auto Mobile: How the Car Changed Life", by Ruth Brandon.

April 9, 2002 - The Economist

Is It Cheaper To House Republicans Than Democrats?

The housing costs differences between coastal metropolises like New York and Los Angeles and booming interior cities like Charlotte and Boise may have to do more with politics than economics.

April 9, 2002 - Housing Zone

The Best-Managed City In The Pacific Northwest

A book by Northwest Environment Watch (NEW) names the most well-managed cities in the Pacific Northwest. The winner is...

April 9, 2002 - The Vancouver Sun

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.