United States

The 15 Most Popular National Parks
America is home to 63 wonderful national parks. Find out which ones had the most visitors in 2020.

Partnership Formed to Create 100 Acres of New Park Space in Los Angeles
New park spaces to meet the needs of underserved communities are being planned along the Los Angeles River.

Assessing and Reversing Environmental Injustice in New York City
New York City launched its first ever environmental justice study just before the Covid-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. The study took on a new urgency throughout the months and years that followed.

Freeway Expansions Continue to Threaten Black and Brown Communities
Despite calls to center equity in infrastructure projects, highway construction and expansion still disproportionately impacts communities of color, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation.

Court: Federal COVID-19 'Vaccine or Test-and-Mask' Mandate 'Fatally Flawed'
The Biden Administration's most sweeping and possibly controversial action to increase COVID vaccinations has been stayed twice by a federal appeals court and is likely headed to the Supreme Court

The Rise of Pickleball
The growing popularity of pickleball has resulted in the creation of more courts at parks as well as conflicts with tennis players.

Infrastructure Bill Takes Small Steps Toward Pedestrian Safety
While road funding still dominates the newly passed infrastructure bill, pedestrian advocates praise the bill's modest investment in active transportation and road safety.

It's Time for Public Participation to Evolve With Transportation Planning
A manifesto by planning and transportation professionals committing to hearing all voices during public engagement processes.

COVID: Colorado Activates Partial Crisis Standards of Care
In a sign that the pandemic is far from over, Colorado reactivated its crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems on Nov. 9 as infections increased modestly nationwide. Gov. Polis made all vaccinated adults eligible for a booster.

Latest to Say '20 Is Plenty': Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk joins several other cities in smoothing the way for 20 MPH speed limits on neighborhood streets to promote its Vision Zero goals.
Contracting with the Community
To connect with hard-to-reach communities, a Twin Cities agency diverted some of its consulting budget away from national firms and to organizations that already had those relationships.

In Defense of Asian American Neighborhoods
How do you address a history of anti-Asian housing discrimination? Not by destroying Asian American communities.

An Expanded Approach to the Analysis of Cities
Even with so much data in the world, cities are a slippery subject. What if an everyday part of life in cities—the "scenes" comprised by businesses, people, and practices of similarly distinct aesthetics—can help our understanding?

Opinion: Sharrows Are 'Make Believe Infrastructure'
The road markings known as 'sharrows' are meant to make streets safer for cyclists, but critics argue they're nothing but a convenient compromise that favors drivers and fails to improve road safety.

Robert Moses, Robert Caro Back in the News, Along With a Debate About Systemic Racism
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off a social media frenzy by referencing an anecdote from "The Power Broker." While some didn't understand the reference, others repeated long-standing questions about the source.

Fire Experts Weigh In On Management Practices
To fight increasingly devastating wildfires, government officials and landowners must develop new strategies that proactively address the biggest risk factors.

Global COVID Death Toll Reaches Another Grim Milestone
The official death toll due to COVID-19 since the first recorded death in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 10, 2020, passed 5 million on Nov. 1, although The New York Times stresses that's a vast undercount. The WHO points to Europe as the latest hot spot.

Let's Stop Overlooking Bike Parking
Bike advocates focus, with good reason, on bike lanes and safe routes. But secure bike parking and storage plays an essential role in encouraging more people to get on two wheels.

Downtown Neighborhoods Lead In New Apartment Construction
Neighborhoods in urban cores are seeing the highest rates of new apartment construction in the last five years, signaling a continued interest in downtown living despite fears of an 'urban exodus' brought on by the pandemic.

Study: Low-Rise Density Is Better for the Climate
New research analyzing carbon emissions throughout the life cycle of buildings shows that high-rises create more carbon emissions than dense, low-rise developments.
Pagination
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