United States

HUD Rule Change Allows Landlords to Use Screening Services Despite Discrimination Concerns
A revised U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rule makes it more difficult to submit claims of housing discrimination when a landlord's decisions is influenced by a third-party tenant screening service.

Adaptive Reuse More Popular Than Ever, Study Says
The past decade saw more old commercial buildings transformed into residential buildings than any decade previous.

Lessons from the Last Housing Crisis: How to Get Control of Properties
How to keep affordable apartments and single-family homes out of the hands of institutional investors if the coronavirus pandemic leads to a giant wave of evictions and foreclosures.

Amy Coney Barrett's Only Property Rights Ruling, Careful, Narrow, Deferential
A month ago, Barrett dismissed a challenge to Chicago's deal with the Obama Center by rejecting a very expansive claim of a "taking" under the 5th Amendment and by showing great deference to the city.

Looking Ahead and Way Back as the U.S. Passes 200,000 Coronavirus Deaths
It's been eight months since the first confirmed infection from the novel coronavirus in Washington state. As deadly as COVID-19 is, Americans should reflect when 200,000 died in a single month from a far deadlier virus 102 years ago.

Americans Aren't Likely to Start Driving at Pre-Pandemic Levels Soon
Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and gasoline production trends point to VMT in the United States staying ten to 12 percent lower than in 2019 for the next few months, at least.

Wall Street Wagering on a Permanent Suburban Renter Class
Expectations that the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic will create a wave of homeowners leaving the market, whether by choice or necessity, are driving big acquisitions by private equity firms and Wall Street investors.

New Google Map Layer Shows COVID-19 Infection Rates
A new layer showing the seven-day average of confirmed COVID-19 cases started rolling out to Android and iPhones last week.

A New Guide to Black Voices on the City
Introducing a new interactive resource that presents the contributions of the Black community to a growing understanding of cities and the built environment.

Legacy Cities, Post-Pandemic
The question of how the pandemic and all of its corresponding crises will alter the future of cities and planning has persisted since March. This article rightfully focuses those large, challenging questions of the Legacy Cities of the United States.

How Typical Economic Development Kills Community Character
An economic development pro makes an argument for an approach to economic development that prioritizes the urban design decisions that favor community character.

Report Quantifies the Effects of Trump's Environmental Policy Changes
With the signs of climate change all around, the effects of the Trump administration's environmental regulation rollbacks look increasingly dire.

10 of America's Most Beautiful Parks
With the pandemic, people need to see and experience beauty, nature, and parks more than ever. Learn more about some of America's urban oases.

New Gig Economy Player: Eviction Crews For Hire
A new company called Civvl is hiring contract workers to help evict people during the economic struggles of the pandemic.

Widespread Coronavirus Testing Critical for College Reopenings, But...
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a high-frequency coronavirus testing system that would be the envy of an country or corporation, testing students, faculty and staff twice a week, but it still failed to stem a major outbreak.

Hot Asphalt May Increase Air Pollution in Urban Areas
Research shows that road asphalt exposed to heat and sunlight may eventually become a significant emissions source.

Back-Up Driver of Autonomous Vehicle Charged With Negligent Homicide of Pedestrian
The broader safety implications of the death of Elaine Hertzberg after being struck by an Uber autonomous vehicle in Tempe is still being litigated. Last week, the back-up driver of the vehicle was charged with negligent homicide.

Keeping Gentrification From Following Green Space
Los Angeles organizers work with park professionals on policies to allow green space investment in neighborhoods that have lacked it without paving the way for displacement.

New Legacy Cities Initiative Announced
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is launching the Legacy Cities Initiative to provide a network of support for cities of the country's industrial past.

Crossing the Digital Divide During COVID
Organizations blend past and present strategies to stay in touch with community members.
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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