United States

What Trump Gets Wrong About America’s Suburbs
The Trump administration’s talk about protecting the suburbs is based on misrepresentations of who really lives in suburbs and what these communities need.

Are Delivery Robots on Their Way to a Neighborhood Near You?
Amazon and FedEx are developing bots that would travel on city streets and sidewalks. The companies are also working behind the scenes on legislative efforts that would help them deploy the technology in the future.

College Campuses Offer Opportunity to Demonstrate COVID Containment Strategies
As college students return for the fall semester, college towns are rightfully concerned about an influx of COVID cases, yet self-contained campuses have the potential to succeed where local and state governments may have failed.

Owners and Renters of Manufactured Homes Lack Assistance During the Pandemic
Millions of people who live in manufactured homes were already vulnerable. The pandemic has made their housing situations even more precarious.

The Compounding Dangers of the Virus and Natural Disasters
As Hurricane Laura intensified into a Category 4 storm, public officials had to make decisions about evacuation during a time of sheltering in place. Researchers at Texas A&M University developed a risk index to guide decisionmaking processes.

For Success, Smart Cities Need Stakeholder Engagement
Smart cities technologies are not going to lead to the right outcomes unless end users are recognized as integral players in the planning process.

Professional Planners Anticipate Post-Pandemic Active Commuting
Many planners say they want to try out active commutes when in-office work becomes possible. How will a fresh look at their local streets influence planning professionals and planning practice?

How to Produce Equitable Pedestrian Plans
The majority of pedestrian master plans consider how to make equitable walking infrastructure. Less than half of plans implement strategies to address the fact that people of color are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities.

Rethinking the Indelible Lines of Subdivision
The subdivision process imposes rules that result in a lack flexibility, convoluted urban design, and diced up landscapes.

The Changing Geography of the Pandemic
During the pandemic's first phase in March and April, the Northeast was devastated by COVID-19. After Memorial Day, the surge was in the South and West. As cases decrease nationwide, they are now spiking in the Midwest, particularly North Dakota.

If the Postal Service Erodes, So Does American Life
An urban designer argues that protecting the U.S. Postal Service is crucial for maintaining civic values, social ties, and urban life.

The Undeniable Link Between Redlining and Extreme Heat in American Cities
The country’s history of racist and segregationist housing policies is affecting vulnerable low-income communities of color that are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.

Ben Carson’s Clear Disdain for Fair and Affordable Housing
Carson has spent much of his time as HUD secretary attacking the housing programs, initiatives, and regulations central to the agency’s mission.

How to Adopt Long-Term Anti-Racism Solutions as an Urbanist
Nic Esposito calls for an "anti-racist reframe" of urbanism to address the attitudes and policies that have perpetuated racist systems and upheld capitalism at all costs.

EPA Completes Rollback of Obama-Era Methane Regulations
The new rules are significantly less stringent in mandating repair of methane leaks and regulation of emissions.

Tolling All Freeway Lanes in the Bay Area?
What's more surprising is seeing who is making the proposal and why. The first step would be to have the concept included in Plan Bay Area 2050.

Racism Has Shaped Public Transit, and It’s Riddled with Inequities
Former Houston METRO Board Member Christof Spieler highlights the racism embedded even in the way transit agencies were created.

Study Finds Seniors Could Be Stuck with Unsellable Homes in the Future
A new paper predicts that home-buying trends among younger generations will lead to a flood of homes that older homeowners will not be able to sell.

Sun Belt Cities Are Facing Many Changes and Challenges
Cities across this swath of the country have rapidly growing populations and economies. At the same time, Sun Belt cities are contending with a common host of urban issues that should not be overlooked.

Design Collective Using Black-Centered Approaches to Transform Cities
BlackSpace seeks to empower Black practitioners and change the way planning and design happens in and affects Black communities.
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