United States

Masks for Public Health

Georgia Mask Ban Reversed After White House Coronavirus Task Force Issues Critical Report

Shortly after a private White House report blasted Georgia's pandemic response, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order allowing cities and counties to impose requirements on mask-wearing. The report was leaked to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

August 24, 2020 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tax

Counties and Cities Facing Sudden Dip in Property Tax Revenue

Property taxes have traditionally been viewed as recession-proof channels for local revenue, but first the Great Recession, and now the pandemic depression, are proving to be exceptions to the rule.

August 24, 2020 - Forbes

Portland Weird

Comparing the Racial Segregation of U.S. Cities

The City Observatory used American Community Survey from the U.S. Census to compare the segregation of the largest U.S. cities. Portland is the most integrated American city; Detroit is the most segregated U.S. city.

August 23, 2020 - City Observatory

Colorado

Apartment Construction Slowed in 2020, Without the Pandemic's Help

The construction shutdowns and slow economic activity of the pandemic aren't the only reason Denver and other U.S. cities are seeing a slowdown in construction completions in 2020, according to a recent report.

August 21, 2020 - The Denver Post

New Leadership at the American Society of Landscape Architects

The American Society of Landscape Architects has hired a new chief executive officer: Torey Carter-Conneen, previously chief operation officer of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

August 21, 2020 - American Society Of Landscape Architects

Brutalism

Report Details Dire Fiscal Straits of Local Governments

The National League of Cities has produced a highly-anticipated report detailing the fiscal fallout of the sudden and swift economic downturn that followed the coronavirus to American shores.

August 20, 2020 - National League Of Cities

Cupertino

Digital Roundtable Discusses Silicon Valley's Urbanist Future

Highlighting the ways in which the pandemic’s disruption is unleashing innovation, panelists share their hope for streamlining public-private collaborations to solve some of the region’s housing, transportation, and equity challenges.

August 20, 2020 - The Planning Report

Rent Jubilee

How and Why to Cancel Rent During the Pandemic Depression

The rallying cry to cancel rent has been heard since the early days of the pandemic, but it takes on new urgency now as the economic effects of the pandemic linger past the expiration date of eviction moratoriums.

August 20, 2020 - The Guardian

Sprawl

Another Grim Coronavirus Milestone: This Time in Southern California

COVID-19 deaths topped 5,000 in Los Angeles County last week as deaths continue to mount due to a hasty reopening after an early shutdown. The center of the of outbreak in California now shifts to the Central Valley.

August 19, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Michigan Central Deport

Economic Recovery in Legacy Cities

Americans living in legacy cities face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local, state, and federal support strategies could aid these cities in recouping losses.

August 19, 2020 - Brookings

Affordable Housing

Lasting Affordability Is the Path to Resilience

These six housing investment strategies will incorporate lasting affordability, racial equity, and resilience into COVID-19 recovery plans.

August 19, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Lake Oswego Transit Center

Public Transit in Crisis: Low-Income Riders Have the Most to Lose From Service Cuts

Riders who rely most on public transit are suffering the worst consequences of the cuts to service during the fiscal belt tightening of the coronavirus pandemic.

August 19, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus

The Disconnect Between Virus Prevalence and Local Business Climate

Public health experts assert that to safely reopen the economy, the coronavirus needs to be contained. In Manhattan, where the virus is largely controlled, chain restaurants are closing while their sister stores in Florida are expanding.

August 18, 2020 - The New York Times

Los Angeles Earthquake

Resilient Los Angeles: Preparing for Overlapping Disasters in Pandemic

L.A. City Chief Resilience Officer Aaron Gross elaborates on how the pandemic is shaping the city’s understanding of resilience and the cascading impact that overlapping disasters of earthquake or wildfire could have on the city’s limited resources.

August 17, 2020 - The Planning Report

New York City Subway

Advocates: It's Time to Get Back on Transit

The story about the safety of public transit has changed since the early days of the pandemic.

August 17, 2020 - Scientific American

South Los Angeles

It's High Time for a Community-Led Economic Recovery

Past recoveries have only exacerbated structural inequalities. The recovery from the current economic and social crises can't afford to make the mistakes, according to a recent paper from researchers at the Brookings Institution.

August 17, 2020 - Brookings

Police Enfocement

Investment in Public Transit Could Reduce the Need for Police Traffic Enforcement

In Nick Demarsh and Rick Banks' opinion, defunding the police requires cities to reconsider car culture.

August 14, 2020 - NextCity

Mobility

Mobility-as-a-Service Still Searching for a Market Foothold

Policymakers and venture capital firms love the idea of Mobility-as-a-Service. The public hasn't proven as receptive, despite the willingness to download apps by the millions.

August 13, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Campaign Rally

The Two Conflicting Sides of the Federal Approach to the Pandemic

While President Trump is publicly stating the virus "will soon disappear," his task force is releasing detailed, county-level data on how all 50 states are dealing with the coronavirus and making recommendations – but the reports are not public.

August 13, 2020 - The New York Times

Donald Trump

Skepticism for Trump's Executive Orders

President Trump put on a show while signing a batch of executive orders late last week, but on further evaluation, the president's signatures on these orders aren't likely to save anyone from the economic devastation of the coronavirus.

August 12, 2020 - The Washington Post

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.