United States

Yellow excavator on rocky beach with bright blue water in background.

NOAA Awards $575M in Coastal Resilience Grants

The program received over $16 billion in requests from communities around the country.

July 29, 2024 - U.S. Department of Commerce

View of city skyline with orange sky indicating extreme heat.

Addressing the Perils of Extreme Heat

With this year bringing on more record heat waves, governments at the local and federal levels are elevating extreme heat management as an urgent priority.

July 29, 2024 - Governing

Group of people standing around a table with food in front of homes during a block party.

Bringing Back the Block Party

How a humble neighborhood get-together can help build stronger cities.

July 29, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial view of New York City including Empire State Building blanketed in orange wildfire smoke

State AGs Call for FEMA to Classify Extreme Heat, Smoke as ‘Major Disasters’

State and local officials say explicitly naming heat and wildfire smoke would give local agencies more certainty in developing their mitigation strategies.

July 28, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Rural Areas Benefiting From Wind Energy Revenue

For some rural districts, tax revenue from wind energy projects can have a major impact on local school districts and infrastructure.

July 26, 2024 - Fast Company

Citi Bike bike share station on street in New York City.

US Bike Share Ridership Hit Record High in 2023

According to a new NATO report, micromobility ridership in the U.S. was up 16% in 2023. Shared bike ridership set a new record, despite higher fares.

July 25, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Homeless encampments on the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk.

Study: ‘Sweeps’ Don’t Impact Homelessness

A study of three Los Angeles neighborhoods revealed that ‘cleanups’ of encampments don’t result in fewer people on the streets.

July 25, 2024 - Governing

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Zoning for Electric Vehicles

Local zoning codes can be adjusted to encourage the building of EV charging infrastructure into neighborhoods.

July 25, 2024 - New York Law Review

Woman accessing bike at bike share station

Bike Share, Scooters Break Ridership Record

The popularity of e-bikes continues to drive growth for shared mobility systems.

July 24, 2024 - National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

25 mph speed limit sign with "Your Speed" digital sign above it.

Survey Indicates Strong Support for Anti-Speeding Tech

More than half of drivers would be comfortable with speed-limiting technology or audio and visual signals warning them they’ve gone over the speed limit.

July 24, 2024 - GovTech

View of Ithaca Commons sign over pedestrian street in downtown Ithaca, New York.

In Upstate New York, the Fight for ‘Good Cause’ Continues

This week, Ithaca became the latest city to opt into New York’s new Good Cause Eviction Law. What are tenant organizers doing to make the law work better for their communities?

July 24, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

View of people sitting in lightly sloped green lawn with Spanish colonial-style building and cityscape in background in San Francisco, California.

How Local Park Agencies Contribute to Decarbonization Efforts

Park agencies play an important role in decarbonization by creating and managing parklands, promoting sustainable practices, and engaging communities to combat climate change and enhance public health and biodiversity.

July 23, 2024 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

View of a housing permit document with a home blueprint, stamped "approved."

Cities, States Use AI and GIS to Make Permitting Less of a Pain

Across the country, state and local governments have turned to AI to optimize their building permitting processes. The efficiencies they’ve achieved are impressive and welcomed by applicants and government agencies alike.

July 23, 2024 - GovTech

Aerial view of downtown Baltimore, Maryland with freeways in foreground

Parking Ticket Revenue: Which Cities Earn Most?

A list of 15 cities with the highest per-capita parking enforcement revenue.

July 23, 2024 - Quartz

A stone statue of a shirtless muscular man wrestling with a powerfully built horse, his hands on the horse's neck, pulling downward.

Senate Bill Proposes Federal Antitrust Review for Institutional Housing Investors

The bill would require private equity and other corporate investors to report housing purchases to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice for antitrust review aimed at stopping anticompetitive transactions that would increase housing costs and push homeowners out of the market.

July 22, 2024 - KTVZ

Fenced-in oil pump in residential neighborhood

Millions in California at Risk Where Oil Wells and Wildfires Converge

Those living near oil and gas wells face increased risks from wildfires, which threaten these infrastructures and could lead to explosions, pollution, and other hazards, particularly affecting communities of color.

July 22, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Brick apartment building with For Rent sign

San Francisco Considers Nation’s First Ban on Rent-Setting Software

Property management software used by corporate landlords is under scrutiny for using algorithms populated by proprietary rental data to encourage their clients to collectively raise rents.

July 22, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

People on bike share bikes on bridge with Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline in background

11 Most-Improved Bike Networks in the US

PeopleForBikes has evaluated bike networks in thousands of cities across the United States and identified several that have achieved “incredible increases” in just a few years.

July 21, 2024 - PeopleforBikes

An aerial view of the town of Breckenridge, Colorado, in the foreground with lots of businesses, houses, and a ski resort, with green treed mountains in the backround and taller snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Short-Term Rental Ordinance

A group of homeowners in Summit, Colorado, filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a local ordinance imposing short-term rental license caps and annual booking limits is unlawful and violates their rights.

July 19, 2024 - Summit Daily

Two cows grazing in a field with Bighorn Mountains in background in Wyoming.

Industry Groups Sue BLM Over Public Lands Rule

Farmers, ranchers, and others are challenging a policy change that puts conservation on the same footing as other land uses.

July 19, 2024 - Bloomberg Law

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.