United States

Arizona Mayors Want to Stay in the Paris Climate Agreement
The mayors of Tucson and Phoenix want Congress to block President Donald Trump from removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Evaluating Donald Trump's Transportation Efforts
MSNBC asks if the Trump administration has accomplished with its Department of Transportation, and whether Americans are better off because of those efforts.

Help Wanted: HUD Seeks Info About Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is crowdsourcing information about the regulatory barriers to affordable housing.

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2019
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There's a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year's top planning books.

U.S. Migration Reaches 72-Year Low
Staying in place is more and more the norm, even among historically mobile young people.

Lessons in 'Transformative Placemaking'
Brookings has collected a year of data on an experiment it calls "transformative placemaking," with case studies from up and down the East Coast.

Study: Boomers Leaving Their Homes Will Dramatically Increase Housing Supply
New analysis by Zillow predicts a "Silver Tsunami" of residential properties coming to the market as Baby Boomers leave the housing market. The effect could be like the housing boom of the mid-2000s.

Satellite, Launched Into Space Earlier This Month, to Measure Urban Heat Island Effect
A new satellite, currently residing on the International Space Station and scheduled for deployment in January, will measure and map the urban heat island effect of seven U.S. cities.

Federal Housing Administration Expands Housing Rehab Support to Opportunity Zones
The Limited 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program will now be available in federally designated Opportunity Zones, and with more to loan than in the previous iteration of the program.

How One Startup Approaches Rent-To-Own
Founded two years ago, Divvy buys homes for cash and then leases them to tenants who apply part of their rent toward a down payment.

Seattle Companies Want to Drive Down Prohibitive ADU Costs
Legal barriers to accessory dwelling units may be disappearing in some places, but costs can still be prohibitive. Several companies are stepping forward with more affordable options.

Urban, Suburban, or Rural?
The Pew Research Center digs into a question of definitions, fraught with exceptions and subjectivity.

California's Priorities for Electrification and Resilience
CEC Chair David Hochschild shares the commission’s strategy for improving the current grid system and how California has been, and will continue to be, a global leader in clean energy innovation.

Saturday Satire: The Bad Intentions of a Trader Joe's Parking Lot
Anywhere a Trader Joe's parking lot can be found, there's also an overfull parking lot capable of crushing souls.

Study: Uber Might Have Curbed Drunk Driving, But Not Drunks
A news study raises questions about the public health effects of the widespread availability of a ride enabled by companies like Uber and Lyft—while it's easier to avoid drunk driving, it's also easier to drink.

Santa Monica Designs Greenest Municipal Building in the World
Amber Richane, Project Manager for the city of Santa Monica's new City Services Building, on the city's commitment to building the world's most sustainable public building.

Friday Funny: A Font Made From the Maps of Congressional Districts
Meet the Ugly Gerry font.

Human Waste as a Climate Solution
Using treated waste as an agricultural fertilizer is controversial, but the practice has several climate-related benefits.

Uber Could Record Rides in the U.S.
Uber wants to launch a program in the United States soon that would allow users to consent to an audio recording of their ride.

Recoupling Planning and Landscape Architecture
A closer marriage between planning and landscape architecture would mean strong connections between the processes of policy making and place making.
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