United States

Vacant retail storefront with multiple glass doors lined with brown paper and a removed neon sign.

How to Repurpose Vacant Storefronts

Loosening restrictions on clean light manufacturing can revive dormant storefronts and revitalize communities.

July 10, 2024 - Governing

Real estate agent wearing jeans and sport coat planting For Sale sign on front lawn of home.

Just 15 Percent of U.S. Renters Could Afford Homeownership

In some markets, as few as 2.6 percent of renter households could afford the cost of an average home.

July 9, 2024 - Fast Company

A orange-and-blue tent set up next to a tree in a paved courtyard and a cardboard box of posessions next to the tent entrance.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Camping Bans, but Challenges of Addressing Homelessness Remain

In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court upheld an Oregon city’s ban on camping in public places, paving the way for similar bans in cities across the country but doing nothing to solve the cause of homelessness.

July 8, 2024 - Brian J. Connolly

Yellow Flood Area road sign in Piney Point, Maryland.

EPA Report Highlights Dire Impacts of Climate Change

The latest edition of the “Climate Change Indicators in the United States” report highlights the severe and widespread impacts of climate change on health and the environment, emphasizing the urgent need for action to mitigate these effects.

July 7, 2024 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Blue train with white star and NC logo at platform in North Carolina.

New East Coast HSR Line Breaks Ground

The passenger rail line will connect Raleigh and Richmond as part of the growing Southeast Corridor.

July 4, 2024 - Newsweek

Old residential buildings along canal with ornate church in background in Girona, Catalonia, Spain.

This Part of Spain Won Rent Regulations US Tenant Activists Can Only Dream of

In Spain, a new law makes rent control possible — and one region has implemented it. In Catalunya, a rent freeze and rental price index promise to help struggling tenants.

July 3, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Close-up of white sign with red FOR SALE letters and blurred brick single-family home in background.

High Housing Costs Top of Mind for Voters

More and more Americans fear they won’t be able to afford housing.

July 3, 2024 - Reuters

Tents covered with blue tarps in a homeless encampment on a lawn in Washington, D.C.

Strategies for Preventing and Ending Homelessness

A new report recommends a comprehensive, nationwide affordable housing plan as the ‘single most effective’ method of ending homelessness.

July 2, 2024 - Urban Institute

Two concrete pipes discharging dirty water into river.

Study: Combined Sewer Systems Face Increased Flood Risk

Cities like Philadelphia and Boston are at higher risk of sewage overflows due to their aging sewer systems and rising sea levels.

July 1, 2024 - Eurasia Review

Power powers at night with 'glowing' power lines emphasizes with graphics.

Addressing AI’s Massive Energy Needs

How policy can support ‘efficiency-forward’ approaches to AI growth.

July 1, 2024 - Fast Company

An Amtrak train passing through desert landscape with mesas in Utah.

Amtrak Reveals Plans for 15 New Routes

Two of the proposed lines would bring passenger rail to rural parts of Utah and drastically reduce travel time between Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver.

July 1, 2024 - Building Salt Lake

U.S. Supreme Court

Will the Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision Impact Environmental Regulations?

By overturning the Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court stripped federal agencies like the EPA of final say when interpreting ambiguous legislative policies, leaving future decisions up to judges.

July 1, 2024 - Grist

Aerial bird's eye view of unhoused encampment along roadside in Sacramento, California.

Supreme Court Upholds Unhoused Sleeping Ban

The decision sets the stage for what could be a fierce battle over homelessness policy.

June 30, 2024 - NPR

View of green oil wells in a residential neighborhood in California.

Repurposing Oil Fields Into Parks: Advancing Just Transition and Community Well-being

The concept of a "just transition" extends beyond workers to encompass broader social and environmental dimensions, including the restoration and regeneration of land and communities affected by oil extraction activities.

June 28, 2024 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Aerial view of Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, France.

‘Grand Boulevards’ Could Ease Housing Crisis

A prominent urbanist argues that redeveloping commercial corridors with denser housing could bridge the gap between the housing supply and demand.

June 27, 2024 - Congress For New Urbanism

Curve in mountain highway along Teton Pass with snowy Wyoming mountains in background.

Mountain Road Collapses Force Isolation, Long Commutes

Threats to aging transportation infrastructure are putting remote communities at risk of being cut off from essential services.

June 27, 2024 - High Country News

Tree fallen on home in Texas afetr Hurricane Harvey.

Reining in Rising Property Insurance Rates

There are many proposed ways to mitigate the property insurance cost crisis. They all require action from federal or state governments.

June 27, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of Rapidan Dam failure in June 2024.

Minnesota Dam Failure Highlights Nationwide Danger

The Rapidan Dam isn’t the only one at risk of imminent failure.

June 27, 2024 - The Washington Post

Worker in safety vest leaning over expressing heat exhaustion standing next to orange shipping container.

Extreme Heat’s Far-Reaching Impacts

Heat is associated with worsened mental health, poorer test scores, and even higher car crash rates.

June 27, 2024 - Fast Company

People on bikes riding across 4th Street Bridge in Los Angeles during 2010 CicLAvia event.

The ‘Virtuous Circle’ of Bikeability

Research reveals that, once a city reaches a certain threshold of bike infrastructure, opposition decreases and residents want more.

June 25, 2024 - Streetsblog USA

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.