World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Senior Pedestrians

The Other Side of Anxiety? Realism. And Maybe Hope.

Ben Brown tells us to stop narrowly defining problems.

June 14, 2017 - PlaceShakers

Drone

Internet of Things Brings More Surveillance and Vulnerabilities to Cities

Too often, smart city technology is described as an innocuous tool, but Adam Greenfield argues the technology acquiring this data will be used to distribute city resources, an inherently political act.

June 10, 2017 - The Guardian

Embarcadero

Report Ranks the World's Leading Cities: Now and in the Future

New York is the most important city in the world, but San Francisco is best positioned for the future, according to AT Kearney's "Global Cities" report.

June 8, 2017 - World Economic Forum

United Nations

Urban Planning Agencies and the UN's Sustainable Development Guidelines

A new report from France shows how to deploy urban planning agencies in the pursuit of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by 193 countries in 193 nations in 2015.

June 8, 2017 - Citiscope

Environmentalism

Let the Climate Resistance Begin

States and cities are reacting to President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement on Thursday. Three states formed the U.S. Climate Alliance; by Monday, it had grown to 13. Initially 30 mayors signed in support; it's now over 200.

June 6, 2017 - Planetizen

City Dogs

How Planning Can Help Dogs and Humans Co-Exist

Not everyone is sold on the idea of dogs as "man's best friend," and not everyone is comfortable navigating a public realm where dogs are crowdsourcing their marks. What are planners to do?

June 6, 2017 - Planning Exchange

Road Safety

'Video Analytics' a New Tool for Vision Zero Traffic Safety Goals

Project launch seeks volunteers to analyze videos, support new technology

June 6, 2017 - GeekWire

Los Angeles Downtown River

Climate Change Will Be Worse for Big Cities

Blame it on the urban heat island effect.

June 4, 2017 - KPCC

Donald Trump

Breaking News: Trump Orders Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement

The decision means the U.S. will join Syria and Nicaragua as the only nations not to subscribe to the global agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. Trump attempted to leave the door ajar by stating that he would attempt to negotiate "a better deal."

June 1, 2017 - The New York Times

Shanghai

Fixation On City Skylines Detracts From City Streets

City life happens at street level. But some of our most iconic images of cities are focused hundreds, or even thousands, of feet in the air. Our streetscapes are the worse off for it.

May 31, 2017 - Common Edge

Elon Musk Gigafactory

A Scathing Critique of Elon Musk's Big Tunneling Idea

Not all ideas are worth attention. What does the fact that ideas like Elon Musk's The Boring Company get so much attention say about the quality of civic discourse, or the potential for planning to improve the built environment?

May 24, 2017 - The Baffler

Empty Parking Lot

As a Driverless Future Dawns, Should We Still Build Parking?

No one is really sure how many parking spots the United States contains, but estimates stretch up to 2 billion.

May 23, 2017 - Doggerel

Design Library: African-American Perspectives on Architecture

Focusing on the often-overlooked contributions of people of color to the built environment, Dr. Craig Wilkins from the University of Michigan shares his list of recommended reading.

May 22, 2017 - Doggerel

China Bridge

China Exporting its Infrastructure Expertise

China is building roads, tunnels, planning trains and power plants outside its borders to bolster its influence.

May 17, 2017 - New York Times

Tailpipe

Inadequate Diesel Vehicle Testing Results in 38,000 Global Fatalities Annually

While the study stems from research that found Volkswagen diesel cars had used 'defeat devices' to pass emissions tests, the new study points to inadequacies in the tests themselves, resulting in 50 percent higher pollution than testing permits.

May 17, 2017 - The International Council on Clean Transportation

When You live at 78ºN, You Become an Expert in Everything

Christin Kristoffersen, former mayor of Longyearbyen, talks about the challenges and adventures of daily life in the Arctic Circle, and the growing impact of climate change.

May 17, 2017 - Cities of the Future

Hurricane Sandy

Mapping the Future of Extreme Weather Events

The ability to predict severe weather events would be a huge benefit to planners, preparing for a new era of resilience. A new study sheds new light on how much rain we can expect, and where, on a warmer planet.

May 16, 2017 - MIT News

Seattle

CNU 25 Seattle: Highlights from the Silver Anniversary

A summary of last week's events in Seattle: CNU 25 and ULI, written by Hazel Borys.

May 10, 2017 - PlaceShakers

Washington D.C.

The Other Cyclists

In arguments about how to construct transit and infrastructure, the voice of the poverty-stricken cyclist is rarely heard.

May 9, 2017 - Strong Towns

Jane's Walk

The 'Jane's Walk' Tradition Continues

In honor of the pioneering urbanist, who would have been 101 years old this week, citizens are organizing "Jane's Walks" in cities across the globe.

May 2, 2017 - The Boston Globe

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.