Exclusives

Diagram of a roundabout and site photos laid out on a desk

BLOG POST

Transportation Agencies: Improve Your Models or Hire More Lawyers

Transportation models are biased in ways that result in inefficient, unfair and environmentally harmful planning decisions. Improve your analysis or prepare to be sued.

April 26 - Todd Litman

Restored white two-story historic home with black trim in Roanoke, Virginia

FEATURE

Restoring the Vacant Middle: Creating Middle Housing Through Historic Preservation

How flexible zoning in historic districts can support preservation and create affordable housing.

April 24 - Maribeth Mills

Aerial view of sprawling commercial development with parts still under construction and parking lot in Goodyear, Arizona

FEATURE

The Tragedy of Parking

Parking minimums and other zoning laws have made American cities untenable for any other type of transportation. It’s time we find a new way to zone our cities.

April 23 - Eric Carlson

A sign reads “State Fishery Area Public Easement Open to Fishing.” In the background is a stream surrounded by snow on the ground in a natural setting.

PLANOPEDIA

What Is an Easement?

There are limits to the rights and powers associated with land ownership. Easements are a critical example of how property rights can be balanced with the needs of neighbors, the public, and other interests external to the control of property owners.

April 17 - James Brasuell

New York City Zoning Map

BLOG POST

The Myth of Local Control

One common argument against statewide zoning reform is that local control of zoning is a venerable democratic norm. But in fact, state government often controls local land use in a variety of ways.

April 16 - Michael Lewyn


Walkable DC

FEATURE

Opinion: Surprised by Your Neighborhood’s Walkability Score? Don't Be.

A cautionary tale of using indices.

April 12 - Miriam Pinski

Woman with child and stroller waiting on Prague subway platform with blurred train passing by.

BLOG POST

Improving Gender Equality with Urban Planning

“It's a man's world” is not just a saying. As much as we are surrounded by societal structures that contribute to gender discrimination, we are often also surrounded by physical infrastructure that is just as limiting.

April 10 - Devin Partida


Passengers on a women's only subway car in Mexico City, Mexico

FEATURE

Mind the Gender Gap: Achieving Transit Equity Through a Gendered Perspective

How acknowledging the unique transportation needs of women can lead to more equitable, effective public transport service for all.

April 5 - Emma Chapman

Aerial view of green trees over residential neighborhood with Austin, Texas skyline in the background

FEATURE

Street Trees as Climate Resilience

An Austin-based urban designer explains how protecting and encouraging the planting of street trees will make the city more resilient to increasingly common extreme heat events, among many other benefits.

April 3 - Diana Ionescu

People on bikes and pedestrians walking on busy city street in Milan, Italy

BLOG POST

‘World Transport Policy and Practice’ Published by TCSC

The journal World Transport Policy and Practice continues its 26-year publication history.

April 2 - World Transport Policy and Practice

“Moral & Political Chart of the inhabited world:  Exhibiting the Prevailing Religion, form of government, degree of civilization, and Population of each country.” In Woodbridge’s School Atlas, 1831.

BLOG POST

The Pseudoscientific Foundations of Racist Planning Practices

Racist and colonialist narratives in old geography textbooks help explain the prevalence of segregationist and discriminatory policies and other nasty planning practices. It’s time to understand and reconcile.

March 28 - Todd Litman

Aerial view of planned community with houses and winding streets in Pearl City, Oahu

BLOG POST

Sprawl and Democracy

One common defense of pro-sprawl government policies is that government reflects the will of the people. But is this really true?

March 27 - Michael Lewyn

New York Apartments

PLANOPEDIA

What Is the Housing Choice Voucher Program?

Federal housing assistance vouchers subsidize the cost of rental housing, but high demand and long waiting lists mean many low-income families wait for years to access affordable housing.

March 27 - Diana Ionescu

A Metro Los Angeles bus driver is behind the wheel while wearing a mask.

FEATURE

Confronting the Crisis on Public Transit

Problems, old and new, are threatening what remains of our public spaces. How we respond right now could be make or break for public transit.

March 23 - Angie Schmitt

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

BLOG POST

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20 - Mark H. McNulty

Hillside home construction in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

BLOG POST

YIMBYs and Environmentalists Team Up at Last

The politics of development in California achieved another significant milestone recently, when a YIMBY organization and an environmental advocacy organization collaborated on new land use legislation to be considered by the State Legislature.

March 19 - James Brasuell

Yellow on black "Expect Delays" traffic sign

BLOG POST

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts

Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

March 14 - Todd Litman

2017 Apps

FEATURE

Survey: Help Identify the Best Planning Apps of 2023

Planetizen needs your help updating the definitive list of mobile apps for professional, student, academic, or citizen planners.

March 12 - Planetizen

View down New York City alleyway at nighttime

BLOG POST

Red Cities, Blue Cities, and Crime

Homicides rose across the nation in 2020 and 2021. But did they rise equally in all cities, or was the situation worse in some than in others?

March 12 - Michael Lewyn

Colorful umbrellas over an alleyway in RiNo Arts District, Denver, Colorado

BLOG POST

A DIY Approach to Developing Creative Arts Districts

Communities in Colorado are using a do-it-yourself process known as “Call Yourself Creative” to establish new neighborhoods that leverage the arts for community and economic development goals.

March 9 - Ronnique Bishop

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.

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