Planning Magazine
Smart City Digital Twins Are a New, High-Tech Tool for Scenario Planning
New vaccines, the next must-have smartphone app, and even plant-based burgers are tested and refined in labs before launching in the real world. Why not plans and policies? Smart city digital twins could be the answer. Here's why — and how they stand to make planning for the future easier and more agile than ever before.
Featured Articles
Well-Designed Public Spaces Are Inclusive Ones
Public spaces should be welcoming, comfortable, and engaging — not just open — to all.
Our Post-Pandemic Future Could Be a Lot Less Car-Centric
Planners are turning open streets pilots and parklet pop-ups into long-term plans for more equitable, sustainable transportation networks.
Three Movies that Can Help Us Combat Climate Change
These documentaries offer a variety of proven and affordable solutions planners can take back to their communities.
Federal Government Is Gearing Up for Climate Fight
The Biden administration wants the U.S. to achieve a 100 percent clean energy economy and net-zero emissions by 2050. What actions have they taken, and what else will it take to get there?
Is It Time to Rethink the Property Tax?
It’s the largest local government revenue source, but four economic and technology trends are threating to make property tax obsolete. Here's what that could mean for you and your community.
6 Ways to Help Bridge the Racial Wealth Gap
Planners can and should play a pivotal role in advancing equitable economic outcomes.
Places to Find Your Next Planning Gig
Looking to build skills or create a more flexible work life? Gig work could be the answer.
Local Food Systems Key to Healthy, Resilient, Equitable Communities
From the economy and environment to health and food access, local and regional food systems can help address a wide range of community concerns.
Increased Remote Work Could Mean Big Changes for Cities
The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of work. How can cities faced with excess commercial office space adapt?
Eliminating Racial Segregation Is Good Economic Policy
Income disparities and racial segregation are deeply intertwined, burdening both people of color and the U.S. economy. Here's how we can reverse that trend.
Election Day Wins, Planning Windfalls
Billions in voter-approved dollars will fund transit and housing efforts through the new year and beyond.
Flying Taxis Are Coming and Communities Need to Prepare
Tech companies say they could launch advanced air mobility vehicles within this decade, but urban and rural policy is lagging behind.
On the Road to Vaccination, Transportation Is Key
For some groups, lack of transportation — not vaccine availability — is the biggest barrier to getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
11 Women Whose Work Can Inspire Post-Pandemic Planning
Their efforts to fight for racial, economic, and housing justice offer plenty of lessons for today's planners.
Four Trailblazing Women in Urban Design
A new documentary highlights the contributions of Denise Scott Brown, Phyllis Lambert, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, and Blanche Lemco van Ginkel.
Manage the Curb With Smart Loading Zones
A pilot program shows that any size city can leverage smart technology to gather data and monetize the curb.
Data-Driven Planning in Fort Worth
A restructured planning department pairs comprehensive planning with data analytics.
Greenlighting Cannabis — What Every Planning Department Needs to Know
Momentum for cannabis legalization is growing nationwide. For communities in states that might be next, the best time to start preparing is now.
Census Estimates Show Population Decline in 16 States
Population losses and gains — and shifting demographics — signal changes to status quo across the country.
Planning for the Needs of an Aging Population
Questions and answers about what communities should know about shifting demographics.
4 Tips to Find the Right Mentor for You
Searching for a mentor can be daunting, but these four strategies will put you well on your way to finding the right mentor to guide you toward your career goals.
Tribal Treaties Could Change the Environment
They’ve been ignored for generations, but Michigan’s latest pipeline decision could signal a more just approach — and help halt climate change.
Tools
Et Cetera
The latest planning odds and ends from our Spring 2021 issue: a comedic documentary on Stockholm's "car trap," John Englander's latest book, spiring essays on just cities, a toolkit for all-ages biking, and the podcast Future Cities.
Nontraditional Housing Types Can Help Solve U.S. Homelessness Crisis
We have tried traditional fixes. It’s time to think outside the regulatory box and move away from traditional stick housing for people who are unhoused.
A Case for Better Street Design
COVID-19 has inspired changes that make streets more walkable, sustainable, and equitable. Planners may have a legal case to make them permanent.
Strategies for Family-Oriented Densification
Central cities aren’t just for the childless. Parent-friendly policies can revitalize urban neighborhoods.
Planners Library
The latest in planning literature, with book reviews on reflective planning practice, a pandemic of pedestrian deaths, and vibrant urban sidewalks.
3 Zoning Changes That Make Residential Neighborhoods More Affordable
Zoning reform is one of our greatest weapons against rising housing costs. Here's how we can wield it.
How Reflection Helps Planners Make Wise Decisions
A conversation with Richard Willson, author of Reflective Planning Practice: Theory, Cases, and Methods.
Pandemic-Proof Community Service
Leveraging the power of volunteering is vital to boosting local resilience.
Et Cetera
In our latest roundup of planning odds and ends: Resy’s restaurant docuseries, a toolkit for better biking cities, and the San Francisco podcast Bay Curious.
Voices
A Call to Service in Times of Change
Kurt Christiansen issues a call for nominations for APA's 2021 national elections and outlines steps APA has taken to remove barriers that might dissuade a member from serving.
Celebrating Black Communities On-Screen and Off
Six-plus movies planners should watch during Black History Month — and the rest of the year, too.
New Opportunities for a Bright Future for Planning
New APA President Leo R. Asuncion Jr. envisions a future where planners are seen as ethical, solution-oriented leaders of constructive change.
3 Mayors, 3 Cities, Countless Lessons for Planners and Public Office
Add these must-see films and shows to your streaming queue this month.
Who Benefits from the Policy Decisions We Make — and Who Doesn't?
That’s the question planners should always be asking, says Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Cherie Jzar, AICP.
11 Black Urbanists Every Planner Should Know
From the first Black planner to a celebrated photographer, we recognize the people who have helped us understand how cities work — and how we can help make them better.
Lessons from Oregon’s Historic Wildfire Season
Kelsey Zlevor: Disaster recovery calls for grassroots planning grounded in collaborative activism.
Portland Defines the New Decade in Planning
Bruce Stephenson: With planning that values public good over individual interests, Portland sets an example we can follow.
Resources