The discipline and practice of planning includes physical design, economic development, and a myriad of other specialties. The American Planning Association (APA) is perhaps the best known organization in the United States, and their website contains some very fine resources for those already in the field as well as for those who would like to join the field. On the site's homepage, visitors can...

This site advocates less dependence on automobile transportation, and proposes suggestions for technologies and city layouts that would eliminate the need for it altogether. Some of the most interesting discussion concerns city topology, suggesting a six-lobe design. Each lobe is divided into many districts, and can support up to two million people (twelve million in all). A heavy-rail metro is...

Drawing on the expertise of a team of editors who reside in Britain, Germany, Spain, Mexico, France, and a number of other countries, the City Mayors organization is an "international network of professionals working to promote strong cities and good local government." Their website takes on all of the important urban issues of the day, including governance, affordable housing, sustainable...

What is the best way to experience the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts? You could read a history of Harvard University, take a walking tour, or perhaps browse a topical website. But why not look at the Cambridge CityViewer for edification? This unique tool "allows the public to view, query, mark up, and print custom maps using only a web browser." Notedly, the viewer works best with Internet...

From office buildings to prisons to Mars settlements, what do we think about when we design spaces? How does planning influence urban society in the past, present, and future? All of these questions and more are ripe for exploration thanks to the YouTube channel of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). Most videos are recordings of live events...

The New Urbanist movement in architecture and town planning began in the United States as an effort to alleviate the pattern of urban and suburban sprawl that was a common element of post-World War II development around the country. The first place new visitors will want to start is by reading the charter statement of the group, along with a brief history of the organization, which was begun in...

As part of the Lincoln Land Institute's Working Paper series, Professor Tim Chapin of Florida State University has composed this 28-page work that addresses both the costs and benefits (economic and otherwise) of sports facilities. As many urban areas continue to compete for a variety of large-scale economic development projects, this paper will be of great general interest. As Professor Chapin...

While the search for closure and emotional healing continues for many New Yorkers and those who lost family in the tragic events that took place on September 11, 2001, the work of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation moves on in an attempt to coordinate long term planning for the World Trade Center. Established by Governor Pataki and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the LMDC is a joint state-city...

This site features resources focused on "smart growth," growth that attempts to "minimize environmental and health impacts while promoting economic prosperity." The site explains smart growth; provides links to funding sources, resources, and members of the smart growth network, a coalition of government, business, and civic organizations; collects related fact sheets, reports, grant products, and...

If you mention "historic preservation" and "Los Angeles" in the same sentence, some people might raise their eyebrows. The City of Angeles has constantly reinvented itself during its relatively brief existence, and much of the city's urban fabric has been chewed up by bulldozers and ambitious developers over the past several decades. However, the J. Paul Getty Trust is providing financial backing...