Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Global Citizen NOW conference in Detroit—a dynamic gathering of leaders from a wide range of industries focused on sharing insights, actions, and stories to advance inclusive, sustainable cities. As a practicing urban planner in New Jersey, the conference aligned perfectly with my professional interests. When the chance arose, I didn’t hesitate to book a round-trip ticket from New Jersey to Detroit to learn, engage, and connect.

If you're an urban planner—or as I now often refer to myself, a land use planner, since many of the municipalities I work with aren't technically cities—chances are you’ve played SimCity. Created by Will Wright, SimCity was a groundbreaking simulation game first released in 1989 for early computer systems such as the Commodore 64 and Macintosh (what we now know as Apple).

A SID can play a crucial role in planning, guiding, listening, shaping, funding, and programming public spaces. If your community is fortunate enough to have a SID, chances are it has been instrumental in shaping the public spaces that contribute to the neighborhood's vibrancy and sense of place

Every public space holds a story—how it was created, designed, its intended purpose, and its role within the community. This is the story of Eastman Clock Plaza, commonly known as "The Clock," located in the heart of Downtown Cranford.

There’s been considerable discussion lately about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and their potential to address the critical need for affordable housing in New Jersey. Let's explore this topic and analyze whether ADUs can indeed be a viable solution for affordable housing in the state.

There is a synchronization between urban planning and music.

The term parking maximums is becoming a more common terminology in the planning world. So what does it mean?

I can't believe I'm doing this. What's that, you may ask? I wrote an article about parking. Here's the nexus of the article. I heard a great quote recently. The root of all parking problems is a great place. I wish I could take credit for this one, but no. This quote comes straight from Brian Davis, the principal of Studio Davis; a consulting firm focused on parking policy, systems, and management, and a contributing writer to NJ Urbanthinker on occasion.

What movies/TV shows represent City Planning?