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Urban Planning

Urban, city, and town planning seek to inform land use, development, and transportation infrastructure to accommodate the needs of the community, often with the explicit goal of maximizing both economic vitality and overall quality of life. RAND helps to inform policymakers who plan long-term urban services and neighborhood design, from determining the public health implications of proximity to parklands or inner city waste abatement to the role of urban planning in nation-building efforts.

Journal Article

CicLavia: Evaluation of Participation, Physical Activity and Cost of an Open Streets Event in Los Angeles

Increasing the frequency of events in which major streets are open only to pedestrians and bicyclists would increase physical activity in urban areas.

Jun 30, 2016
Commentary

Expo Line Could Enhance Wellbeing in Santa Monica

On May 20, the long-awaited Metro Expo Line will begin service to Santa Monica. Viewing urban mobility as a key component of community wellbeing may be an instructive way to assess the impact of Expo and other infrastructure efforts.

May 6, 2016
Report

Autonomous Vehicle Technology: A Guide for Policymakers

Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to significantly improve social welfare. This report addresses the numerous legislative, regulatory, and liability issues this technology will raise.

Mar 22, 2016
Essay

Learning from One City's Effort to Transform Community

RAND researchers have partnered with the city of Santa Monica, California to redefine not just how cities measure success, but how they assess their very purpose for being. This “Wellbeing Index” posits that cities can improve not just the safety and comfort of their residents, but also their happiness.

Mar 8, 2016
Report

Quality of Life Indicators and Policy Strategies to Advance Sustainability in the Pearl River Delta

Proposes a system of quality of life indicators and identifies policy options to improve quality of life in the Pearl River Delta, a region of Guangdong Province in southeastern China.

Nov 6, 2015
Journal Article

Associations Between Neighborhood Alcohol Availability and Young Adolescent Alcohol Use

An investigation into the association between alcohol outlet density and adolescent alcohol use, including whether this association differed by sociodemographic characteristics.

Oct 20, 2015
Journal Article

Influence of the Built Environment on Pedestrian Route Choices of Adolescent Girls

We examined the influence of the built environment on pedestrian route selection among adolescent girls.

May 29, 2015
Commentary

Wellbeing Project to Weave Science Into Government Decisions

Wellbeing is about individuals having the skills and opportunity to live a meaningful life. There are countless things that cities do that either contribute or detract from that sense of meaning. Santa Monica's Wellbeing Project is working to fundamentally change how the government thinks about its citizens.

Apr 29, 2015
Commentary

Building the Best Pittsburgh Possible

Pittsburgh's journey toward its bright future has only just begun. To realize its potential, the city needs a vision as well as an innovative, inclusive, and data-driven approach to community development.

Apr 9, 2015
Multimedia

Building Urban Resilience: A Look at Challenges Facing the Pittsburgh Region Today and Tomorrow

RAND's Board of Trustees joined RAND donors and partners, as well as local Pittsburgh civic and community leaders, to discuss urban resilience efforts. Pittsburgh is at the forefront of municipalities considering how to develop resilience as a framework for managing change.

Apr 8, 2015
Essay

The Dream Drive: Twists and Turns on the Road to Self-Driving Vehicles

Autonomous vehicle technology is already here: Cars park themselves, alert drivers to impending dangers, and even apply the brakes in emergencies. But what will it take to unlock its potential for major societal benefits?

Jan 14, 2015
Commentary

How Smart Are Our European Cities?

The urban population is expected to double by 2050, when seven out of every 10 people will live in cities. Poverty, inequality, unemployment, and energy management challenges are also expected to increase. One potential solution is the concept of the “smart city,” where initiatives are designed to fuse current infrastructures with digital technology.

Jul 9, 2014
Report

The Effects of Moving to Permanent Dwellings on India's Working Poor

In India, low-cost housing projects like the Ashray Affordable Housing Pilot may help the working poor and their families improve their living conditions, while still allowing developers to recover their costs.

May 30, 2014
News Release

Self-Driving Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, Policy Challenges for Lawmakers

Self-driving vehicles offer the promise of significant benefits to society, but raise several policy challenges, including the need to update insurance liability regulations and privacy concerns such as who will control the data generated by this technology.

Jan 6, 2014
Research Brief

How to Best Realize the Social Benefits of Autonomous Vehicle Technology

The auto industry has been moving toward more autonomous vehicles for years. Policymakers could benefit from an examination of the technological advances in this area, their benefits and risks, and the potential effects of various regulations — as well as the absence of regulation — on the development of this technology.

Jan 6, 2014
Journal Article

Flood Risk Management in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City faces significant and growing flood risk. Recent risk reduction efforts may not work if climate and socio-economic conditions diverge from earlier projections. Robust decisionmaking can help Vietnam's capital develop integrated flood risk management strategies despite this uncertainty.

May 1, 2013
News Release

Land-Use Zoning Shown to Affect Crime Rates in Los Angeles

Using zoning laws to shape the type of development and activity that occur in a neighborhood may be one way to reduce crime in urban areas. Single-use commercially zoned blocks in Los Angeles have crime rates that are 45 percent higher than similar blocks that include residential uses.

Mar 5, 2013
Blog

RAND Is Helping Santa Monica Measure the City's Overall Well-Being

RAND is helping its hometown of Santa Monica, Calif., become the first city in America to use a measurement of overall wellbeing to drive public policy.

Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article

The Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Coronary Heart Disease in Women

Women living in more compact communities had a lower probability of experiencing a coronary heart disease (CHD) event or dying as a result of CHD.

Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article

Land-Use Zoning Shown to Affect Crime Rates in Los Angeles

Using zoning laws to shape the type of development and activity that occur in a neighborhood may be one way to reduce crime in urban areas. Single-use commercially zoned blocks in Los Angeles have crime rates that are 45 percent higher than similar blocks that include residential uses.

Jan 1, 2013

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RAND Topic:
Urban Planning

Topic Synonyms:
City Planning

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