Planner's Pick: April 2026

Each month, we're featuring standout planning-related content - books, podcasts, films, and more. Got a favorite? Send it our way for next month’s picks!

Listen:

Podcast – The War on Cars – “America’s Hidden Desire to Live Car‑Free” (Mar 10, 2026)
A sharp, research-backed conversation that’s perfect for planners working on mode shift, parking reform, TDM, and “why this matters” messaging. The episode digs into what people actually want when they’re given real choices—useful when you need language (and framing) that lands outside the planning bubble.
Listen: America’s Hidden Desire to Live Car‑Free (The War on Cars)

Read:

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (Land Lines) – “How Zoning Won–and Why It’s Now Losing Ground” (Mar 9, 2026)

A 100‑year look back at Euclid v. Ambler (1926) - the Supreme Court case that cemented “Euclidean” zoning and helped normalize separating housing, commerce, and industry, fueling auto-oriented patterns and reinforcing single‑family exclusivity.
It then explains why that framework is now being challenged from multiple angles, housing affordability pressure, pro‑housing reforms, and a growing push to re-legalize density and mixed-use in places where it was effectively zoned out.
Read: How Zoning Won–and Why It’s Now Losing Ground

Watch:

Sound Transit – East Link Extension / “Crosslake Connection” (2 Line) across Lake Washington (opened Mar 28, 2026)

A timely local “planning-in-motion” story: regional transit delivery, new network connectivity, and the kind of investment timeline that shapes land use decisions for decades. Great as a springboard for a short sidebar on station-area planning, access/first-mile last-mile, and expectations management during phased openings.

Watch/read overview: East Link Extension (Sound Transit)
Quick explainer/news recap: Light rail 2 Line connects east and west sides of Lake Washington (KING 5)

Bonus:

WSDOT – Active Transportation Programs Design Guide (Session 1: Guide Overview + Speed Management)

If you’re scoping safety work or reviewing design concepts, this is a handy WA-flavored reference for speed management, low-stress networks, and the kinds of questions funders are asking about deliverability and safety treatments.
Skim: Active Transportation Programs Design Guide – Session 1 (WSDOT PDF)