My wife is a transportation planner with ~10 years' experience working with city and regional governments all over the US. As she has explained to me, urban pl

My wife is a transportation planner with ~10 years' experience working with city and regional governments all over the US. As she has explained to me, urban planning (esp. in denser cities) is very much about increasing density, improving transportation options (e.g., walk/bike/transit), and ensuring neighborhood access to essential services (groceries, medical care, etc.). Equity is a huge concern for most planners as well. The problem isn't so much "improving urban planning" as "making elected officials and taxpayers listen to what the planners are saying".