The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

People in Chicago cross the street. There are two CTA buses in the background.
Chicago city vehicles are on the hunt for illegally-parked cars

Cameras on the vehicles can automatically issue tickets to drivers who park their cars in bus or bike lanes.

October 17 - Block Club Chicago

A large brown house in Massachusetts.

Small single-family homes are illegal in most of MA. Voters can change that

Most land zoned for single-family housing in Massachusetts requires at least 40,000 square feet of land per house.

October 16 - NPR

A group of people gather around Metra's battery-powered bus.

Public steps inside U.S.’s first battery-powered train

Metra’s groundbreaking train feature modern seats and a futuristic battery car.

October 16 - Chicago Sun Times

Tobias Bauer, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility North America in front of the company's Sound Transit new light rail vehicles.

Companies show off AI technology, new innovation hubs at APTA Expo

Nearly 700 companies attended the American Public Transportation Association’s Expo last week, which happens once every three years.

October 16 - Smart Cities Dive

Dogs play in Hart Park

FEATURE

Op-ed: Finding the value in LA’s emptiest parks

Los Angeles has the nation's largest dog population, but a measly 14 dog parks. Adaptive reuse can help bridge this gap.

October 16 - Aysie Bower

An aerial view of a large data center in Virginia

Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections

Data centers figure in state and federal races and are the subject of dozens of ballot measures.

October 16 - Stateline


Construction of a natural gas pipeline.

Developers sue Mississippi landowners who object to pipeline through their land

Because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the pipeline project, the developer can use private land without the consent of the owner.

October 15 - Mississippi Today

Pedestrians in NYC cross the street.

A gas leak in NYC is costing residents $300 million

More than 90% of NYC’s electricity is from natural gas. About 2% of that gas is leaking and escaping into the air.

October 15 - Gothamist


Drone photo of dam on upper Otay Lakes Reservoir. It is covered in graffiti.

CA officials have the power to fix the state’s riskiest dams. They’ve never used it

California’s 40 most hazardous dams would endanger up to 1.5 million people if they failed.

October 15 - Cal Matters

Aerial footage of the Hydrogen Power Plant in Fusina, Venice, Italy, highlighting its sustainable technology and industrial landscape.

Trump is shattering Pennsylvania's dreams of becoming a leader in hydrogen energy

Progress on both of the state’s planned hydrogen hubs ground to a halt after Trump took office.

October 15 - Inside Climate News

Gov. Abbot gestures with his hand at a convention. He is wearing blue and is in his wheelchair.

Despite tough talk from Abbott and Paxton, Texas penalties for data center violations are light

Texas officials are promising tougher enforcement on data centers, but the existing law may offer limited leverage over the industry that has largely failed to report its water use.

October 15 - Texas Tribune

A rendering of WMATA's new building, which has many windows and two levels that don't appear to have walls.

FEATURE

Op-ed: if transit agencies want sustainability, they should focus on their buildings

In the Washington region, buildings can account for nearly 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. If WMATA wants to be a sustainable agency, it must upgrade its developments as well as its transit.

October 15 - Linda Cui

Passengers on Seattle's Sound Transit

How Chicago, New York and Seattle are funding transit projects amid tough times

Notes from the American Public Transportation Association's TransForm conference in Chicago.

October 14 - Smart Cities Dive

Passengers walk through a London Tube tunnel

Transport for London tackles hate crime spike with free bystander training

Recorded hate crime offences on the London's transport network have increased by 36 per cent.

October 14 - London Now

A row of tiny homes in Denver

Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?

Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.

October 14 - New York Times

Congress Ave, looking toward the state Capitol building

'Texas' Main Street' gets a multimodal glow-up

Congress Avenue in Austin is undergoing a major renovation to receive bike lanes and upgraded pedestrian infrastructure.

October 14 - My San Antonio

Arlington, MA, shot from the air

The Massachusetts town that didn't get the T wants a re-do

Fifty years ago, Arlington said no to a stop on the MBTA Red Line connecting it to Boston. Now, the town wants a second chance.

October 14 - Boston.com

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

FEATURE

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 14 - Zachary Whalen

An unfinished piece of California’s high-speed rail project in Fresno.

After $600,000 wasted, CA high-speed rail board limits CEO’s power

Ian Choudri will no longer be able to sign, change or manage contracts.

October 13 - Cal Matters

A lithium plant in California. Pollution billows into the sky.

Lithium mines leech water from surrounding communities. Soon, they’ll run dry

Researchers concluded that most lithium mines won't have enough water to meet industry demands by 2050.

October 13 - Inside Climate News

A person in a bright green jacket stares down a culvert, a pipe meant to divert rainwater from roads.

El Niño takes lives, infrastructure as U.S. storm systems prove ill-prepared

About two-thirds of America's culverts are in states with outdated design standards.

October 13 - The Washington Post

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.