The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

November 6 - KOMO News

Woman curly hair and glasses works on a digital tablet with architectural models, blueprints, and color swatches in a modern, well-lit workspace.

BLOG POST

General or specialized training: Is US planning education fit for the future?

For certain demographics, a more flexible pedagogy may be necessary.

November 6 - Ann Forsyth

Elon Musk in front of a sign for Grok 3

Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'

Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.

November 6 - Politico

People vote in Chicago behind blue privacy screens

Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners

Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents

November 5 - Block Club Chicago


Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks into a microphone. He wears a gray suit.

NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting

New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.

November 5 - The City Reporter

People in Los Angeles going to the polls, following a sign with an "I Voted" design

California appears to reject Prop. 45

The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.

November 5 - Cal Matters


People board a BART train in San Fransico. The train has blue trim and the sky is cloudy.

Bay area voters pass ‘crucial lifeline’ for transit

Proposition RTM, which will fund Bay Area transit, has approval from 61% of voters as of 9:45 p.m. on Nov. 3.

November 5 - San Francisco Chronicle

Two rows of hay bales. the top row spells out "no data" and the bottom spells "centers". three bales are painted with American flags.

Voters across the country reject data centers

Dozens of communities voted on measures to restrict the buildout of data centers.

November 5 - Stateline

Three  architects are reviewing blueprints in a modern office, smiling and discussing house plans, demonstrating teamwork and collaboration.

FEATURE

Be featured in Planetizen’s 8th Edition Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs!

Planetizen is releasing an update to our very popular Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, and is looking for Professional Profiles and general essay submissions.

November 5 - Planetizen Staff

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

November 4 - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

November 4 - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

November 4 - Yahoo News

A woman bikes through a parking lot in Los Angeles.

Not in my parking spot: LA renters oppose ADU development in their garages

Some tenants advocates say taking away residents’ parking spaces harms senior citizens and people with disabilities who rely on their cars to navigate the city.

November 4 - Los Angeles Times

People wait to board a train in Chicago.

NITA’s first budget outlines $5 billion operating plan

The plan also proposes a $9.73 billion capital program for 2027 through 2031.

November 4 - Metro Magazine

: Construction of massive Samsung semiconductor fabrication plant

In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland

Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.

November 3 - Inside Climate News

A construction crew working on SunZia.

How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on

The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.

November 3 - Grist

A rendering of the basketball court, a green court under a blue sky.

MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court

The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.

November 3 - Gothamist

A crowd of people bathed in pink light in front of a stage.

Non-stop party: Chicago voters weigh permanent festival grounds

A stable place for bleachers, stages and drainage may streamline the setup and teardown of large events.

November 3 - Block Club Chicago

Metra train pulling into station.

Metra may invest $9.1 billion in regional rail

The agency released a draft of a study examining potential ways to offer more frequent train service.

November 3 - Mass Transit

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.