The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Route 66 motel neon sign.

Albuquerque Route 66 Motels Become Affordable Housing

A $4 million city fund is incentivizing developers to breathe new life into derelict midcentury motels.

July 1 - High Country News

Green public transit bus at stop in Silver Spring, Maryland.

DC Area County Eliminates Bus Fares

Montgomery County joins a growing trend of making transit free.

July 1 - The Washington Post

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

BLOG POST

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30 - Tom Sanchez


People swimming in Rhine River on a sunny day with low-rise, dense buildings along waterfront in background.

FEATURE

Is Your City Swimmable?

An interview with organizers of the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit, which took place this June 22-24 in Rotterdam, NL.

June 30 - Mark Tirpak

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

June 30 - Cities Today


Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

June 30 - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30 - Streetsblog USA

Group of senior citizens waving small American flags.

The Ratio of Older People to Children Grew in Every State

Older adults outnumber youth in 11 U.S. states.

June 30 - Washington State Standard

Heavy traffic at standstill on freeway at dusk.

BLOG POST

The Mobility-Productivity Paradox

New research shows that excessive vehicle travel reduces economic productivity, and that less mobility provides more productivity. Yes, you read that right.

June 30 - Todd Litman

Empty platform at Los Angeles Metro subway station.

LA Transit Ridership Plummets Amidst ICE Raids

LA Metro’s bus and rail lines are seeing up to 15 percent lower ridership in the wake of violent immigration arrests.

June 29 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of single-family homes with rooftop solar panels in planned development near Austin, Texas.

A New Texas Neighborhood is Powered by Geothermal Energy

The 7,500-home development claims to be Austin’s ‘first zero energy planned community.’

June 29 - Floodlight

Heat map of extreme heat in rural U.S. communities.

Data: In Rural America, Mobile Homes are Heat Traps

Extreme heat is often viewed as an urban problem, but rural communities face their own unique risks.

June 29 - The Daily Yonder

Zohran Mamdani, candidate for NYC mayor, speaking at event outdoors wearing black puffy jacket.

NYC: What Mamdani’s Rivals Can Teach Him About Transportation

The mayoral candidate won on a bold, progressive platform. Some of his opponents had even bolder ideas.

June 29 - StreetsBlog NYC

Two-story green apartment building in residential neighborhood in Berkeley, California with tall street trees.

Berkeley Approves ‘Middle Housing’ Ordinance

The city that invented single-family zoning is finally reckoning with its history of exclusion.

June 27 - San Francisco Chronicle

SEPTA Station

SEPTA Budget Slashes Service by 45 Percent

The Philadelphia-area transit agency is legally tasked with maintaining a balanced budget. Officials hope the state will come to the rescue with additional funding.

June 27 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Connecticut state capitol with gold dome and modern office buildings in background in Hartford, CT.

Connecticut Governor Vetoes Housing Bill

Gov. Lamont reversed his view on a controversial affordable housing bill that would have required municipalities to zone for set amounts of affordable housing to receive state funding.

June 27 - Housing Wire

"Street Subway - LIRR - Amtrak - NJ Transit" with Exit sign in front of stairway on subway platform at Penn Station with silver train stopped at right.

NJ Transit Trains Delayed by Extreme Heat

Breakdowns in the subway network’s HVAC system caused dangerously high temperatures on platforms, while heat-induced track expansion forced trains to slow down.

June 27 - News 12 New Jersey

For Rent sign on red stucco apartment building.

A Case for Universal Rental Assistance

A pair of researchers argues that expanding rental assistance programs for low-income households is the most effective way to alleviate the housing crisis.

June 26 - The Conversation

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.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.