The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

On Monday, August 4, half a million people in the Toledo, Ohio metro region could once again drink from their water taps after a weekend without safe drinking water due to a toxin resulting from an algal bloom in the city's water supply, Lake Erie.

August 7 - The Wall Street Journal

A massive ad campaign by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Health is encouraging people to take the stairs for their health and the environment.

August 7 - NPR

A new tier of service for Lyft launched today, allowing customers traveling in the same direction to share a ride. The new product follows a similar release earlier this week by Uber.

August 7 - Forbes

Restaurants, retail, offices, and adobe homes pop-up in and around the long-suffering downtown damaged by urban renewal.

August 6 - Better Cities & Towns

An article in the Dallas News find the devil is in the details: namely, the difficulty in maintaining the little things that make a multi-modal street work—like the little push buttons (some call them "beg buttons") at crosswalks.

August 6 - Dallas News

That's the question facing the nation's largest environmental organization (not the Sierra Club but The Nature Conservancy) regarding the management of its preserve in Texas. There is no question for Naomi Klein, who writes about it in her new book.

August 6 - The New York Times

Known for its density with nearly 20,000 people per square mile, Singapore is changing its food systems strategy to produce more food locally, and reduce food waste.

August 6 - Fast Company Co.Exist

With 100% of precincts reporting on Tuesday evening, Amendment 7, a .75 percent statewide sales tax measure funding a package of transportation improvements, was rejected by 59% of voters. Kansas City voters snubbed a measure to expand the streetcar.

August 6 - Fox2Now

The 1.6 mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard in the city West Hollywood is destined for more than $600 million in developments planned or already being built, mostly composed of luxury hotels and condominiums.

August 6 - Bloomberg

Among proposed examples of new urbanist communities, Greater Greater Washington calls out one, located along Prince William's Potomac riverfront, as particularly experimental, sprawling, and centered on a Virginia Railway Express station.

August 6 - Greater Greater Washington

Although today's SUVs are smaller and more fuel efficient than models from the halcyon days of the early 2000s, a recent resurgence of SUV sales proves the incredible persistence of the American thirst for SUVs.

August 6 - Quartz

Called by some the "third industrial revolution," what are some of the opportunities and costs of applying 3D printing to issues facing the developing world, and more importantly, emergency housing?

August 6 - The Guardian

FEATURE

Booming development and shifting demographics are driving updates to Music City’s land use policies. Civic leaders and planners say they want residents to steer the process, which has meant getting people’s attention in some unlikely ways.

August 6 - Colby Sledge

Focusing on street safety conditions in Miami as a case study of larger findings, a Governing magazine analysis finds that pedestrians are much more likely to be killed by cars in impoverished neighborhoods.

August 5 - Governing

A look at where innovation districts have caught on, and where to expect more of this type of concerted cooperation between public and private entities and commercial and residential land uses.

August 5 - Brookings Institution

A new study by the union of Concerned Scientists faults local development policies that place homes in wildfire-prone areas for the increasing cost of wildfires. Should local agencies split the bill for the risks they've permitted?

August 5 - KUOW

As part of the Vision Zero initiative for traffic safety, the city has hosted a map system that allowed citizens to report safety issues encountered on the street. With the reporting period now over, you can still peruse the findings of the exercise.

August 5 - StreetsBlog NYC

That was the message from Gov. Jerry Brown after a state appeals court unlocked a lower court's hold on $9.95 billion of state bond funds for the $68 billion project. He exchanged words with HSR opponent House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

August 5 - The Wall Street Journal

Despite the recent deal that will bring a large capital infusion and expansion of the Citi Bike system in New York City, Sarah Goodyear sees a program on the brink. Can the city help ensure its success?

August 5 - Next City

The Root River Trail has fallen short of the "economic savior" status some were hoping from it, but it has also exceeded expectations in some towns along the route.

August 5 - Minneapolis Post