The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
New Jersey Addressing Nation-Leading 'College Flight'
A Philadelphia Inquirer blog post details what it calls a "brain drain" problem in the state of New Jersey—where more residents go out of state for college than in any other state.
'Pop-Up Beer Gardens' Hack Pennsylvania's Alcohol License Restrictions
Some restaurants have found ways to circumvent the expense of liquor licenses in Philadelphia by opening pop-up beer gardens operating under a much, much cheaper catering permit. Cue state legislation to curb the practice.
Making Planning 'Just Green Enough' to Balance Environmental Justice and Gentrification
A growing body of research examines the question of how to make places more attractive and healthy, without then making them more expensive.
FEATURE
How Civic Engagement Platforms Can Bring Back the Expertise of Urban Planners
The increasing use of online civic engagement platforms offers a chance for planners to improve the planning process—that is, if they take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the new technology to showcase their expertise.
Cities Criminalizing Homelessness Amid Urban Boom
More cities—many of them "revitalizing" their urban cores at the same time as a national recession and a real estate market beset by diminishing supplies of low-income housing—are criminalizing homelessness.
Meet Dallas' New 'Bike Czar'
In an article for the Dallas Morning News, Tom Benning introduces Ashley Haire as the city of Dallas' new bike coordinator. Haire comes to the job of delivering more bicycle infrastructure to Dallas by way of Portland and TxDOT.
Study: Parks Make for Better People
Tom Jacobs details the findings of a study out of France that finds evidence of what researchers call "green altruism"—or people treating each other better after period of immersion in a natural environment.
Ordinary Materials, Fantastic Opportunities
Michael Demkowicz says that steel, aluminum, and concrete are among materials we understand least, but all have big possibilities for engineers.
Oil and Rail Industries Agree to Phase Out Oldest Rail Oil Tank Cars
A deal may be near between energy and rail industries and the Department of Transportation to phase out the DOT-111 tank car—the same kind implicated in the horrific explosions of oil trains, particularly those carry Bakken crude from North Dakota.
Study: Air Conditioning is Warming Phoenix
A study investigates the effect of air conditioning systems on air temperature and electricity demand. The study's findings: the release of waste heat (via AC systems) exacerbates the nocturnal urban heat island, thus increasing cooling demands.
Stuck in a Development Slump, Texas Suburb Shrinks Transit District
After plans to create a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly district in the Austin suburb of Leander fizzled due to the recession, the city has cut back minimum height and density requirements in the hopes of attracting more investment.
Where Smaller is More Marketable
Unlike the message of an annoying commercial, bigger may not be better in the real estate market. Residential developers in Washington D.C. have found that millennials like small studios, or micro-units, provided the spaces are well designed.
Concerns Raised about Sprawl, Public Safety Implications of Autonomous Vehicles
A pair of articles sounds separate warnings about what a future of autonomous vehicles will mean for law enforcement and fuel consumption. The warnings are far from the utopian ideal that many desire for the technology.
Discrimination at Home: Luxury Development with 'Poor Door' Approved in NYC
Extell Development Company made news last summer by proposing a luxury development with a separate entrance for below-market-rate units. Now that the project is fully approved, New York councilmembers might expand anti-discrimination policies.
Speed Cameras: Working in Chicago; Needed in Philadelphia
In Chicago, speed cameras are proving effective at reducing speeds; in Philadelphia, a police commissioner is lobbying the state to allow the implementation of the cameras.
A Call to 'Retire the Myth' of the Palm Tree in Los Angeles
Victoria Dailey has some strong words for the palm tree in its various forms around Los Angeles in a long read for the Los Angeles Review of Books.
Treasure Island's Big Mixed-Use Developments Bring Transportation Improvements
Located between San Francisco and the East Bay, with harrowing on- and off-ramps for ingress and egress to the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island will soon add 8,000 homes, 500 hotel rooms, and 550,000 square feet of offices.
Examining the Ottawa Cycling Plan for Lessons of Suburban Biking Success
An article by Nour Aoude begins with the premise: "Leaving suburbs out of the biking conversation risks turning biking into a privilege of the few who can afford to live in dense, downtown neighbourhoods."
Literature Review: On the Importance of Affordable Housing for Families and Communities
A new report by Enterprise Community Partners provides a literature review of research about the effects of stable and affordable housing.
What's Missed When Taking the Scenic Route?
An app that plots the most beautiful route across cities made news earlier this month, but one commenter worries about how taking the more scenic route could make it harder to improve quality of life in the "less-than-scenic" sections of cities.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.
