The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Image of train tracks at Plano, Texas train station

Commuter Rail Showdown: Houston versus Dallas

The rivalry between Dallas and Houston is well known, but Dug Begley recently made a compelling comparison between the two cities: their approach to commuter rail.

June 25 - Houston Chronicle

Cincinnati Union Terminal

National Trust Releases its 27th Annual List of America's Most Endangered Historic Places

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has revealed its annual list of the most endangered places in the country. See anything you might miss when it's gone and can never come back?

June 25 - National Trust For Historic Preservation

Science of Cities

FEATURE

What Can a 'Science of Cities' Offer Planners?

Research across a range of fields is beginning to offer useful new guidance for planning policy and practice—and pointing the way to more effective "bottom-up" strategies.

June 25 - Michael Mehaffy

Traffic Lights

'Consider the Traffic Light'

Dan Saffer asks us to consider the traffic light—and there's plenty to think about.

June 24 - Wired

Four-Lane Freeway

The Case Against Clogging the Left Lane

June is "Lane Courtesy Month," and Vox used the occasion to describe the sometimes counter-intuitive reasons why drivers should refrain from driving in the left lane except when passing.

June 24 - Vox


Why Would Anyone Want a Smart Home?

A tech columnist reviews the current state of smart home technology and finds that improvements will be necessary before widespread adoption can be expected.

June 24 - The Wall Street Journal

Board Passes on Rent Freeze Despite Mayor de Blasio's Intentions

The New York City Rent Guidelines Board is one of the few ways Mayor Bill de Blasio can influence the price of housing in the city. All sides came away wanting when the board approved a historically low increase.

June 24 - New York Times


SFPark Releases Data on Two-Year Pilot Phase

The SFPark two-year pilot has concluded, and the city recently released comprehensive data that make a good case for its success in almost every possible metric of parking management. Now can the city expand the program?

June 24 - S.F. Streetsblog

Baltimore's First EcoDistrict: State Center Redevelopment Project

Baltimore's first test of the EcoDistrict green neighborhood program was enabled by a lawsuit that delayed the State Center redevelopment project for four years.

June 24 - Baltimore Sun

Environmentalists Settle Lawsuit on Plan Bay Area

Two down, two to go. Rarely has a regional transportation/land use plan been sued by so many diverse groups. Environmentalists settled with Bay Area regional planning agencies with assurances that the 2017 plan will better account for GHG reductions.

June 24 - Contra Costa Times

On the Endangered Value of Taxi Medallions

Emily Badger focuses on the signifier at the middle of the ongoing battle between taxi companies and transportation network companies like Uber, Lfyt, and Sidecar—the taxi medallion.

June 24 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Re-Evaluating the Dynamic Duo: Olmsted and Moses

Anthony Flint examines the commonalities—and disparities—in the historic legacies of Frederick Law Olmsted and Robert Moses.

June 24 - CityLab

Paradox: Congestion May Signify Better Accessibility and Economic Productivity

Although transport planners consider traffic congestion economically harmful, economic productivity tends to increase with congestion and decline with increased road supply. This paradox can be explained by more nuanced analysis of accessibility.

June 24 - The Vancouver Sun

Philadelphia Planners and Police Looking for Pedestrian Safety Solutions

Pedestrian safety in Philadelphia is a mixed bag. While it can often be a pleasant, pedestrian-friendly city, recent pedestrian deaths have highlighted the ongoing need to improve the safety of the Philadelphia's sidewalks and streets.

June 23 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Is Los Angeles the Museum Capital of the United States?

Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau continues his case for proclaiming the City of Angels as the museum capital of the United States.

June 23 - UrbDeZine

Washington D.C. Row Houses

Proliferation of 'Pop-Ups' Irks Washington D.C. Neighborhoods

Washington D.C. is experiencing a "rush" on new construction of renovated townhouses or "pop-ups," which many say do not fit the character of the neighborhoods where they tend to proliferate.

June 23 - Washington Post

Breaking News: Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Obama Climate Initiative

In a 5-4 decision on June 23, the Supreme Court ruled that EPA erred in the permitting processes for new carbon-cutting rules. However, most of the Clean Power Plant rule that reduces emissions 30 percent will not be affected.

June 23 - Los Angeles Times

Reducing the Number of Abandoned Properties in Louisville

Louisville, like many other cities around the country, has been working hard to reduce the number of abandoned buildings. Recent efforts have provided the city with a new road map for blight reduction.

June 23 - The Courier-Journal

Old Man Cyclist

Our Elders are Leading the Bike Boom

While biking might be seen as a young person's cause, new data from the National Household Travel Survey show that American's aged 60-79 are responsible for a huge chunk of new riders.

June 23 - Streetsblog USA

Dallas the Setting for a Discussion of 'New Cities'

After the New Cities Summit last week, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week, Dallas has been the location of a lot of recent discussion about the future of cities.

June 23 - Dallas Morning News

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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.