The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Multi-Modal Trip Planning in Chicago? There Ought to Be an App for That

Samuel Baron makes the case that Divvy, Chicago's "newest transportation system," should be better integrated with the city's other public transport systems.

June 18 - Transitized

Walkable DC

Report Ranks Walkable Urbanism in America's Largest Metropolitan Areas

A new report authored by Chris Leinberger and Patrick Lynch, called "Foot Traffic Ahead," ranks walkable urban places (or "WalkUPs") around the country.

June 18 - Smart Growth America

Hearst Tower Norman Foster

In the Era of Starchitecture, Whither 'Locatecture'?

Witold Rybczynski laments the globalization of architecture—especially the personal branding of the most famous architects onto the skylines of cities all over the world.

June 17 - New York Times Magazine

Scrambling to Fund and Build Housing for Shale Boom Workers

"The drilling industry boom in places like Washington County [Pennsylvania] has squeezed the housing market, especially among those looking for lower-priced apartments and homes," reports Stephanie Ritenbaugh.

June 17 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Vancouver Al Fresco

BLOG POST

Let's Make Sticky Streets for People!

As cities work hard to evolve their perspective on the role of streets as public places in smarter city-making, remember this: Good cities know that streets move people, not just cars. Great cities know that streets are places to linger and enjoy.

June 17 - Brent Toderian


No Little Plans for Private Passenger Rail Service Between Miami and Orlando

The last private passenger rail in the United States closed in 1983, but a private company is working on a 240-mile service between Orlando and Florida. CityLab recently detailed how a relic of the past could transform the Florida of the future.

June 17 - CityLab

Zoning Code Changes as 'Customer Service' in Somerville

Planners in Somerville, a dense suburb adjacent to Boston, are touting the city's new zoning code as a customer service document. An editorial says the changes could flip zoning in the state of Massachusetts upside-down.

June 17 - The Boston Globe


Washington D.C. Could Convert Vacant Lots to Urban Farms

Following a trend that has been more common in shrinking cities, Washington D.C. is considering a bill that would convert district-owned lots into urban farms.

June 17 - DCist

Parking Garage—Site of the Nixon Administration's Demise—Scheduled for Demolition

Reuters reports that the famous location where an FBI informant known as "Deep Throat" met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward during the Watergate scandal will soon be replaced with a new mixed-use development.

June 17 - Reuters via Chicago Tribune

Are Hyper-Urbanizing Countries Experiencing Lower Vaccination Levels?

Urbanization may turn conventional thinking about vaccinations on its head, at least in India.

June 17 - The Times Of India

Buffalo Rebooting its Code

Buffalo is nearing the finish line in an efforts to draft a new form-based code.

June 17 - Congress for the New Urbanism

How Popular Television Predicts Urban Trends

Christopher and Lisa Leinberger present a history of popular television shows reflecting and predicting how Americans chose to live.

June 17 - Next City

Can Data Help Boston Improve its Nightlife?

Boston is considering regulatory changes that would extend the hours of late night services like alcohol sales and transit. An editorial in the Boston Globe recommends a data-driven approach for deciding where to implement the nightlife experiment.

June 16 - Boston Globe

San Francisco Tunnel Boring Machine

Seattle's Envy? San Francisco's Big Alma Outperforms Big Bertha

Big Alma is one of two boring machines used to tunnel under the streets of San Francisco to construct the new Central Subway to Chinatown. Big Bertha, Seattle's infamous tunnel borer, has been stalled since December. Big Alma emerged on June 11.

June 16 - The San Francisco Examiner

Study: American Housing Preferences Mimic American Politics

Emily Badger pulls particularly salient information from last week's Pew Research Center's report on political attitudes: liberals prefer the city while conservatives prefer small towns and rural areas.

June 16 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Twin Cities' Green Line Emphasizes Community Integration

Funding from a nonprofit initiative provides concrete measures to prevent displacement due to the construction of the Green Line in the Twin Cities.

June 16 - FastCompany Exist

A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

Obama Intervenes On Philly Rail Strike

President Obama signs executive order to end SEPTA transit strike, establishes emergency labor mediation board in response to Governor Corbett's request.

June 16 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Empty Parking Garage

BLOG POST

A Parking Paradox

Minimum parking requirements affect developer behavior most where they are most controversial: in downtown neighborhoods. In suburbs where they may just mimic the market, the arguments for such rules are paradoxically even weaker.

June 16 - Michael Lewyn

Who Should Pay for Highways: Motorists or Oil Companies?

A new transportation funding option proposed by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) would repeal the 18.4-cent gas tax, unchanged since 1993, with a "small" tax levied against oil companies on each barrel of oil used to make gasoline.

June 16 - The Oregonian

Street Art Tells the Other Side of the World Cup Story

In the many cities hosting the month-long FIFA World Cup tournament, street artists share their criticisms in vibrant, powerful murals located in public spaces.

June 16 - The Guardian

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.