The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Which Is the Problem: Affordable Housing or Poverty?
Jonathan Geeting argues that Philadelphia’s recently proposed affordable housing program is focusing on the wrong problem—in Philadelphia, housing is quite affordable, but people are still too poor to afford it.
Boston Mayor Plugs Into Big Data
New Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has installed a large data dashboard in his office to track the performance of everything from city services, hot line call volume, and social media sentiment.
Citi Bike Encounters Financial Trouble
Few details are available about just how troubled the financial situation is at the country’s most recognizable bikeshare program, but it’s possible that Citi Bike will need a cash infusion or a new model to stay in business.
Mitchell Silver to Head NYC’s Department of Parks and Recreation
He might be an outsider to some New Yorkers, but Mitchell Silver is one of the most recognizable and respected planners in the country. For his new job as New York’s parks commissioner, Silver will oversee 29,000 acres of parkland and 1,900 parks.
Vancouver Could Remove Parking Minimums for Condo Developments
Vancouver’s Transportation 2040 plan allowed for the easing of parking minimums for residential developments in parts of the city, and now city planners are beginning to explore where and how condos can be built without parking.
Fracking Fears Provoke Oil Drilling Moratorium in Carson, California
A unanimous vote by the Carson city council for the 45-day moratorium on all oil drilling, with or without fracking, was done in response to an application for drilling by Occidental Petroleum even though the company agreed not to utilize fracking.
Four Buildings in Hanford, CA: $4; Preservation and Revitalization: Priceless
In a rural farming community in California's Central Valley called Hanford, downtown revitalization means protecting and renovating its historic buildings. Luckily for Hanford, that won't cost very much.
D.C.’s Height Limits: Are You Ready for Some Football?
Congress is working on increasing height limits in Washington D.C. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) based pitching increased the limits by appealing to that fundamental American passion: football.
Checking in on Chicago’s Riverwalk Extension Plans
The already brilliant city of Chicago is soon to get another big draw—the extension of a riverwalk promenade between State and Lake streets.
The Derelict State of Detroit’s Buses
In a recent article for the Washington Post, Matthew Dolan details the sub-par state of bus service in Detroit—a city where residents live without cars in quickly growing numbers.
Kansas City Planning to Revamp Washington Square Park
Several planning efforts are in the process to rethink Washington Square Park in Downtown Kansas City. In an already bustling part of Downtown, stakeholders are considering the changes ahead of a forthcoming influx of daytime working population.
Milwaukee Sinking While Historic Foundations Rot
Many people know Milwaukee as the Algonquin translation for “The Good Land.” But unfortunate changes in the water table underneath the city now make Milwaukee the sinking city. Experts disagree why.
Purple Line Gets Federal Blessing in Maryland
The Federal Transit Authority has granted one of the final approvals needed for the Purple Line—a 16-mile light rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton in Maryland.
Rejecting the Popular Transit Ridership Narrative
A recent study claimed that transit ridership had reached the highest levels seen in 57 years. Wendell Cox, however, argues that the narrative about a “fundamental shift” in the transportation paradigm is a misrepresentation of the truth.
Is Providence, RI the Most Exciting Mid-Size City in America?
You’re totally forgiven for snickering; most people wouldn’t have guessed that a city in Rhode Island would have made it anywhere near the top of a list of exciting cities.
Home on the Range: Plans to Expand Wild Bison Roaming
Montana state officials are considering a plan to allow wild bison to roam in a larger area outside of Yellowstone National Park. Ranchers oppose the project for fear of disease spreading to area livestock.
Troy Transit Center Complete—But Off Limits
Transit users in Troy, located to the north of Detroit, spent the weather standing outside waiting for trains and buses while a $6.3 million (indoor) transit facility sat unused due to a legal dispute.
Crude-by-Rail Volume to California Spiked Almost 800% Last Year
All but 10% of the CBR went to Southern California refineries, though Bay Area shipments grew by 57% and provoked the largest outcry. The Northern California deliveries are mostly from North Dakota, with 12.5% from Colorado.
BLOG POST
Bricks or Bullets? Obama Chooses Defense Over Housing
The federal government has largely abdicated its responsibility to build affordable housing. Nowhere is that more clear than in the comparison between President Obama's proposed $6 billion to HUD for housing production and $626 billion for defense.
The Underlying Patterns of Urban Street Design
Based on empirical study, J. Alexander Maxwell and fellow University of Strathclyde researchers, in collaboration with Chuck Wolfe, argue for recalling historic patterns of pedestrian city settings in contemporary urban design and policies.
Ada County Highway District
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Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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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.
