The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Silicon Valley, facing Downtown San Jose

Zuckerberg and Company Set Goals on Housing Policy and Affordable Housing

With over $500 million in resources, the Partnership for the Bay’s Future is funding policy and affordable housing projects throughout the region.

February 23 - The Mercury News

Bus Priority Zones

The 14th Street Busway Saves Lives

An additional benefit of the 14th Street Busway project in Manhattan has emerged: greatly reduced traffic collision rates.

February 23 - StreetsBlog NYC

Rock Island Line

Opinion: Improved Commuter Rail Services Would Better Serve Chicago’s South Side Residents

The city’s South Side residents need more transit options, but an extension of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line would be a costly and less effective alternative.

February 23 - Chicago Tribune

Air Pollution

Charting the Climate Change Crisis

Analysis of global greenhouse gas emissions data points to the sectors, activities, and countries that are the biggest contributors.

February 23 - The City Fix

Seattle Mixed Use Development

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Mixed-Use Development?

Long an urban norm, mixed-use neighborhoods fell out of favor in the United States in the automobile age as single-use zoning became common. These days, mixed-use development is back in vogue, but implementation remains a challenge.

February 22 - Philip Rojc


Transit Priority

Transit-Friendly Makeover for Downtown Seattle Street

Transit commutes have borne the brunt of ongoing deconstruction work around Alaskan Viaduct in Downtown Seattle. Allowing two-way bus-only lanes on Columbia Street is supposed to improve the situation.

February 21 - The Urbanist

great lakes

Opinion: Climate Change Has Brought the 'Era of Extreme' to the Great Lakes

Severe flooding in these coastal areas will become the norm, but how to best address the environmental challenges is not entirely clear.

February 21 - The New York Times


Demolition

The Leaning Tower of Dallas Is Too Good for This World

A failed demolition has created a new, albeit temporary, landmark for Dallas.

February 21 - The Dallas Morning News

Toronto Waterfront

Waterfront Toronto Greenlights Most of Sidewalk Labs' Quayside Master Plan

An evaluation committee made up of Waterfront Toronto staff has given a green light for the Sidewalk Labs master plan for Toronto to proceed to the next stages of planning.

February 21 - The Star

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb, Denver Struggle to Find Common Ground

Where other cities have found common ground with Airbnb and the short-term rental industry, Denver's negotiations toward regulations have continued since 2018 with little to show for the effort.

February 20 - The Denver Post

Houston

Refugees Learn to Survive as Pedestrians on Houston's Dangerous Streets

For one refugee family, living in Houston has meant facing a host of new challenges as they traverse the city’s roadways without a car.

February 20 - Texas Monthly

Exurban Commute

A Path for California to Get to Zero Carbon...And Below

A new study from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory evaluates strategies to achieve former Gov. Jerry Brown's goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Unlike other reports that study emission reductions, it evaluates "negative emissions" strategies.

February 20 - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Los Angeles Skyline

Opinion: L.A. Parking Requirements Need Serious Revamp

Los Angeles has a parking problem—namely, too much of it—caused by minimum parking requirements.

February 20 - Los Angeles Times

Colorado Interstate

Paying for the Senate Highway Bill Would Require Additional $102 Billion

Under the new bill, the Highway Trust Fund would need more funding to get through the next five years.

February 20 - Eno Transportation Weekly

Welcome

Neighborhood Preference Splits on Partisan Lines

Preferences in the characteristics of communities—from the shape of the built environment to demographics—reveal stark partisan preferences. Planners are faced with the task of navigating ideological divides.

February 20 - Pew Research Center

Cleveland Warehouse District

Zoning Code Update Makes the Nightly News in Cleveland

The potential of form-based codes to re-legalize the historic fabric of Cleveland is explained for the nightly news audience.

February 20 - News 5 Cleveland

Mumbai Traffic

To Curb the Honking, Mumbai’s 'Punishing Signal'

Incessant honking just adds to the chaos on city streets, so Mumbai police put up a clever device to remind drivers that making noise will not ease traffic woes.

February 20 - The New York Times

Private Property

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Eminent Domain?

One of the most controversial powers defined by the Bill of Rights, eminent domain is the term used to describe the government's power to seize private property for public use.

February 19 - James Brasuell

Connected City

The Smart Cities Revolution Happened, but Cities Were Left Out of Loop

Cities have transformed in profound ways, but more recent changes were the last part of a series of technology waves.

February 19 - Governing

SF Muni

Congestion Pricing Has Mayoral Support in San Francisco

Additional disincentives for driving (i.e., congestion pricing and new parking fees) are on the mayor's agenda in San Francisco.

February 19 - SFGate

Post News

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.