The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Criticism for Connecticut's $21 Billion Transportation Spending Plan
Transit advocates don't see much to like in the state of Connecticut's big transportation spending plan—just more of the same.

D.C. Training Resident Building Inspectors
A new program enables everyday citizens the chance to work as building inspectors in the nation's capital.

Madison Common Council Narrowly Approves Unpopular $40 Wheel Tax
Despite major opposition by residents, the Madison Common Council approved a $40 motor vehicle registration fee (aka 'wheel tax') on an 11-8 vote on Oct. 29 to help fund the city's new East-West Bus Rapid Transit system.

What Would a 'Run Score' Look Like?
A writer in Toronto imagines how the city would be evaluated according to a "Run Score"—a fast-paced version of the Walk Score.

Happy Cows Use Virtual Reality to Pretend it's Summer
Here's one application of virtual reality we didn't see coming: happy cows and better milk.

24-7 Public Bathroom Pilot to Expand in San Francisco
An experiment in round-the-clock public bathroom access has proven successful, and San Francisco is expanding the program.

Calling for More Humane Treatment, and News Coverage, of the Homeless
Two articles raise questions about the state of humanity, as evidenced by the way news organizations and politicians write and talk about the homeless.

New Football Stadium a Game Changer for Inglewood
The new home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Charger is almost ready for prime time. The mayor's economic development dreams are on the line as much as any championship.

Giving Thanks for Public Transit
When going around the Thanksgiving table today, giving thanks for our friends and family to hear, don't forget to mention the environmental, social, and economic benefits of public transit.

U.S. Land Use, SUVs Targeted in New U.N. Climate Change Report
The United Nations announces more bad news for the climate and the role of American society and culture in causing the destruction of the planet.

Arizona Mayors Want to Stay in the Paris Climate Agreement
The mayors of Tucson and Phoenix want Congress to block President Donald Trump from removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Khosla Wins Surprise Court Ruling on Beach Access
The controversy over a tech billionaire blocking access to a Pacific Ocean beach is back from the dead.

Evaluating Donald Trump's Transportation Efforts
MSNBC asks if the Trump administration has accomplished with its Department of Transportation, and whether Americans are better off because of those efforts.

Community Benefits Package for Amazon's HQ2 Takes Shape
Details of the community benefits package promised as part of Amazon's HQ2 development deal with Arlington County, Virginia made news this week.

Help Wanted: HUD Seeks Info About Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is crowdsourcing information about the regulatory barriers to affordable housing.

Caltrans to Ditch Level of Service for Vehicle Miles Traveled
Unlike for land use regulations, state law doesn't require Caltrans to switch from Level of Service to Vehicle Miles Traveled in measuring the environmental impact of projects. The state department of transportation is making the change anyway.

Op-Ed: Detroit's QLINE Is 'At Times an Embarrassment'
Randy Essex details why it is that "rely" isn't a word that comes to mind for many Detroiters when they think about downtown's QLINE streetcar system.

Why New York City's Flooding Its Own Subway Entrances
MTA reassured disoriented New Yorkers that it's flooding subway entrances on purpose, to test barriers that it hopes will guard the system against another Sandy.

How One Wealthy, Historic Neighborhood Maintains an Exclusionary Status Quo
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has had enough with the exclusionary planning tactics of the neighborhood of Society Hill to start calling it the "Republic of Society Hill."

FEATURE
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2019
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There's a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year's top planning books.
Pagination
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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.