The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

After five years, Sound Transit’s light rail connection linking south Snohomish County to downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport is now open.

September 2 - Seattle Times

Tight applications prevented many communities struck by disasters from applying for FEMA resilience grants, so the agency issued a new rule that extended the application window.

September 2 - Smart Cities Dive

Civil rights activists celebrate a legal settlement that will require the state of Michigan to prevent hazardous waste and other industrial facilities from disproportionately polluting lower income and predominantly Black and brown communities.

September 2 - Detroit Metro Times

The Biden administration has released a proposal that would open tens of millions of acres in 11 Western states to solar development, a move that has clean energy advocates celebrating and environmental groups concerned.

September 2 - The Daily Caller

FEATURE

To cure chronic traffic congestion, U.S. cities should consider a prescribed treatment approach, using technology and road pricing strategies to target the root cause instead of just managing the symptoms.

September 1 - Timothy Menard

BLOG POST

Discover how AI chatbots can transform citizen engagement in city services, offering 24/7 interaction capabilities, streamlining service requests, and gathering valuable feedback to improve urban management.

September 1 - Devin Partida

Under the new rule, state and local governments would be required to adhere to a specific set of accessibility guidelines when designing, constructing, or altering pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, including transit stops.

September 1 - Smart Cities Dive

Needing to expand to accommodate 35 million annual passengers by 2045 but constrained by Portland’s urban growth boundary, PDX had to think outside the box when planning its expansion. The result is a case study in sustainability.

September 1 - Metropolis

According to an assessment of two North Carolina pilot projects, low-speed autonomous shuttles have too many limitations to deploy as a public transit option.

August 30 - Government Technology

FEATURE

Planners often focus on walkability and bicycle-friendly cities, which is great to promote active transport. But how do we design a "runnable" city as well?

August 30 - Jua Cilliers

California has introduced new standards to protect indoor workers from extreme heat, requiring cool-down areas and cold water in workplaces like car washes and warehouses.

August 30 - Yale Climate Connections

The Golden State has received almost $150 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build over 9,200 EV charging ports, bolstering the state’s efforts to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

August 30 - Los Angeles Times

The City of Los Angeles has settled in a case filed by a whistleblower alleging that it falsely certified homes in its HUD-funded affordable multifamily housing program as accessible by people with disabilities.

August 29 - Whistleblower Network News

A new study out of UC Davis details how ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft impact more sustainable modes of transportation like transit, cycling, and walking from the perspective of user behavior.

August 29 - UC Davis

The federal tool used to inform flood protection spending calculates communities' risk by multiplying expected annual loss in dollars by their risk factor. As a result, many rural areas are classified as “low” risk, despite frequent, severe flooding.

August 29 - The Daily Yonder

Voters will decide on Proposition 4, a climate bond to fund critical state environmental initiatives, including water projects, wildfire risk reduction, sustainable agriculture, and parks to help the state meet its climate goals.

August 29 - Capital Public Radio

The sixth-largest self-storage company in the United States will add solar panels to 8.5 million square feet of its facilities’ rooftops to produce community solar power.

August 29 - Electrek

After 16 months and $615 of tunneling, Alexandria, Virginia is nearly finished digging a 2.2-mile-long tunnel beneath the city and the Potomac River that will fix its sewage overflow problem.

August 29 - Inside Climate News

Urban trees are essential for cooling public spaces, promoting physical activity, and protecting vulnerable populations from extreme heat.

August 29 - Medium

Rolling stops by bicyclists get a bad rap, particularly among motorists who perceive them to be breaking the law. But new research shows laws that allow for rolling stops for cyclists do not lead to unsafe behavior by either group.

August 29 - Oregon State University Newsroom