The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Village

'Community Preference' Housing Policy Under the Microscope on Either Side of the Country

A new study out of New York City reveals the worsening effects of segregation due to the city's "community preference" affordable housing policy, Seattle sets out to craft a policy of its own.

July 23 - The New York Times

Police

The Car-Centric World and the Ongoing Expansion of Police Powers

While cars are still equated with freedom of mobility and personal liberty, they've also offered courts the chance to expand police powers in the public realm, time and time again.

July 23 - The Atlantic

East Bay Area

Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings

On Tuesday night, the City Council of Berkeley, Calif., unanimously voted to ban natural gas infrastructure from new buildings starting next year, the first city in the U.S. to pass such an ordinance. Fifty cities in the state could be next.

July 22 - San Francisco Chronicle

City of South Gate Urban Orchard Demonstration Project

An 'Urban Orchard' Next to the Los Angeles River

The city of South Gate, located on the southern stretch of the Los Angeles River, downriver of Downtown Los Angeles, recently published an initial study of the "Urban Orchard Project."

July 22 - Urbanize LA

Captal Metro

Austin Mulling New Incentives for Transit Riders

A proposed pilot program would text six new types of transit ridership incentives in the city of Austin.

July 22 - Smart Cities Dive


MacArthur Park

'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople

"Urban Green Spaces" is informative, even for practitioners, and a good read, according to a book review by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau.

July 22 - UrbDeZine

Splash Park

BLOG POST

The Myth of the 'Childless City'

It is conventional wisdom that suburbs are more attractive to families with children than cities. But in fact, the most dense urban cores are gaining children to a greater extent than their suburbs.

July 22 - Michael Lewyn


Atlanta, Georgia

After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets

No victim blaming or scooter shaming here. Two Atlanta politicians have responded to a recent tragedy by calling for more traffic safety improvements.

July 22 - WSB-TV - Atlanta

Benjamin FRanklin Parkway

A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has a busy schedule of complete streets projects in the works. The city has a goal of building 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020.

July 22 - City of Philadelphia

Home Remodel

Home Improvements Expected to Slow Substantially in the Upcoming Year

It will be a quick transition from record spending on home renovations to a steep decline in spending, according to a new report.

July 22 - HousingWire

Tennessee

As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows

Some cities, like Nashville, have been keeping pace with the economic growth of more internationally renowned cities like San Francisco and Seattle.

July 22 - Reuters

Autonomous Vehicle

Advocates Press for Harder Questions While Pittsburgh Experiments With Self-Driving Cars

Five self-driving car companies are currently operating in Pittsburgh, without much critical rigor in asking about the consequences of the technology to the city.

July 22 - Streetsblog USA

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

Tampa's 'All for Transportation' Sales Tax Clears Post-Election Obstacles

The "All for Transportation" sales tax in Hillsborough County, Florida, survived a revolt and legal challenge from conservative county commissioners, despite earning 57 percent of the public vote.

July 21 - Tampa Bay Times

Public Transit Ridership

Transit Oriented Development Shifts Into High Gear Near BART Stations in the Bay Area

Transportation and land use are being considered together at a new scale in the Bay Area, as transit oriented development pops up next to BART stations all over the region.

July 21 - San Francisco Chronicle

Reflection Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

One Wet Year Doesn't Mean the Drought Is Over

Rivers are high and drought conditions have been lifted, but experts say that the 19-year drought in Colorado isn't over.

July 21 - 5280

Washington, D.C.

D.C. Residents Report 'Residential Instability'

Residents of Washington, D.C. report being very concerned about being forced to move by rising housing prices.

July 21 - WAMU

New York Apartments

Multi-Family Market Grinds to a Halt in New York City

Not since the Great Recession have sales of multi-family residential buildings in New York City slowed to such a standstill. Experts are blaming the state's new rent control regulations.

July 21 - Bloomberg

Downtown Milwaukee

Pedestrian Plan Takes Big Step Forward in Milwaukee

There is still political work to do, and questions to be answered about funding, but a new pedestrian plan for the city of Milwaukee has cleared a key council committee.

July 20 - Urban Milwaukee

BART Station

Opinion: Here’s Hoping the New BART Inspector General Can Help Get the Agency Back on Track

BART is a financial and operational mess, and its new inspector general has a slew of major issues to tackle.

July 20 - The Mercury News

Berkeley Maintenance Hole

No More 'Manholes' in Berkeley

In removing all gendered language from its civil code, the city of Berkeley is tossing out some familiar nomenclature.

July 20 - The Mercury News

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.