The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills Put On Blast for High-Rise Approval Delay

The Newsom administration sent a letter warning Beverly Hills that their failure to process an application for a residential high-rise is a violation of state housing law

August 28 - LAist

Eviction notice taped to dark grey door with arched window at top.

FEATURE

Lack of Eviction Data Obscures Extent of Affordable Housing Crisis

Court records on eviction filings vary widely and don’t include the outcome and miss informal actions. Without this data, officials don't have a clear picture of displacement of low-income renters and its effect on housing stability.

August 28 - Robbie Sequeira

A view of a recreational area in front of a bright blue Castaic Lake in LA County with arid flat hills in the background.

Los Angeles County's Top 4 Lakes for Summer Fun

Learn more about L.A. County's top freshwater lakes, which offer diverse summer activities like swimming, fishing, and kayaking.

August 28 - Los Angeles Times

Roman Forum

FEATURE

Designing Cooler Cities: Lessons from Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Rome had ways to counter the urban heat island effect. As climate change raises global temperatures, can urban planners and designers apply any of those lessons to cities today?

August 28 - Brian J. Stone

Aerial Texas Hill Country at sunset, with an aerial view of a highway interchange and Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas.

Texas Approves Plan that Calls for $104B for Roads and Highways

The latest iteration of Texas’s 10-year unified transportation plan sets a record for highway spending in the state.

August 28 - Jalopnik


New York City street with some traffic with red brick buildings on either side

FEATURE

Could Permeable Pavement Ease Flooding in New York City?

It can’t help cities control the weather, but by slowing the flow of stormwater, permeable pavement can lessen flooding from big storms.

August 28 - Valeria Morales

Aerial view of large barns and a massive manure lagoon.

Michigan Court Green-Lights State Regulation of Livestock Manure

A recent court decision has granted Michigan regulators full authority to hold animal agriculture accountable for manure runoff into waterways.

August 28 - Great Lakes Now


An aerial view of a lock and dam between two waterways with miles of marshes into the background of the image.

New Plan for Lake Okeechobee Targets Toxic Algae

The new Everglades strategy marks a “cultural shift” for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: rather than focusing primarily on flood control, the new plan seeks to balance the needs of the entire watershed, including limiting the spread of toxic algae.

August 28 - Inside Climate News

Three-story tan motel building with tall palm tree in the background

Oregon Motel Converted into Housing for People Transitioning from Incarceration

Klamath County, Oregon, has converted an old motel and RV park into a sober-supportive housing complex for justice-involved persons — the first of its kind in the state.

August 27 - Klamath Falls Herald and News

A long pedestrian bridge over a river in the High Falls District with skyline of Rochester, New York, in the backround.

FEATURE

Book Excerpt: Rochester, New York’s Forgotten Subway

Did you know Rochester, New York, once had a subway? This book excerpt tells the story, complete with a custom map, of the only city in the world to build a subway and then close it.

August 27 - Jake Berman

Lone hiker on gravel trail at Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Los Angeles County

Connecting With Communities About Parks and Recreation

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting over 60 public meetings in September to connect with the public and gather input to inform decision-making and resource allocation.

August 27 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Flooding

US Department of Energy Announces 10 New Climate Resilience Centers

The Biden administration has awarded $10 million for an additional 10 climate resilience centers as part of the Justice40 Initiative.

August 27 - Utility Dive

NJ Transit

New Jersey to Cash in $2.4 Billion of Transportation Bonds

The $2.4 billion in New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority bonds will fund infrastructure upgrades, including potential improvements for NJ Transit, which has had a summer of service disruptions, fare and tax hikes, and budget woes.

August 27 - New Jersey Monitor

Photos of modest gravesites surrounded by a lush, green forest.

Judge Overturns Township’s Ban on Cemeteries

Brooks Township in Michigan ran afoul of the state constitution when it instituted a blanket cemetery ban with the intent to block a green cemetery.

August 27 - Wood News 8

Red Light Camera

When States Hinder Local Efforts to Cut Down on Cars

Reducing car dependency is a vital climate goal. Many U.S. cities want to shift trips to other modes, but they're often held back by state governments.

August 27 - Yale Climate Connections

Multistory apartment building under construction.

Apartment Construction to Break Record in 2024: Which US Cities Will See the Most?

RentCafe predicts new apartment construction will peak in 2024 at 518,108 units before dropping to a 10-year low over the next few years.

August 27 - Multifamily Dive

Green rolling hills of Elephant Hill park with blue sky and the Los Angeles skyline on the distant horizon.

Community-Led Conservation: Protecting Elephant Hill’s Unique Biodiversity in Northeast LA

Community-led efforts are crucial in protecting the unique biodiversity of Elephant Hill in Northeast LA, with a focus on preserving the threatened Southern California black walnut tree and ensuring public access to this vital green space.

August 26 - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Close-up of green and white sign for 1 hour EV charging station outdoors with tall palm trees in background against blue sky.

Feds Allocate $150 Million to Fix and Upgrade EV Charging Ports

Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility grant program will help advance the Biden Administration’s goal to have 500,000 public EV chargers in operation by 2030.

August 26 - Electrek

View of houses on Berkeley, California hillside

Birthplace of Single-Family Zoning Poised to Pass Upzoning Plan

Berkeley, California, pioneered exclusionary zoning in the early 1900s; with its new upzoning proposal, the city hopes to reverse that negative legacy and boost its housing supply by eliminating single-family zoning.

August 26 - CoStar News

View of large black SUV from behind with blurred small child on bicycle wearing helmet riding in front of car

Congress Introduces Bill to Limit Size of SUVs and Trucks

Lawmakers want the federal government to set standards for vehicle height and visibility to combat the sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the past decade.

August 26 - NPR

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