The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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

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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.

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.

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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?

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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