The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Plans for TOD Housing at Berkeley BART Station
The city is behind plans to turn parking lots around the North Berkeley BART station into much-needed housing.

Nighthawks No More: N.Y.C. Diners Face an Uncertain Future
Diners are part of social and cultural landscape of New York City, but many are closing as owners contend with increasing development pressures.

Nation's Largest Public Food Forest Gets a Chance to Grow in Atlanta
A new 7-acre public food forest is part of an initiative to ensure every resident of Atlanta has access to fresh food by 2021.

A Call for a New Approach to Federal Transportation Policy
According to this blog post, federal transportation policies are misdirected, inconsistent, and destructive. A comprehensive overhaul of federal transportation policy is necessary.

Nevertheless, the Youthful Preference for Urban Living Persisted
A forthcoming study, to be published by the Journal of Regional Science, finds the urban preferences of younger generations growing over the past three decades.

Opinion: Funding for N.Y.C. Parks Should Be a Priority
New York City parks are in desperate need of maintenance and infrastructure improvements, and the city should make investments now to support these essential public spaces.

Report: Congestion Defeats the Economic Purpose of Cities
Rapid urbanization and over-reliance on the inefficiencies of automobiles has set back the economies of urbanizing locations in the Global South, according to a new report.

Creating Suburban Exclusivity in the City
City life is being sold as a convenient version of the suburbs, with similar amenities minus the time-consuming commute.
Mobile Parks and Recreation Fill a Need
Several cities are using mobile park and recreation services to augment existing parks and fill gaps in parks. LA County parks planner Clement Lau describes a sampling of mobile programs.

How Much Should Electric Vehicles Be Charged in Lieu of Gas Tax?
Currently, electric vehicles pay a $17.50 annual registration fee in Illinois. A bill to double the 19 cents per gallon gas tax, unchanged in almost 30 years, would also increase the EV fee over 57-fold to $1,000.

New on Netflix: How Street Vendors Create Vibrant Cities
Street vending has been a contentious issue in many places, but this part of the informal economy is important to the social and economic well-being of cities.

Elon Musk and BART Go Toe to Toe (on Twitter)
Transit agencies and advocates are developing a genre of criticism that could be described as calling Elon Musk on his BS. Musk still has plenty of support on social media.

The Elephant in the Room in Nevada: Property Taxes
Despite an anticipated political showdown over the issues raised by the state's property taxes, the Nevada State Legislature failed to take up the issue this year.

How Wealthy Suburbs Block Outsiders From Economic Opportunity
Exclusionary zoning and land use tactics have a long history in the United States, retaining startling relevance in contemporary times. A deep investigation into Connecticut land use politics reveals just how entrenched these practices are.

Report: Many States Spent Volkswagen Settlement Money on More Diesel Vehicles
When Volkswagen funded a $3 billion environmental mitigation trust as the result of a settlement in the cheating scandal three years ago, states could have used that money to fund things like electric buses.

What Do Cities With Fewer Cars Have in Common?
A new analysis looks at how income and population density are related to car ownership and some ways that the design of cities can help lessen car dependence.

An Urban, Technologically Enabled Era of Retirement
A feature article in Marketwatch describes a future for retirement communities that look more like WeWork than the golf course-adjacent exurban communities of the 20th century.

FEATURE
Stampede of New Residents Challenges Fort Worth
An interview with Fort Worth Planning and Development Director Randle Harwood on the planning practices and ideas driving the future of one of the nation's fastest growing cities.

Report: Ballot Measure Intended to Spur Affordable Development Had the Opposite Effect in L.A.
L.A. voters approved Measure JJJ in 2016 in the hopes of encouraging more affordable housing as a trade-off for discretionary approval. The result has been no development at all.

Mulling the Idea of Ending Right Turns on Red Lights
San Francisco might follow the lead on New York City when it comes to right turns on red lights.
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.