The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Glen Canyon Dam

Historic Drought Plan Approved by Congress

The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan will head to President Trump's desk for an expected signature before heading back to seven states for final ratification.

April 11 - Cronkite News

Country Grid

Facebook AI Maps Population Density

Facebook expects to release its worldwide maps of human density in the coming months—potential applications will likely be somewhere on the spectrum between humanitarian and commercial.

April 11 - The Verge

Amsterdam Wedding

Rather Than Banning Cars, Amsterdam Reduces On-Street Parking

Amsterdam will pursue the Oslo model of targeting parking spots, rather than driving bans, to make for a walk-and-bike friendly city. On-street parking spaces will gradually be replaced, starting July 1, with bike lanes, sidewalks, and trees.

April 11 - CityLab

Toronto Lyrics

Provincial Takeover of Subway Planning in Toronto Underway

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a new plan for subway expansion in Toronto today.

April 10 - Toronto Star

San Francisco

Bay Area Transportation Planners Breathing Easier After Court Ruling

A total of $4.5 billion in road and transit projects was at stake in a state taxpayer group's lawsuit against a regional ballot measure approved by voters in June 2018.

April 10 - The Press Democrat


Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

Interactive Mapping Tool Illustrates the Impact of California's Big Housing Bill

University of California, Berkeley researchers have mapped the impact of SB 50, a bill that would allow new density around train stations and bus stops in cities all over the state of California.

April 10 - Curbed Los Angeles

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Study Measures the Economic Impact of Public Transit in the Cleveland Region

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority faces constant threats of budget cuts and service reductions, but its impact on the regional economic is vast.

April 10 - Metro Magazine


Climate Change protest

EPA Scientists Warn: Climate Change Will Cost the U.S. Hundreds of Billions a Year

Experts are calling a recent study published by researchers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the most thorough examination yet of the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. economy.

April 10 - Los Angeles Times

Speed Limit

Portland Completes Massive 20 MPH Speed Limit Overhaul

All of Portland's 3,000 miles of residential streets now have a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. Similar changes could be coming to more Oregon cities in the future.

April 10 - The Oregonian

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Inclusionary Zoning Under Consideration for Pittsburgh Neighborhood

Legislation before the Pittsburgh Planning Commission this week would implement inclusionary zoning requirements for the neighborhood of Lawrenceville.

April 10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Red Light Camera

Bill to Ban Red Light Cameras Statewide Can't Get Past the Texas Legislature

A committee chair changed his mind about the consequences of a bill that would ban red light cameras in the entire state of Texas. The legislator didn't want, to paraphrase, blood on his hands.

April 10 - The Dallas Morning News

King Street Streetcar

Toronto Streetcar Experiment Likely to Be Made Permanent

The city of Toronto did something radical and gave its streetcar its own lane on King Street as part of a pilot project launched in 2018. The results included improved service and increased ridership.

April 10 - The Star

San Francisco Bike Lane

BLOG POST

Scooter Media Brief: Electric Scooters Emerge Victorious in the Dockless Bike Share Game

At the beginning of 2017, few people in the United States could have predicted the quick rise to prominence of dockless bike share companies. Even fewer could have predicted what would happen next.

April 10 - James Brasuell

Senator and Democratic Candidate for President

Kamala Harris Reintroduces 'Rent Relief Act'

The Rent Relief Act would provide a refundable tax credit for renters who pay more than 30% of their income on rent.

April 9 - Roll Call

Skid Row

Preventing Homelessness Through Data Analysis

Predictive analytics can help identify vulnerable people early and deliver necessary services before they descend into homelessness.

April 9 - Dissent

Protected Bike Lane

New Bike Infrastructure Standard Set in Cambridge

Cambridge, Massachusetts has made a thorough commitment to building robust bike infrastructure with every street repair project.

April 9 - Streetsblug USA

Suburban Community

Slow-Growth Measure Headed to the Ballot in Colorado's Fifth-Largest City

Voters in Lakewood, Colorado, have a chance to enact anti-development policies that would place new limits on the number of new housing units that could be built in the city, while also placing new controls on the approvals process.

April 9 - The Denver Post

Expo Line

Report: Modest Congestion Charge Would Produce Dramatic Results in Los Angeles

Applying a cordon toll as low as $4 in Los Angeles would result in a 20% reduction in traffic congestion and modest increases in transit ridership, walking, and biking, according to a new study from the Southern California Association of Governments.

April 9 - Los Angeles Times

Arizona

A Car-Centric Past and a More Vertical Future in Phoenix

Phoenix has the zoning for more height in its downtown, and future development might finally yield a more recognizable skyline.

April 9 - Arizona Republic

State Capital of Utah

Finding Ways for States and Cities to Work Together to Solve the Housing Crisis

The National League of Cities has a new report surveying local tools for addressing the housing affordability crisis. State partnerships are included.

April 9 - Governing

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.