The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Maumee River, Ohio

Lake Erie Granted Legal Rights by Voters

Toledo, Ohio held a special election for voters to decide on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

February 27 - Toledo Blade

Oregon Capitol

Oregon First State to Implement Statewide Rent Control

Democratic legislators made short work of a huge shift in housing policy.

February 27 - KUOW

HUD

HUD Program to Connect Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Opportunity Zones

A new program announced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is designed to encourage Opportunity Zone investments that address poverty and underinvestment.

February 27 - The Real Deal

Los Angeles Grand Park

A New Player in Planning Los Angeles: Marqueece Harris-Dawson

The new chair of the Planning and Land Use Management committee of the Los Angeles City Council will influence how the city grapples with homelessness, an expanding rail system, and the 2028 Olympics.

February 27 - The Planning Report

Car-Centric Planning

Tax Breaks Offered in Exchange for Affordable Housing in Downtown Phoenix

The state of Arizona doesn't allow local jurisdictions to charge affordable housing fees for new developments, so the city of Phoenix is offering tax breaks as an incentive instead.

February 27 - Arizona Republic


The High Cost of Free Parking

Pushing the Austin City Council to Ditch Parking Minimums

Austin seems like a safe bet to be one fo the next cities to end parking minimums citywide, and advocates are already pressing for the change.

February 27 - Austin Monitor

Toronto from the CN Tower

Growth Plan Debate Heats Up in Toronto

The question of how and where to grow is causing controversy in Toronto. A recent op-ed picks a side.

February 27 - Toronto Sun


Broadway Downtown

FEATURE

A Sprinkle of Stores: Wrestling With Jacobs's Uncertainty

Jane Jacobs used vague terms to describe the number of stores necessary for a safe and vibrant streetscape. Here, author Fanis Grammenos attempts to discover a more specific number to attach to this prescription.

February 27 - Fanis Grammenos

Atlanta

Voters Considering Game Changing 'Connect Gwinnett Transit Plan'

Suburban Gwinnett County could change the course of its history by finally voting to connect to the Atlanta region's transit network.

February 26 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Los Angeles Downtown River

Los Angeles Wants its River Back From the Feds

Regional officials don't think the federal government is doing enough to warrant continued ownership of the Los Angeles River flood control channels that cut a 40-mile path through the city and county.

February 26 - Los Angeles Times

NYC Subway Riders

Breaking News: 10-Point Plan to Restructure the MTA Announced

Local and state leadership finally agreed on a plan to fix the city of New York's struggling transit system.

February 26 - Bloomberg

OKC Streetcar

Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma Formed

Officials in six Oklahoma cities are hoping to add public transit connections throughout the region.

February 26 - Oklahoma's News 4

Basement Apartment

ADU Results Fall Short of Intentions in D.C. Region

Accessory dwelling unit regulations vary but results are consistently underwhelming in the D.C. region.

February 26 - Greater Greater Washington

Seattle Bus

Expansion Planned for Low-Income Bus Pass Program in Seattle

The ORCA Opportunity program will provide free bus passes to some of the city’s low-income residents.

February 26 - Curbed Seattle

PPG Plaza

Pittsburgh's Big Development Plans Ready to Switch Gears

There are plenty of big, splashy projects to track in Pittsburgh's development pipeline.

February 26 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Minnesota Transportation

Major Bus Transit Investments Proposed for Minnesota

Bus transit advocates in the state of Minnesota are happy to see they have a friend in the Governor's Office.

February 26 - MinnPost

Arlington County, Virginia

More Planning Staff Needed to Keep Up With the Amazon Boom in Northern Virginia

The arrival of Amazon's HQ2 facility in Northern Virginia is expected to multiply development investment in the area, requiring more planners to review project proposals.

February 26 - Washington Business Journal

Boston Skyline with Dome

Boston Plans to Put $26 Million Toward Affordable Housing Projects

A new initiative will fund 10 new developments as the city works to increase available affordable housing.

February 26 - The Boston Globe

Timber Production

Seattle Could Be at the Forefront of the Mass Timber Industry

Cross-laminated timber offers a multitude of environmental and economic benefits. With the state’s resources and Seattle’s construction needs, the city is the ideal location for mass timber production to take off.

February 25 - The Urbanist

Low Gas Prices

Seven State DOTs Awarded $10 Million to Study Gas Tax Alternatives

When transportation spending was last reauthorized, rather than hike the gas tax to maintain current spending, Congress diverted general fund revenue. A program to study alternative revenue options was created so states could launch pilot projects.

February 25 - Transport Topics

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.