The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Making Voting Accessible to Everyone
Voters with disabilities often have a hard time getting to the polls. Mail-in voting helps, but some states are limiting it.

SEPTA Faces Service Cuts
Philadelphia wants its city workers back in the office, but getting there may be a challenge.

BLOG POST
Balancing Act: 7 Strategies to Curb Overtourism
What’s a popular travel destination to do? From ice cream bans to “Stay Away” marketing campaigns, cities and countries across the world are getting creative in their efforts to curb the negative impacts of mass tourism and tourists behaving badly.

NYC Lawmaker Proposes Mandatory Cooling Law
Despite hundreds of heat-related deaths every year, the city has no regulations on cooling in residential units.

Study: Crosswalk Lighting Radically Improves Pedestrian Safety
In what should come as a surprise to no one, drivers are much more likely to yield to pedestrians when they can actually see them.

Heat-Related ER Visits Soar in Florida
The state has the most heat-related hospital visits in the nation, but efforts to create protections for outdoor workers and other vulnerable residents have been stymied by state legislators.

BLOG POST
Project 2025 and Housing Policy
The Heritage Foundation has issued Project 2025, a list of policy proposals for the next Republican administration. On housing, it seems to embody a range of perspectives.

New York MTA Officials Warn of Massive Budget Gaps Without Congestion Pricing
The agency will lose hundreds of millions in projected congestion pricing revenue, forcing cuts to expansion plans.

50,000 California State Fairgoers Visit High-Speed Rail Exhibit
An interactive exhibit offered visitors a glimpse into the future rail system.

San Francisco Bans Rent Fixing Software
The Board of Supervisors unanimously supported a bill that bars landlords from using software that critics say facilitates collusion between landlords.

FEATURE
Mass Transit and Manure: New York’s Lost Era of Horse-Drawn Streetcars
For all the problems we have with today's mass transit system, at least we no longer have to deal with the smell and literal waste of the modern bus and light rail systems' predecessors: horse-drawn streetcars.

Report: Americans Must Reduce Driving to Meet Climate Goals
A USDOT report calls for a set of strategies including but not limited to electrification of the transportation sector.

Traffic Tech is Helping Texas Curb Road Deaths
The state is deploying AI-assisted technology to identify dangerous road segments and improve signal timing.

BLOG POST
July’s Must Reads: Top 10 Articles from Last Month
In case you missed them, here were the biggest urban planning news items, features, and blogs from last month, including 15 new Amtrak routes, Florida’s EV law, California’s rail update, fare-free buses in Tucson, and more.

Data Centers Gaining Ground in Central Ohio
Massive data centers are gobbling up energy resources and tax breaks while creating few jobs in the region.

Chicago Pumps the Brakes on BRT
City officials say funding for dedicated bus lanes could take years, but other improvements could speed up bus service.

Beating Extreme Heat Through Community Efforts
U.S. cities don't provide residents with enough protection against heat, the deadliest weather-related killer in the world. In New York City, one organization came together to distribute ACs to neighbors in need.

Maine Mobility Advocates Question Highway Expansion
State transportation officials say a proposed road expansion project would reduce congestion — if coupled with transit initiatives.
A Place to Recover from Illness: How Medical Respite Programs Help Unhoused People Heal
For people experiencing homelessness, recuperating after a hospitalization is difficult. Medical respite programs can help. Why aren't they more common?

Wildfires Explode Across the West
Multiple massive fires are burning across the Western United States and Canada, prompting governments to explore new mitigation and response strategies.
Pagination
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
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.