The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Dealing With the 'Seattle Squeeze'
Sections of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will begin closing on January 4, 2019. The city's new tunnel to replace the route doesn't open until February.
Pennsylvania Borough's Rezoning Snags on Last-Minute Public Opposition
The borough of Homestead, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, is in the middle of its first comprehensive planning process since 2001.

Street Reconfiguration Work Anticipates L Train Closure in Brooklyn
More priority will be given buses as 275,000 daily commuters find new ways to and from work while the L Train is closed for repairs in New York City.

Lamenting the Decline of Caracas, Once the 'Jewel of Latin America'
"A generation ago, Venezuela’s capital was one of Latin America’s most thriving, glamorous cities; an oil-fuelled, tree-lined cauldron of culture that guidebooks hailed as a mecca for foodies, night owls and art fans."

Japan Offers Up Free Abandoned Houses
Due to an aging populace, lackluster construction quality, and other factors, Japan is facing a glut of abandoned homes. For those with the ability to live there, these homes can be had for next to nothing.

New Traffic Management Tech Coming to Downtown Las Vegas
The city of Las Vegas is experimenting with a new traffic management partnership that will add traffic cameras and sensors to the streets in its innovation district.

Atlanta’s Planning Commissioner Won’t Tolerate Bad Design Any Longer
Tim Keane says quality design isn’t negotiable and developers need to aim higher.

How D.C. Made Housing Vouchers Work
To provide affordable housing to meet the demand, DCHA has worked to make the housing voucher process easier for landlords.

District of Columbia to Adopt the Nation's Strongest Renewable Energy Target
Move over, Hawaii and California, with your ambitious goals of going to 100 percent renewable electricity generation by 2045. The District's city council passed legislation on Tuesday that sets 2032 as the target to reach 100 percent renewable.

Report: Homelessness on the Rise in the United States, Again
A new federal report finds a few reasons for optimism in a nationwide homeless count, but the numbers of homeless in the United States have grown for the second year in a row.

Can Rapidly Urbanizing Cities in Low and Moderate Income Countries Become 'Smarter'?
Penn IUR's Eugenie Birch, Richard Voith and Susan Wachter ask: Can rapidly urbanizing cities in low and moderate income countries become "smarter"?

Americans See Public Transit as ‘Backbone’ of Multimodalism
A recent APTA study illuminates public opinion on mobility as a service, autonomous vehicles, and more.

University of Washington Gets Approval for Major Expansion
With several stipulations, Seattle City Council has signed off on the university's plans for up to 6 million square feet of new construction, including high-rises.

Chicago's 606 Bike Path Made Gentrification Inevitable, Expert Claims
Because the rails to trails project left housing up to the market, rising rents were inevitable, claims a new report.

Madison Launches Bus Rapid Transit Study
Wisconsin’s growing capital is hoping to add bus only transit to accommodate its new residents.

Seattle Scrambles to Handle Upcoming Traffic 'Squeeze'
Dubbed the "Seattle Squeeze," heavier traffic is expected in the new year as the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes and downtown construction projects continue. While the city prepares, activists want to use the opportunity to encourage other modes.

Property Owner Who Tore Down Neutra-Designed House Ordered to Build Exact Replica
This was not a case of "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission."

Lots of Ballpark Planning in Play as St. Petersburg Plots to Keep the Tampa Bay Rays
With no shot at a new ballpark in Tampa, and pressure mounting to relocate the team to Portland, Oregon, among other possibilities, the Tampa Bay Rays could still end up at a new location in St. Petersburg.

San Francisco Sets the Parking Reform Bar High
The city of San Francisco became the largest city to end minimum parking requirements through the city earlier this month.

2018 in Review: A Rough Year for Self-Driving Cars
The sober view of self-driving cars doesn't allow much optimism.
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.