The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Crosswalk

‘Idaho Stop’ Now Legal in Colorado

Colorado is the latest state to make it legal for people on bikes to treat stop signs like yield signs when no cars are in the intersection.

April 15 - Bicycle Colorado

View of Fountain Square in Evanston, Illinois looking south-southeast towards Chicago and Lake Michigan

Chicago Suburbs Luring Back Major Employers

As more workers move away from the central city due to high costs and remote work opportunities, companies that once relocated downtown are eyeing Chicago’s suburbs once again.

April 15 - Bisnow

Herndon, USA - October 7, 2020: Sully road 28 multiple lane highway in Northern Virginia with traffic cars and exit sign for Washington Dulles airport, Sterling and Leesburg

Report: Northern Virginia Transportation Plans Will Induce More Driving

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s plans to widen and expand the region’s highways will lead to a sharp increase in vehicle miles driven, a new study shows.

April 15 - Greater Greater Washington

Residential duplex building

Support for ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Strongest Among Young People

A recent survey shows overwhelming support for denser housing options, with younger people and renters most likely to support ‘missing middle housing’ types.

April 15 - The Architect's Newspaper

California

BLOG POST

California Cities Could Face a Zoning Reckoning

As the state toughens rules related to its housing allocation process, cities statewide may finally be forced to overhaul their zoning codes to ensure an adequate supply of housing at all affordability levels.

April 14 - Diana Ionescu


Rendering of proposed improvements on California Avenue, Las Vegas

Las Vegas Arts District To Receive Complete Streets Makeover

The city is promising a safer environment for pedestrians in the Las Vegas Arts District to comply with their complete streets goals.

April 14 - City of Las Vegas

Texas Bullet Train

Texas Bullet Train Company Owes Hundreds of Thousands in Property Taxes

The company planning to build a Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line is delinquent on at least $623,000 in property taxes on lots purchased for the project.

April 14 - Houston Chronicle


A group of cyclists rides on a green painted bike line on the Embarcadero in Sa Francisco.

Report: Sustainable Transportation Proposals Face Costly, ‘Time-Consuming’ Environmental Studies

In another blow to California’s Environmental Quality Act, a new analysis shows that many green transportation projects are delayed or halted by an expensive, onerous review process and the threat of lawsuits.

April 14 - San Francisco Examiner

King County Metro Transit

A ‘Playbook’ for Better Bus Service, From King County Metro

King County Metro operates one of the nation’s busiest transit systems—without running any trains. The agency recently released a playbook as a guide to transit service.

April 14 - Transportation for America

Austin, TA sign reading "Whole Foods Coming Soon" adorns a blue wall across the street from warehouses.

Austin Now Taking Applications for its ‘Right to Return’ to Gentrifying Neighborhoods

The Texas state capital’s “right to return” law was delayed by the pandemic, but Austin is now taking applications for longtime low-income residents to find housing in gentrifying neighborhoods.

April 14 - KUT

Homeless

Census Releases New Interactive Dashboard to Identify Underserved Communities

The new "My Community Explorer" interactive dashboard is intended to help drive data-based solutions to inequality in and between communities.

April 14 - U.S. Census Bureau

Amazon headquarters under construction in Arlington, Virginia

Amazon’s Housing Initiative Does Little for Low-Income Workers

Of the thousands of units Amazon has secured as part of its pledge to create affordable housing near its new headquarters, just over 200 are reserved for the lowest-income renters.

April 14 - The Washington Post

Congestion

FEATURE

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion

What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

April 13 - James Brasuell

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

How Pennsylvania Will Benefit From Federal Transit Funding

Pennsylvania is set to receive over $600 million for public transit and mobility, but state leaders have yet to make decisions about specific projects.

April 13 - WDIY

Austin Pedestrians

Vision Zero Is Largely a Failure in the United States. Why?

From NIMBYism to entrenched traffic engineering culture, a variety of complex obstacles have prevented Vision Zero advocates from achieving the movement’s goals in the U.S.

April 13 - Bloomberg CityLab

Toddler walking on street

How Japanese Cities Enable Toddlers To Roam Independently

A TV show featuring young Japanese children going on errands on their own highlights the differences between Japanese and American urban design that enable even toddlers to safely navigate big cities.

April 13 - Slate

A large crowd gathers on the banks of the River Seine on a sunny day in Paris.

FEATURE

River Scenes: How Rivers Contribute to More Vibrant Urban Communities

The role of rivers in urban areas shifted in recent years from production to consumption. Now, access to a river's waterfront has become a highly valued amenity within cities.

April 13 - Martha Frish

FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland

Maryland Proposes $400 Million Redevelopment Around Commanders Stadium

The state is offering to make a massive investment in revitalizing the neighborhood surrounding FedEx Field, but offering no direct incentives to the NFL team.

April 13 - The Washington Post

Protected Bike Lane

Protected Bike Lanes Deliver Numerous Benefits, Study Says. But Is it Enough to Change State Law?

Advocates in Philadelphia are pushing state lawmakers to finally pass a law to make it easier to install protected bike lanes on state routes.

April 13 - PlanPhilly

MARC train going through the Gaithersburg, Maryland train station

Maryland Legislators Override Governor’s Veto to Support Regional Rail Investments

The latest round of Gov. Larry Hogan v. public transit goes to the latter.

April 13 - The Washington Post

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