The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Bloomberg Launches Accelerator for Local Climate Action
The American Cities Climate Challenge seeks to green the carbon-heavy transportation and building sectors.

Ford Motor Company Touts Carbon Reductions
Ford hit a goal to reduce carbon emissions *from its manufacturing process* eight years ahead of schedule.

FEATURE
Thinkers in the Tropical Shade: Empowering Lessons for Livable Places
Thanks to the Australian-American Fulbright Commission and UN-Habitat's World Urban Campaign, fundamental relationships at the heart of urban public health and livability are under scrutiny in tropical Australia.

Big Oil Wins Climate Change Lawsuits
The courts are no place to be deciding on the contribution of fossil fuels to climate change, ruled a Northern California federal district court judge in a "stinging defeat" to San Francisco and Oakland that wanted Big Oil to pay mitigation costs.

More States Hoping to Monetize Highways
The commercialization of highway rights of way is largely prohibited by federal regulations, but states are looking for new ways to generate revenue from billboards and rest stops.

Self-Driving Cars Will Take More Transportation Funding Than They Give
There's a potential consequence from autonomous vehicles that has mostly gone unnoticed: municipal financial ruin.

The State of New York City's Parks
A new report by the Center for an Urban Future signals the need for attention to the Big Apple's parks before they are beyond repair.

Report: Multi-Family Construction Outpacing Demand in Some Parts of the Country
A report on multi-family construction around the country explains why the rent is rising so slowly in the Dallas area despite large employment gains.

Microtransit Still Looking for a Success
"The Story of Microtransit Is Consistent, Dismal Failure," reads the headline of this Streetsblog USA article.

Philadelphia to License Dockless Bike and Scooter Share Companies
Philadelphia offers another regulatory model to respond to the proliferation of dockless bike, ebike, and electric scooter share companies.
From Combined Sewer Systems to Green Infrastructure
A partnership between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Omaha Stormwater Program are tackling the challenges of combined stormwater systems in the Omaha area.

Amtrak Could End Service on Big Stretch of the Southwest Chief
Congress and presidents have threatened Amtrak service on the Southwest Chief, connecting Los Angles to Chicago, in the past. This time the threat is coming from inside Amtrak.

California's Law to Streamline Housing Already Having a Big Effect
A mega-project adding 2,402 units of housing, including 1,201 affordable units, is on a fast track to approval in Cupertino, California, thanks to a 2017 state law.

Mourning the Loss of the Dairy Queen in Rural Texas
As populations shrink, small towns are losing an important place to get together,,

California Gas Tax Repeal Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot
The initiative is much more than whether to repeal taxes and fees enacted by the passage of the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 which brings in over $5 billion a year. The measure is a means to increase GOP turnout to retain House seats.

Miami Sends Cease and Desist to Electric Scooter Companies
Two major scooter companies operating in Miami have ceased operations in the city, at least for now.
Regrets of an Accidental Placemaker
My pitches for space usually centered around the developer’s needs and not the needs of the neighborhood or its residents. I didn’t pay much attention to what impact those events would have on the surrounding neighborhoods.

After Scrutiny Regarding Affordable Housing Policy, Emanuel Proposes New Chicago Department of Housing
Chicago's current housing policies aren't protecting or producing affordable housing in gentrifying areas, so Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing a restructuring of the government. Advocates are skeptical of the idea.

Opinion: Government-Controlled Energy Won't Get Cities to 100 Percent Renewable
A Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a key tool for the Climate Action Plan of many California cities. According to one former mayor, they don't work.

San Francisco Bay Area's Rail Transit Projects Among the Most Expensive in the World
The problem of expensive transit investments isn't unique to New York City.
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