The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Formerly Redlined Denver Neighborhoods Are Now Gentrification Hotspots
Prices remain depressed in most formerly redlined neighborhoods, but several such areas in Denver now boast higher home values than the city as a whole.

On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy
Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.

Friday Eye Candy: Mount Kilauea’s Volcanic Activity, Past and Present
Newly released images from NASA's terra satellite chronicles the history of lava on Hawaii's Big Island.

Boston Mayor Wants to Limit Short-Term Rentals
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh thinks short-term rental companies like Airbnb are having a negative effect on the city's housing market, and he'll walk a fine line to regulate the industry.

Friday Funny: I'll Do Anything to Solve Homelessness, But I Won't Do That
A satirical post for McSweeney's about the typical approach to the country's growing number of homeless brought to mind a famous song by Meat Loaf.

Delivery Robots Get Legal Status in Washington, D.C.
A delivery drone pilot launched in Washington, D.C. in 2016 has been expanded for further deployment.

The Largest Mall in America Looks Bound for Approval
The developers of the Mall of America are back, this time with plans for the American Dream Miami project.

SafeTrack Over, Metro D.C.'s Ridership Continues to Decline
Greater Greater Washington's "Metro Reasons" column analyses the latest ridership data from the D.C. Metro system. Riders have not returned to the system after the SafeTrack repair program concluded in 2017.

Contractor Allegedly Lays 3 Miles of the Wrong Steel; Delays for S.F.'s Central Subway Ensue
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ordered high-strength steel to ensure the long-term quality of the under-construction Central Subway. The contractor laid 17,000 linear feet of standard-strength steel anyway.

Homeless Shelters a Tough Sell With Neighborhood Activists
A plan to streamline approval of a wave of homeless facilities in the city of Los Angeles is running into an early snag with an emergency shelter proposed for a parking lot in the Koreatown neighborhood.

Buses Are Under Threat, and Cities With Them
Buses are often the best tool for making a dynamic, equitable city, but they're in a period of decline that shouldn't be allowed to become a death spiral.

Home Composting Goes to Washington
Washington, D.C. approved a set of incentives for home composting at the end of March.

Reconnecting St. Louis to its River
According a recent article in the Riverfront Times, perceptions of the Mississippi River among St. Louis residents are poor, but a collection of "river evangelists" and patient business owners are working to change that reality.

Feasibility Study Launched for Automated People Mover to Boston's Airport
It's still early in the planning process, but an Automated People Mover could eventually replace buses and shuttles as the airport connection of choice for Logan International Airport.

Robotics and the City: 3 Global Examples
Three case studies of robotics technology integrated into the design and management of urban settings offers a glimpse of a potential future.

San Antonio Turns 300
Alamo City enters the 300 club.

Insurance Institute: Pedestrian Fatalities Jump 46 Percent from 2009
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study on May 8 that attributes the increased number of pedestrians killed in part to road design that allows for higher speeds, fewer intersections and pedestrian crossings and more SUVs.

Planning Work Beginning on Sound Transit's Tacoma Dome Link Extension
Sound Transit is hard at work with a busy planning schedule for several light rail projects in the Tacoma area. A post on The Urbanist focuses on the scoping project for the Tacoma Dome Link extension.

Growth Requires New Water Supply Solutions in Colorado
Colorado cities located north of Denver consider the future of water as the region grows. New infrastructure and new partnerships will be necessary to meet demand for water in the future.

BQX Streetcar Lacks Funding in de Blasio's Proposed Budget
It's been awhile since the proposed BQX Streetcar project had any forward momentum in New York City.
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