The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Observation Deck

10 Great Places to Get High—As in Views of the City

Every U.S. city has high rises, but not all are created for tourists looking for great views. An L.A. County planner describes ten of his favorite towers for lofty views.

April 27 - UrbDeZine

Predatory Loans Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination in Atlanta

Contract-for-deed mortgages, which don't give home buyers ownership of a home until they pay off the entire loan, are legal, but a lawsuit alleges the ones made by Harbour Portfolio Advisors violated the Fair Housing Act.

April 27 - The Atlantic

Red Bike Light

Investing in the 'Smart Cities' Approach to Bike Planning

Smart cities tech isn't just for cars. Portland is out to prove that sensors and data can benefit all modes of travel.

April 27 - Bike Portland

Oil Rigs

Global Reverberations from EPA Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards

Relaxed U.S. fuel economy standards, as Environmental Protection Administration chief Scott Pruitt announced on April 2, would have effects extending far beyond the United States.

April 27 - The New York Times

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

New Scrutiny for the Federal 'Opportunity Zones' Program

Opportunity Zones—a new federal program that flew under the radar of the GOP tax reform bill signed at the end of 2017—has been moving along and attracting new attention from media outlets.

April 27 - Opportunity360


Chicago Winter

DUI Arrests in Chicago Continue to Decline. Did Ride Hailing Do That?

Some credit a drop in DUI arrests in the city of Chicago to drunks using ride hailing services.

April 26 - Streetsblog

Retail Apocalypse

Retail Space Shrinking Again in 2018

Because of closures at big box stores like Toys R US, 2018 will see total retail space down sharply even while the number of store closures is small compared to last year.

April 26 - Financial Times


Philadelphia

Review: Philadelphia's Iconic Love Park Gets a Major Makeover

Architecture Critic Inga Saffron gives a less-than-stellar review of the newly revealed revamp of Philadelphia's Love Park.

April 26 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Seattle, Washington

Study Predicts the 'Amazon Effect' of HQ2 on Rents

Spoiler alert: the rent will go up in whatever city Amazon chooses for the site of its second headquarters.

April 26 - Zillow Research

West Houston Floodplain

800 New Homes Approved for Houston's Floodplain

The city of Houston approved a new development that doesn't meet new elevations standards approved by the city of Houston earlier this month.

April 26 - Houston Chronicle

Los Angeles

Could Los Angeles Have Made Better Use of Former Redevelopment Funds?

After a state decision to abolish California's redevelopment agencies seven years ago, Los Angeles still received some of that money, directing it to city services instead of affordable housing.

April 26 - Los Angeles Times

HUD

HUD Proposal Would Triple Rent for Subsidized Households

The proposal by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson would also allow property owners to require employment from renters receiving housing subsidies.

April 26 - The Washington Post

Vacant Properties

St. Louis Groups Come Together to Form Neighborhood Vacancy Coalition

Legal and community groups in St. Louis align to curb ill-effects of the city's many vacant properties.

April 26 - KWMU

Tennessee

Chattanooga to Redevelop City-Owned Properties to Keep Innovation District Momentum

Two underutilized buildings have been proposed as a catalyst for inclusive development in the Edney Innovation District.

April 26 - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Telegraph Avenue

How the U.S. Could End Traffic Fatalities by 2050

Taking Vision Zero beyond the local level.

April 26 - Curbed

Milwaukee Road Depot

Before and After: Behind a Minneapolis Redevelopment Project

In 1997, Milwaukee Road Depot in central Minneapolis was filled with parking lots and little else. Today, it's a mix of shops, housing, offices, and entertainment venues.

April 25 - MinnPost

Electric Car

Time for a Tesla Turnaround?

The Tesla Model 3 is now America's best-selling electric vehicle. The news follows a spate of bad news for the Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle manufacturer.

April 25 - Bloomberg Technology

Eviction

Confronting the Eviction Epidemic

An ongoing exhibit at the National Building Museum is designed to make visitors lose sleep over the scope of evictions in the United States, as well as the experience of evictions at the personal level.

April 25 - Next City

Balicasag Island, Philippines

BLOG POST

Can 'Ocean Cities' Become the Societies of the Future?

Futuristic, eco-friendly cities can be greener and more eco-friendly, thanks to better use of natural resources.

April 25 - Kayla Matthews

Northern California

A New Wave of Reservoir Construction Set to Begin in California

Two massive water storage projects have been awarded $2.6 billion in funding from Proposition 1.

April 25 - The Sacramento Bee

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.