The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Why Would Arizona Deregulate Groundwater Now?
For decades the arid state has required most new construction projects to demonstrate adequate water supply, but at the edge of the next dry spell, two lawmakers are trying to get rid of the rules.

Houston Seriously Tightens Rules on Floodplain Construction
It was the city's "first major regulatory response" to Hurricane Harvey.

FEATURE
Eyes from the Street: The Neighbourhood Fabric that Matters
The mantra “eyes on the street" focuses on the physical and functional traits of urban fabric but fails to explain the high crime rate of my Jacobsian neighbourhood. Time to reconsider, look for explanations, and exchange mantras for research.

Calling for 10 Million Units of Social Housing
A new paper by the People's Policy Project explains why and how a government-owned municipal housing development, i.e., social housing, can address the nation's housing affordability crisis.

Critics See Transit as Old Fashioned
Critics of a transit referendum in Nashville see trains and buses as the transportation solutions of the past. According to this thinking, ride-hailing companies and self-driving cars are the future.
Subway Extension Price Jumps in Philadelphia
A proposal to extend the Broad Street subway line in Philadelphia is intended to attract new commercial and residential development in the city's Navy Yard. A change in construction technique is driving up the cost, however.

New York Wants More Riders on Commuter Rail
What kind of service improvements would commuters need to shift rides away from the MTA subway and onto commuter rail systems like the Long Island Rail Road?

Sunday Fun: Vote for the Best Buildings in Illinois History
Voting is open until April 13.

Apartment Development Shifts North of Dallas
The Dallas apartment building 'boom' is occurring in places like Frisco, Allen, and McKinney.

Explained: The Jargon of Housing Policy
Definitions of 17 commonly misunderstood housing policy terms.

Maybe National Park Entrance Fees Won't Triple After All
After public outcry, Department of the Interior officials seem to have changed their mind about raising the price of entrance fees into National Parks.
Noncompliant Bodies, Accommodating Space
The architects behind “Stalled!” see gender as one of many variables and identities to consider in designing inclusive environments.
Insulating Transit Projects From P3 Non-Compete Clauses
Toll road projects using a public-private partnership often have non-compete clauses that protect the private partner if nearby projects impact profits. Maryland wants to exempt transit from those clauses.

Friday Fun: Choose the Best in the 'World Cup of Transit Maps'
The perennial debate is renewed, and potentially resolved: Which city's metro system has the best transit map?

Rebuilt Oroville Spillway Could Get its First Test This Weekend
The quickly repaired Oroville Dam spillway is hoping for better performance this year, after a year of intense repair work.

Feds Announce $264 Million in Funding for Bus Systems
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) this week announced grant funding for the Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program.
Architect of Trump Infrastructure Plan Resigns
Among the many departures of the Trump administration, one name hasn't made major headlines: DJ Gribbin, a former Macquarie Capital Group executive and general counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation serving President George W. Bush.

Seattle to Consider Congestion Pricing
Seattle has been putting its money where its mouth is with policies to discourage driving.

S.F.'s Central SoMa Plan Would Add 40,000 Jobs, 7,000 Housing Units
YIMBYs are describing the jobs-housing imbalance represented in the Central SoMa Plan as reminiscent of the housing policies of cities farther down the Peninsula.

The Americans With Disabilities Act Survives Congress (for Now)
Threat of a Senate filibuster has blocked the progress of a bill that would restrict enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Pagination
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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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.