The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sidewalk

Breaking Down Barriers

Making streets, sidewalks safer for people with limited mobility.

January 31 - InTransition Magazine

HOPE Outdoor Gallery

Death Warrant Signed for Austin's Graffiti Park

The Hope Outdoor Galley, as Graffiti Park is officially known, will relocate to a decidedly less central location.

January 31 - Community Impact Newspaper

vermin

NIMBYs, but for Rats

Neighborhood groups around Detroit are taking the city's rat problem into their owns hands.

January 31 - HometownLife

Atlanta, Georgia

Surveying Atlanta's Transit Oriented Development Boom

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is taking a victory lap while underway with a wave of construction projects, developed through its Transit Oriented Development program.

January 31 - Curbed Atlanta

Chicaho, Illinois

FEATURE

Urban Planning Trends to Watch in 2018

Referencing three major themes can help make sense of urban planning news throughout 2018.

January 31 - James Brasuell


Austin Pedestrians

On the Life-Saving Potential of Leading Pedestrian Intervals

Giving pedestrians a head start at crosswalks is a simple fix that could save lots of lives. New York City has already seen a significant reduction in fatalities and injuries.

January 31 - CityLab

Second Avenue Subway

Value Capture Takes Prominent but Controversial Role in Fixing New York Subway

Value capture, collecting tax increment from subway adjacent properties to help provide money needed to repair the 114-year old subway system, is proposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and opposed by the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

January 31 - The New York Times


Denver, Colorado

Zoning Changes to Battle 'Slot Homes' in Denver

An unintended consequence of the zoning regulations approved in Denver 2010 zoning code has been the proliferation of "slot homes": like rowhouses but without the street-facing entryways and engagement with the public realm.

January 30 - The Denver Post

Malaysia

China's Largest Online Retailer Using Artificial Intelligence to Tackle Congestion

A subsidiary of Alibaba, the massive online retailer, will deploy cloud computing and artificial intelligence to help relieve congestion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

January 30 - Quartz

Floodplain

'America’s First Climate Refugees' Are Still on the Island

The 99 residents of Isle de Jean Charles have $48 million to relocate together, but that doesn’t make it easy.

January 30 - CityLab

California

One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits

The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.

January 30 - Thousand Oaks Acorn

Transit Fail

Why Change Can Be Hard for Transit Agencies

Jarrett Walker discusses some reasons why transit authorities can be resistant to change. It all comes down to considering their point of view.

January 30 - Human Transit

urban park

Embracing the Future of City Streets

Streets will have to evolve, again.

January 30 - New York Magazine

Desalination

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California

Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

January 30 - The Mercury News

Wood Construction

Affordable Housing Fallout From Tax Reform

Despite saving tools like the low-income housing tax credit, affordable housing will still take a hit.

January 30 - The New York Times

New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire to Draft a Form-Based Code

Concord will become the latest city to add a form-based code to its menu of development regulations.

January 30 - Concord Monitor

Baltimore, Maryland

How British Investments Enabled American Segregation

Exploring the surprising origins of the American suburbs.

January 30 - Building Suburban Power

Phoenix

Millennials and Housing Markets: Case Studies From Houston and Phoenix

Researchers from Arizona State University have produced a new working paper that examines efforts to attract and retain Millennials to downtown neighborhoods in Houston and Phoenix.

January 29 - The Urban Edge

A $48 Million Bet on the 'L.A. Model' of Juvenile Justice

With Campus Kilpatrick, Los Angeles County has made a serious investment in progressive design to support progressive programming.

January 29 - Metropolis Magazine

Electric Car Charging Station

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls for Five Million ZEVs on California Roads by 2030

The executive order calls for $2.5 billion for rebates and electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, subject to approval by legislature. His earlier executive order called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

January 29 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.