The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Conservation Easements: Crafted With Good Intentions and Now Exploited for Tax Benefits
A tax break designed to protect land has become just another massive tax loophole. It looks like conservation easements are here to stay.

Friday Eye Candy: 2017 Pictured From Space
More than ever it seemed, the scale of natural and human events were visible from space in 2017.

Movement Toward Mileage Fee Gains Momentum in U.K. with Truck Fee
British trucker calls for a level playing field with 'continental trucks' that may pay no diesel duty is one impetus for the vehicle miles traveled fee that would also consider emissions. The Transport Department stresses it would not apply to cars.

10 Stats That Explain the World in 2017
Looking for lessons about 2017?

An Early Look at Louisiana's 'Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments' Plan
The state of Louisiana could be the first state to adopt a massive plan to push residents out of coastal areas threatened by sea level rise and coastal erosion. More states are expected to follow Louisiana's lead.

No Free Rides on D.C. Metro for New Year's Eve 2018
The D.C. Metro system's extended New Year's Eves hours will be cut a little short this year, and there will be no free rides.

Climate Change Lesson Number One from the California Fires
Whether climate change 'caused' the California fires is a red herring, argues disaster resiliency expert Dave Hampton, in this first part in a series on lessons from the California fires about climate change.
The 'Retail Apocalypse' Visits New York City
The trend of store closures sweeping the nation has not passed up New York City. The Guardian takes an in-depth look at the market forces at work on the famous commercial corridors of New York City.

Study Ranks the 'Traffic Resilience' of Urban Road Systems
The inefficiencies of daily commutes set aside, the road systems of some cities are not prepared to deal with unexpected events that disrupt the transportation system.

Ohio River Greenway Coming Soon—Even Bigger Plans to Follow
A new bike and walking path connecting two cities on the Indiana side of the Ohio River, across from Louisville, could provide a runway for much larger open space ambitions.

The Return of the Full-Sized SUV
The auto industry has decided that SUVs are the right product to market to the largest generation in U.S. history.

How Bikes Exploded onto the D.C. Scene
A trio of local experts offers insight into how Washington, D.C. tripled bike mode share in a decade.

Smart Cities, IoT Pave Way for Cashless Society
Since the introduction of open-loop contactless payments in London three years ago, the combination of cards and mobile payments, including wearables, has reduced the cost of fare collection by 35%. London buses stopped accepting cash altogether.
Only Bay Area Voters Support State's New 12-cent Gas Tax
According to a UC Berkeley poll released Dec. 22, 52% of likely voters statewide would support either of two initiatives that hope to be placed on the ballot next November to repeal the gas tax that took effect Nov. 1, while 43% would retain the tax.

California Funds Housing Near Freeways Despite Air Pollution
A Los Angeles development for homeless vets could be great news for a city in desperate need of housing, but some worry that the apartments put vets in harm’s way.
A Review of a San Diego Homeless Shelter by One of its Clients
Orlando Barahona has chronicled his experience as a homeless person, as well as his ideas for addressing the homelessness crisis, in various publications and his own blog. In this post, he reviews a homeless shelter in which he is a "client."

Local Officials Deal With Fallout of State's Decision on Toll Roads
Texas state legislators are holding to a promise not to spend voter-approved transportation funds on new toll roads. Local officials are scrambling.

MTA's 'Genius Transit Challenge' Finalists Have Plenty of Resources to Muster
The headline on the New York Times when the "Genius Transit Challenges was announced: "M.T.A. Asks Transit Fans, ‘Who Wants to Be a Subway-Saving Millionaire?’" Now it looks like the winner will already be a millionaire.

Ferry Service Expanding to Keep Pace With Bay Area Growth
Ridership on Water Emergency Transportation Authority ferries, which operate around the San Francisco Bay, has grown 78 percent since 2012. Investment in new and expanded facilities is preparing for even more growth.

Detroit Still Has More to Worry From Decline Than Gentrification
For every feel-good story about urban revitalization, or more problematic tale of gentrification, the experience in much of Detroit has more to do with decline.
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