The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Federal Infrastructure Funding a Rare Opportunity to Improve the Nation’s Bus Shelters
Transit systems faced with decreasing ridership could accommodate access to the most widely available form of transit by building bus shelters. The federal infrastructure bill provides a big opportunity to do so.

How a Staircase Requirement Can Impact Housing Affordability
Critics of the double-staircase mandate for multi-story buildings argue that it does little to improve fire safety while raising the costs of housing construction and limiting community interaction.

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The Climate Story You Might Have Missed
Surface temperatures reached 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) in India and Pakistan at the end of April. Wet bulb temperature, the point at which the human body can no longer cool itself by sweating, is 35 degrees Celsius.

Advancing Park Equity in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is implementing equity-focused community parks and recreation plans.

The New Normal: Less Transit, More Congestion
With transit systems still far below historic levels, and congestion not budging, the worst effects of an automobile dependent nation fall on the environment and low-income households.

How Tax Assessments Are Racist
Between biased property appraisals that undervalue Black-owned properties and biased tax assessments that levy an unfair burden, homeowners of color are flanked by a double-whammy of racism.

Soaring Home Values and Property Tax ‘Sticker Shock’ in Texas
The quickly rising cost of housing in Texas comes with consequences. Rising property taxes have become a central issue in the state gubernatorial campaign.

Five Steps for Financing Urban Adaptation to Climate Change
Urban adaptation to climate change is possible. City leaders and urban researchers put together a five-step roadmap to finance the necessary investments in a recent workshop.

Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.

Has the Rug Been Pulled Out From Under Environmentalists?
Robinson Meyer, a climate reporter for The Atlantic, writes about the awkward place American environmentalists find themselves due in part to the war in Europe that has created an international energy crisis and historically high fuel prices at home.

Why a Third of Private Garages Don’t House Cars
With curbside parking available for free in front of most American homes, residents with private garages often choose to utilize the space for household storage. Putting a price on street parking could change that.

How Construction Costs Affect Housing Prices
The high cost of housing in the United States can be attributed in part to the high costs, regulatory and otherwise, of building new housing.

San Francisco Bus Rapid Transit Performing Well, One Month In
After a month of service, the Van Ness BRT line has cut travel times by roughly nine minutes and spurred increased ridership.

Renewable Energy Powers Entire State of California—for a Few Minutes
Last Saturday afternoon, thanks to a combination of high production and reduced consumption, California’s power needs were met almost entirely by renewable energy sources.

Study: Street Murals Can Prevent Crashes
An analysis of asphalt art around the country indicates that painted intersections and roads can dramatically improve pedestrian safety.

Pittsburgh Plans Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover on Downtown Street
Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street could gain wider sidewalks, a bike lane, and more green space.

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RAISE Proposals Are in; What Will it Mean for Climate Change?
The deadline for the first discretionary program to accept applications since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law was April 14, marking the day as one of the most consequential in America’s response to climate change.

Fire-Ravaged Paradise Plans for a Resilient Rebirth
A new urban design plan calls for a robust buffer zone to protect the town from fast-spreading fires, among other mitigation measures.

Walkability Scores Don’t Tell the Whole Story
A new report concludes that common ‘walkability’ measures don’t account for many barriers faced by pedestrians, such as environmental factors and policing.
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