The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Bus Stop

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.

May 9 - The Washington Post

View looking down a multi-story apartment building staircase

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.

May 9 - The Virginia Mercury

A group of young men and boys gather under water dripping from a water pipe in India.

BLOG POST

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.

May 8 - James Brasuell

Los Angeles, California

Advancing Park Equity in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County is implementing equity-focused community parks and recreation plans.

May 8 - Parks & Rec Business

Congestion

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.

May 8 - Brookings


Property tax bill notice with pen

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.

May 8 - Shelterforce Magazine

Texas Wind

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.

May 6 - Texas Tribune


Urban Solar Power

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.

May 6 - Penn IUR Urban Link

LAX Cars

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.

May 6 - Streetsblog USA

Environmentalism

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.

May 6 - The Atlantic

Residential garage full of home storage

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.

May 5 - Sightline

Single Family Residential Construction

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.

May 5 - Sightline

View of Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, with red bus-only lanes

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.

May 5 - Mass Transit

Wind turbines and solar panels against a backdrop of mountains in the Mojave Desert near Palm Springs, California

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.

May 5 - USA Today

Street Mural

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.

May 5 - Greater Greater Washington

A pair of crash test dummies in a car after a crash with air bags deployed.

FEATURE

Acceptable Deaths

What can we learn from our Covid response?

May 5 - Angie Schmitt

Cyclist riding on a downtown Pittsburgh bike lane

Pittsburgh Plans Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover on Downtown Street

Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street could gain wider sidewalks, a bike lane, and more green space.

May 5 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Economic Impacts of Climate Change

BLOG POST

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.

May 5 - Robert Fischer

Fire damanged home in Paradise, California

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.

May 4 - Fast Company

walkable street

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.

May 4 - Streetsblog USA

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.