The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

L.A.'s Housing Element, Considered Among California's Most Ambitious, Rejected by State Regulators
The California Housing Department gave credit to Los Angeles for targeting so much growth before telling the city it needed to do more.

Free Student Transit Now Permanent in Orange County
After a successful pilot program, the OCTA will permanently offer free bus rides to youth ages 6 to 18.

Rural Washington's Infrastructure Wishlist
Rural Washington communities want to see federal infrastructure funding allocated to projects in the historically neglected eastern parts of the state.

How 'Liberty Politics' Cripples Road Safety Projects
Some states and cities are citing personal liberty and constitutional rights to oppose automated traffic enforcement and other road safety measures.

Housing Affordability Crisis Spreading to More Cities
Cities like Spokane, Washington courted new residents and businesses during the pandemic. Now, they're starting to wonder if it was worth it.

Seattle Rule Change Makes it Easier to Add Crosswalks
Rather than looking at current pedestrian counts, the city will use a newly developed set of 'pedestrian generators' to evaluate the need for new painted crosswalks.

The Road Forward: Cost-Effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport
This new 165-page book, available free, is a resource for identifying practical, cost-effective policies for reducing passenger transport emissions on land, and especially in urban areas.

Fair Fares Program Criticized for Eligibility Threshold
Critics of the city's transit assistance program say limiting eligibility to people living at or below the federal poverty line excludes many low-income New Yorkers who depend on public transit.

Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration
An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.

New York Subway Will Pilot Platform Barriers To Improve Rider Safety
After a shocking death and an overall rise in violent crime at its stations, New York City's transit authority will install platform barriers to prevent intentional or accidental falls onto tracks.

Virgin Hyperloop Shifts to Cargo Transport, Lays Off Staff
The company sees cargo as a more promising and cost-efficient use of its technology.

New York Legislature To Vote on Complete Streets Bills
A set of proposed laws would make streets safer for all road users in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.

Exclusionary Zoning and Poverty: A New Hampshire Case Study
A deep dive into the history of zoning and development in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Let the Endemic Planning Begin
The first state in the nation to issue a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of a novel coronavirus that humans had no immunity from became the first to release an actual endemic plan, complete with a fancy acronym, SMARTER.

Prince William County Upzoning Plan Causes Concern Among Rural Residents
Local officials want to ease concerns about a proposal to increase density in rural parts of Northern Virginia.

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Conservatives, Progressives, and Cities
Are liberals more pro-urban than conservatives? On some issues, yes—but in other ways, reality is more complicated.

Judge Denies Proposed Development in Fire-Prone Area
The decision could signal a new reluctance to allow development in wildland areas at high risk for fires.

Residents Call for Highway Removal in Seattle Neighborhood
As more planners begin to question the value of urban freeways, communities that have long borne the negative impacts of highway construction are fighting back with data.

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Bringing Rurality Back to Planning Culture
Michael Hibbard at the University of Oregon and Kathryn I. Frank at the University of Florida write about their recently published article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

Dallas Drafts Infrastructure Wish List
The city hopes to qualify for as much as $3 billion in federal infrastructure funding.
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