The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Acela Amtrak train in station in New Haven, Connecticut.

Amtrak Breaks Ridership Record in FY 2024

More Americans than ever rode the rails last year, also bringing the agency its highest ticket revenue.

December 5 - Smart Cities Dive

Sec. Deb Haaland speaking at dais outdoors with Colorado mountains in background and three officials standing behind her announcing protection of Thompson Divide.

Commentary: Colorado Will Forge Ahead With Conservation Work

While federal policy may become less friendly to environmental efforts, support from state legislators and agencies can prevent the state from backsliding.

December 5 - Colorado Newsline

Group of children with backpacks walking toward colorful modern school building.

Expanding the Mission: Community Groups Serving Schools

Some community development organizations have added education to their traditional focus on housing and economic development, looking for ways to support families and children by partnering with local school districts. How is it working?

December 5 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of DeKalb County Courthouse and surrounding area in Auburn, Georgia.

DeKalb County Launches Housing Assistance Program

The $13 million initiative will support local organizations providing wrap-around services and housing assistance to residents at risk of eviction or experiencing homelessness.

December 5 - WSBTV

Broken, uneven sidewalk being damaged by large tree roots in Los Angeles, California.

FEATURE

The City of Broken Sidewalks

Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?

December 5 - Donald Shoup


CLose-up on black and white 25 mph speed limit sign.

Santa Monica Lowers Speed Limits

Posted speed limits will be reduced by 5 miles per hour on dozens of the city’s streets.

December 4 - Streetsblog California

Adult man talking to young woman across wooden garden fence with young girl standing next to him.

For Some, Co-Housing Offers Social and Economic Benefits

Residents of co-living developments say the built-in community helps ease the growing isolation felt by many Americans.

December 4 - NPR


View down San Francisco street with colorful residential buildings and high-rise downtown buildings in distance.

New Map Puts Bay Area Traffic Data in One Place

The Traffic Monitoring site uses community-collected speed and volume data to reveal traffic patterns on local roads.

December 4 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Detroit Skyline

Electric Car Share Comes to Detroit’s Eastside

The program is operated by the Eastside Community Network and funded through the U.S. Department of Energy.

December 4 - Next City

White Memphis Area Transit Authority bus on street in Memphis, Tennessee.

Limited Transit Access Stifling Memphis Economy

The city ranks low for transit access to jobs, limiting opportunities for local workers and businesses.

December 4 - WREG

Row of old brick homes in Flushing, Queens, New York with high-rise buildings in background.

NYC Likely to Legalize ADUs as Part of ‘City of Yes’ Reforms

Homeowners in some neighborhoods could soon be able to build accessory dwelling units in their backyards, garages, or basements.

December 4 - Business Insider

Historic clock surrounded by public seating in plaza in downtown Cranford, New Jersey.

BLOG POST

The Story of Eastman Clock Plaza in Downtown Cranford

How a small plaza in Cranford, New Jersey became a community beacon.

December 4 - Gabe Bailer - PP - AICP - NJ Urbanthinker

Close-up of hand holding small white square thermoelectric generator in lab with computer in background.

Harnessing Waste Heat Through Thermoelectricity

Heat from industrial installations and buildings can be captured to create renewable electricity.

December 3 - Fast Company

Empty street and high-rise buildings in downtown Chicago, Illinois during COvid-19 pandemic.

Major US Cities Still Suffering Downtown Decline

Research shows that the “donut effect” hollowing out central business districts since the pandemic continues to cause economic decline in the 12 largest American cities.

December 3 - Stanford University News

Red City of Terre Haute small transit bus in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Terre Haute Transit Goes Fare-Free

Buses in the Indiana city will be free as of January 2.

December 3 - Indiana Public Media

Red Capital Bikeshare bikes at a station in Bethesda, Maryland.

DC Bike Share Growing Fast, But Regional Gaps Remain

The wildly popular system ‘frays at its geographic edges,’ making its use less effective outside the central District.

December 3 - Greater Greater Washington

Vacant pedestrian overpass and skyscrapers in downtown financial district at night.

Office Conversion Sees No Sign of Slowing

The adaptive reuse of office buildings for residential and other uses will grow by as much as 63 percent in 2024 over last year.

December 3 - Smart Cities Dive

White waste management sanitation garbage truck and worker pushing wheeled green dumpster on street with piles of trash bags.

Parked Cars Hamper NYC Trash Containerization Effort

Sanitation workers must manually collect bags from containers blocked by parked cars, slowing a process that is meant to be safer and more efficient.

December 3 - StreetsBlog NYC

"Vote Here Today" yard sign in front of brick building.

BLOG POST

November Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

The future of planning in the second Trump administration, housing policy, and highway removal — here are Planetizen’s most popular headlines from November 2024.

December 3 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of laptop with real estate listings shown on map.

Cities and States Taking Action to Limit Rent-Setting AI

Federal prosecutors are charging a software company with using algorithms to artificially inflate rents.

December 2 - CALmatters

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.