The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Self-Driving Cars

BLOG POST

Book Review: Autonorama

In Autononorama, Peter Norton argues that autonomous vehicles may be neither feasible nor desirable.

December 6 - Michael Lewyn

Airplane aisle with seated passengers

Flight-Free Movement Grows in Europe

A burgeoning movement known as 'flight shame' calls on travelers to avoid air travel when possible as a method of fighting climate change.

December 6 - The Conversation

Not in my back yard

BLOG POST

The YIMBY-NIMBY Debate Gets 'Uninteresting'

Labels like "YIMBY" and "NIMBY" may be crude—but so what? One of them wants to solve America's housing crises. The other does not. Un-housed and under-housed people cannot wait for a perfect ideology to come along, writes Josh Stephens.

December 5 - Josh Stephens

Bentonville, AR Central Avenue at night

Opinion: Northwest Arkansas Could Be the 'Next Austin'

The home of Walmart and the University of Arkansas could be poised to see growth as cities like Austin and Boise become less affordable.

December 5 - Bloomberg Opinion

Downtown Houston overlooking Interstate 45.

Contentious Houston Freeway Widening Project Inches Forward

Federal officials have given TxDOT the go-ahead to resume work on a small portion of a controversial interstate widening project in downtown Houston.

December 5 - The Houston Chronicle


An image of President Joe Biden at a meeting in the White House while wearing a mask in February 2021.

Biden's 'Path Out of the Pandemic' Imperiled by Multiple Court Decisions

The vaccine mandate that applies to federal contractors included in President Biden's COVID plan announced in September to slow the Delta surge was halted by a federal judge in Kentucky. That's the third requirement to be paused, leaving only one.

December 5 - Lexington Herald-Leader

Transit Oriented Development

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Smart Growth?

Smart growth describes an approach to planning and development that prioritizes compact built environments, designed for benefits to the economy and the environment.

December 3 - James Brasuell


Main Street

Inequality Grows in Western Zoom Towns

As demand for housing grows, small Western towns are experiencing skyrocketing housing costs and rising displacement.

December 3 - High Country News

A Metro Los Angeles bus driver is behind the wheel while wearing a mask.

Equity and Transit Go Hand in Hand for the Pandemic Recovery

Equity illuminates the light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. transit agencies, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute.

December 3 - Urban Institute

South Beach Open Streets

Miami Reinstates E-Scooter Program

After abruptly ending its shared e-scooter program last month, Miami is letting the devices return to its streets–with some new rules.

December 3 - Smart Cities Dive

Washington D.C. - The National Mall

PLANOPEDIA

What Is the City Beautiful Movement?

Known for grand buildings and sweeping green spaces, the City Beautiful movement combined philosophy and architecture into a powerful planning ideology that still drives urban design into the present day.

December 2 - Diana Ionescu

Metroway bus

Doubling Down on Bus Rapid Transit in Northern Virginia

Arlington County plans an expansion of the D.C. region's first Bus Rapid Transit line.

December 2 - ARLnow

California Homeless

Study: At Least 1,500 Unhoused Died on the Streets of L.A. During the Pandemic

New research represents the first detailed picture of death among people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

December 2 - The Guardian

A mile marker showing mile zero of the Great Allegheny Passage, which is a bike and pedestrian path that begins in Cumberland, Maryland and ends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Measuring the Economic Impact of the Great Allegheny Passage

Small communities once dependent on coal, coke, paper, lumber, and manufacturing now have a 150-mile bike and pedestrian path contributing to the local economy.

December 2 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Houston, Texas

Houston Could End Homelessness With Less Than 2,000 Housing Units

Houston's homeless response program has yielded strong results in the last few years. Just 1,900 new affordable housing units could 'effectively end' homelessness in the city.

December 2 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

California State Capital

Land Use Regulations on a Collision Course in California

The future of planning in California depends on how lawyers reconcile the Housing Accountability Act with the California Environmental Quality Act.

December 2 - State & Local Government Law Blog

NYC Subway Construction

Why Big Infrastructure Projects Go Over Budget

Most major infrastructure projects fail to meet projected timelines or budgets. Some experts say this is a structural flaw built into "systematically deceptive" estimate practices.

December 2 - The New York Times

National Harbor

Upzoning Plan Faces Opposition in Prince George's County

A rezoning plan in Prince George's County, Maryland is receiving strong criticism from residents who worry redevelopment without tenant protections will lead to displacement.

December 2 - DCist

A movie studio buildiing located in Old Toronto's Port Lands is fenced off from the sidewalk and protected by a security guard station.

Are Movie Studios 'Highest and Best Use' During a Housing Affordability Crisis?

Toronto's answer to the question posed in the headline is, "yes." One columnist wonders if the city can do more to balance its priorities.

December 2 - Toronto Star

A man passes by a store in an empty mall. A sign in the window of the store reads "Covid-19 Essentials."

Downtown Foot Traffic Recovering Slowly, Report Says

Pedestrian activity in U.S. downtowns is still way down compared to pre-Covid levels, but the numbers are ticking back up month by month.

December 1 - Globe St.

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.