The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Lawns and Suburban Homes

U.S. Housing Prices Continue Record-Breaking Pace

July marked four straight months of record-breaking increases for housing prices nationwide, according to the latest housing market data.

September 30 - U.S. World News and Report

Houston Townhouse

Is Historic Preservation Zoning?

In a victory for preservationists, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance despite a lawsuit alleging that the ordinance constitutes illegal zoning rules.

September 30 - SLoG Law Blog

An image of the book "A Promised Land," by Barack Obama shows a black and white photo of the former president smiling.

Obama Presidential Center Breaks Ground on Chicago's South Side

Years of controversy and delay were in the rearview this week when the Obamas joined the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center .

September 30 - The New York Times

Germany

Berlin Voters Want to Expropriate 240,000 Apartments

A potentially watershed vote in the German capital.

September 30 - The Washington Post

A large group of press and media surround New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Proposes Ambitious Housing Plan to Convert Dormant Hotels

Eric Adams, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, announced a proposal to convert existing hotel rooms to supportive and affordable housing. The plan faces obstacles in statewide building codes and local zoning regulations.

September 30 - Gothamist


Seattle, Washington

A State-by-State Wish List for Federal Infrastructure Funding

States have a laundry list of major projects they'd like to see funded if the trillion-dollar infrastructure package passes.

September 29 - New York Times

An image of a coal powered energy production facility along an unidentified waterway in Illinois.

Illinois Commits to Bold Climate Action

The state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act , which will phase fossil fuels out for energy production and position the state as a leader on equitable economic development in the clean energy sector.

September 29 - Yahoo News


A fence shows a walkway to the beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Proposed Law Would Open Beach Access in Massachusetts

It's harder to access the ocean in Massachusetts than any other coastal state in the country, but that could soon change.

September 29 - The Boston Globe

A TriMet MAX Red Line light rail train heading for the Portland International Airport comes to a stop at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland.

MAX Red Line Extension Wins Federal Funding in Portland

The "A Better Red" project won the federal funding it needed from the federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants program.

September 29 - Federal Transit Administration

A rendering showing a planned freeway improvement project that will create a "lid" over State Route 520 for use as public open space.

Seattle Freeway Lid Expected by 2030

When complete, the SR 520 Montlake Project will reorganize the street grid to provide new connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

September 29 - Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

I-71 I-70 Columbus OH

The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus

Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.

September 29 - The Columbus Dispatch

An image of pedestrians walking across the Millennium Bridge toward St. Paul's cathedral in London.

City of London Could Set Speed Limits at 15 MPH

The City of London (not to be confused with the larger area of Greater London) will consider a plan to reduce speed limits throughout the "Square Mile" that outlines its boundaries.

September 29 - Forbes

Washington D.C.

D.C. Considers Centering Equity in Transportation and Land Use Planning Decisions

A plan to prioritize equity would, according to regional planners, increase access to jobs and resources, reduce emissions, and improve public health.

September 29 - The Washington Post

Glendale, California

How the Iconic Dingbat Took Over Los Angeles

The low-slung, car-oriented apartment buildings represent a mid-century solution to a housing shortage and offer valuable lessons for new development.

September 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

Harvey Floods Houston

NPR: HUD Sells Flood-Prone Homes Without Disclosing Risks

The troubling trend is particularly pronounced in lower-income communities, where experts worry households are being inadvertently set up for big financial losses.

September 28 - NPR

Toronto Sidewalk

Student-Designed Cool Sidewalk Could Reduce 'Urban Heat Island' Effect

Researchers at the University of New Mexico created a sidewalk design using materials that would reduce heat absorption and require fewer materials than traditional concrete sidewalks.

September 28 - University of New Mexico

Seattle Transit

Northgate Link Extension—Opening This Weekend—Expected to Transform Seattle in More Ways Than One

The long awaited Northgate Link Extension, which will connect rapidly changing neighborhoods in North Seattle to downtown in 14 minutes, will open to the public on Saturday, October 2.

September 28 - The Seattle Times

HOLC map from 1937

New Research Reexamines HOLC's Role in Redlining

New Deal agencies did engage in discriminatory lending practices–but not quite in the way we think.

September 28 - Governing

Basement Apartment

The 2010s: The Decade of the Suburban Rental

Census data reveal a growing number of suburbs are home to a majority of renters. The data challenges the "very definition of suburban living," according to this article.

September 28 - RentCafé

A map focused on the city of Lehi, Utah, showing Interstate 15, which runs through the city.

'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.

September 28 - The Washington Post

Post News

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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.