The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Boston to Leverage Private Developers for a New Climate Resiliency Fund
It's going to take a lot of funding to build the infrastructure to protect coastal cities from rising seas as climate change takes hold. The city of Boston is starting to experiment with revenue sources that can fund the necessary improvements.

Planned Highway Expansion Would Cut Into Black Community in Charleston
The Biden administration's efforts to curb the tendency of highway expansions to cut into Black communities will be tested by the West I-526 Lowcountry Corridor plan in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Public Health Experts Question CDC Catchphrase, 'Pandemic of the Unvaccinated'
Five public health experts and a pollster take issue with calling the COVID crisis a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated,' suggesting it may be inappropriate, provocative, and not only ineffective but possibly counterproductive in increasing vaccinations.

Why Tech-Utopian City Plans Fail
Like others before him, e-commerce billionaire Marc Lore wants to build the ideal city from scratch. Urban experts don't have much faith in his chances.

The Consequences of Community Engagement
Long, onerous environmental review processes focused on public input can cause major delays and cost increases for infrastructure and transportation projects.

Dallas Launches New Comprehensive Plan Process—15 Years After ForwardDallas
The city of Dallas adopted the ForwardDallas plan in 2006, setting a grand ambition for a more walkable, transit-friendly city. Some of the work toward that vision will have to continue with the next comprehensive plan.

The Pandemic Effect: Landlord Edition
A new survey highlights the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on small landlords, who provide much of the nation's low-cost rental housing.

Zoning Change to Create More Marijuana Business Opportunities in Chicago
By opening more of downtown Chicago to pot shops, the city hopes that more minority businesses owners can get in on the lucrative business of marijuana.

New York Needs Permeable Streets to Mitigate Future Flooding
To reduce the severity of disruptive subway flooding, the city can implement street-level solutions that absorb and redirect water before it reaches the train tunnels.

Mobile Home Parks Becoming Unaffordable as Investors Buy Up Properties
Longtime residents of mobile home parks are seeing their land rents go up as corporate investors seek to increase profits, aided in part by federally-backed loans.

An Ambitious Revitalization Agenda for Downtown Anchorage
A new mayoral administration in Anchorage has its sights set on a revitalized urban core, but one local researcher has suggestions for how to expand that vision.

'Green Infrastructure' for Clean Water Shows Its Worth in Washington, D.C.
Rain gardens and bioswales have allowed DC Water to scale back on the "gray infrastructure" it's building while still keeping rivers clean.

San Francisco Not Living Up to 'Transit First' Promise
Despite a stated goal of encouraging other modes, the city's streets still overwhelmingly prioritize cars.

The Dutch to Crack Down on Large Investors in the Housing Market
Several Dutch cities are planning to limit the reach of large investors in the housing market by limiting the resale of cheap or mid-priced homes.

$250 Million Affordable Housing Ballot Headed to the Ballot in San Antonio
For the first time in the city's history, a housing bond will appear on a citywide ballot in San Antonio.

New Light on Basement Apartments in NYC After Ida's Tragedies
Basement apartments were the least safe place to be as the remnants of Hurricane Ida sent floodwaters ripping through the Northeast.

A New Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge for the Anacostia River in D.C.
The largest infrastructure project in D.C. history is opening this week—first to pedestrians and then to automobile traffic.

Transit Needs Service Changes, Now More Than Ever
As travel patterns and needs shift, transit agencies should look at service changes as a much-needed 'regular practice.'

Biden Administration Targets Five States that Ban School Mask Mandates
President Biden asked his education secretary to see what could be done about states that prohibit school districts from enacting CDC public health recommendations. Miguel Cardona responded by empowering his Office of Civil Rights to investigate.

Post-Katrina Programs a Blueprint for Housing the Working Class
The housing initiatives developed after Hurricane Katrina teach valuable lessons for post-pandemic affordable housing production.
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