The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Utah Wants to Build Water Pipeline Amid Historic Shortages
As water supplies around the West dwindle, one Utah county is moving ahead with plans for a new Colorado River pipeline.

'Fire Weather' Is Stoking More Extreme Wildfires
The number of annual 'fire weather' days has increased over the past 50 years, leading to deadlier and more massive fires in the West.

Census Data Reveal Increasing Density in the U.S.—Reversing a Two-Decade Trend
The New York Times is calling 2010 to 2020 the "Downtown Decade."

Opinion: Philly's Regional Transit Needs More Funding
The region's planning commission is pouring billions into highway widening projects while neglecting its public transit needs.

Scooter Laws That Could Also Apply to Drivers
E-scooters are governed by hundreds of regulations aimed at improving the safety of riders and pedestrians. Is it time to apply them to cars, too?

Report: D.C. Housing Too Decentralized
Over the last three decades, the D.C. region has seen the most development in far-flung exurbs disconnected from area jobs and transit networks.

To Build More Affordable Housing, Start With Narrower Streets
New research shows that reducing wasteful use of street space and eliminating overly wide streets would increase opportunities for housing development and higher density.

Centering Non-Drivers Would Improve Infrastructure for All
Inadequate infrastructure disproportionately harms people with mobility challenges who can't or don't drive, but their needs closely mirror those of all pedestrians.

San José Could Eliminate Parking Minimums
The city of San José has the highest minimum parking requirements in the state. Now, it is weighing a proposal that would do away with them altogether and let developers decide how much parking to build.

The Limits of Citywide Upzoning
A study shows zoning reform isn't a silver bullet for the housing crisis. In some low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods, it could 'cause more harm than good.'

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White House Announces Plans for 100,000 Affordable Homes
The Biden administration has proposed a suite of policy and funding programs designed to create and protect 100,000 affordable housing units. If successful, the program will still fall well short of the need.

A Natural Approach to Stormwater Proposed in Michigan
The realities of climate change have been on full display in Michigan this summer, and a crusading drain commissioner is pushing for stormwater infrastructure that uses natural features to capture and reuse water during extreme weather.

Memphis Targets Adaptive Reuse of Historic School for Neighborhood Benefits
A plan to rehabilitate the vacant former location of Melrose High School in Memphis' Orange Mound neighborhood "recalls many other recent initiatives aimed at elevating and investing in Black urban history."

Americans Are Moving Toward Climate Risk
More Americans are ignoring the realities of climate change emigrating—even as more and more climate refugees flee the damage.

The 'Mountain Lion' Cities Rising in the U.S. West
An economist identifies the growth in nine U.S. cities—scattered from Utah to Texas, Arizona, Washington, and Idaho—as similar to the economic power generated in parts of Asia.

Texas Ends Contract With Toll Road Operator
Citing "lackluster service," the department will be seeking a new technology provider.

These Tampa Projects Could Benefit From the Federal Infrastructure Bill
The city's aging streetcar line and historic Cass Street Bridge are among projects that could receive federal funding if Congress passes the current infrastructure package.

Can Houston Rein In Its Famous Sprawl?
The city's unabated growth has made it a bustling hub of industry and commerce, but can it sustain its unmitigated outward sprawl?

Where Did the Federal Transit Funding Go?
The final infrastructure deal cutting by more than half the transit funding proposed in the American Jobs Plan.

Watch: The Laws and Policies Driving Up the Cost of Housing
A Vox explainer video tackles the rising cost of housing in the United States.
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