The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
One Million Square Feet of Transit Oriented Joint Development Advances in Northern Virginia
Fairfax County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority have reached an agreement with a team of developers to add one million square feet of mixed-use development near a station on the Orange Line.
Columnist to Dallas: Tear Down That Freeway
Freeways have been removed before, but if the Texas Department of Transportation decides to tear down the I-345 freeway in Dallas, it would reflect a massive sea change in urban transportation planning.
Louisiana's Health Care System on Brink of Collapse
We've been here many times before in the pandemic, but without the benefit of a vaccine. Gov. John Bel Edwards, one of a few governors to mandate mask-wearing indoors, warns of a collapse of the health care system, but also rules out restrictions.
Carbon-Offset Forests Are Burning Up in Wildfires
Wildfires are consuming forests designated for carbon storage to fight climate change, highlighting the fragility of these carbon offset schemes.
Subsidizing High-End Housing for Middle-Class Renters
Using joint power authorities, local governments can purchase luxury buildings, avoid property taxes, and offer lower rents for qualifying tenants.
Highway Widening and Interchange Improvements a Headache for Atlanta Drivers
A road widening and interchange improvement project in Atlanta will have a dramatic impact on congestion for as much as a year.
Apartment Construction Ramps Up to Meet New Demand
It's unclear if or when the supply of entry level rental housing options will catch up with the demand, but some cities are building quickly.
How the Environmental Review Process Privileges Highway Construction Over Transit
U.S. transit projects have a much harder time getting environmental approval than road projects, perpetuating the dominance of cars in U.S. transportation policy.
Congressional Bills Could Hit Refresh on U.S. Dams
The 21st Century Dams Act, a proposal to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act all have a chance to redefine the country's approach to dams and watersheds.
Returning to a Wilder World
The pandemic induced an accidental 'rewilding' in many places as animals took over cities and streets devoid of humans. As we emerge from our isolation, can we co-exist peacefully?
Tight For-Sale Market Leads to Record Price Spikes in the Rental Market
A supply-demand imbalance in the for-sale housing market will eventually spill into the rental market.
A New Approach to Wildfire Resilience: Property Buy Backs, Fire Resistant Parks
The city of Paradise is employing a natural hazard mitigation strategy long practiced in flood zones. The idea could be expanded in other places where wildland meets human development.
FEATURE
Reparative Planning as Movement Building
The "Metro as Sanctuary" campaign provides an example of movement-based planning. This kind of planning is relational and solidaristic, with an emphasis on collective decision-making, complementary divisions of labor, and mutual learning.
How to End the Commute Nightmare
The pandemic let many people experience a commute-free lifestyle, but can we reduce rush-hour traffic as we make our return to physical workplaces?
D.C. Transit Implementing Major Changes, Hopes to Boost Ridership
Flat fares, reduced wait times, and extended late-night service are all part of a package of changes meant to bring riders back and adjust to post-pandemic travel patterns.
PLANOPEDIA
What Are Master Planned Communities?
Now frequently associated with retirees and sprawling developments in the U.S. Sun Belt, master planned communities, also known as new towns or planned communities, were invented as an escape from the haphazard growth of urban areas in the mid-20th century.
California Judge Renders Gig Worker Law Unenforceable
A judge ruled against California's Proposition 22, which let ride-hailing and delivery businesses classify workers as independent contractors and discouraged unionization efforts.
Comprehensive Planning Sucks. Here's One Attempt to Make It Better
Thirty community organizations have come together to deliver a response to Oakland's RFP for a comprehensive planning consultant. It's one of three proposals, but certainly the only one with cartoons.
Pneumatic Tube Trains and AVs to the Rescue? Smarter Planning for New Mobility
New mobility modes and services have tantalizing potential, but they can also impose significant costs and risks. We need objective and comprehensive analysis to determine how—and how not—to incorporate these new technologies.
Battle Over San Francisco's Pedestrianized 'Great Highway'
Although the project has been hugely successful with local residents, the mayor and some county supervisors wanted to revert the road to vehicle use.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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.
