The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Pandemic Disrupts Ski Town Life in More Ways Than One
The working class that make ski towns run are getting squeezed out of work by public health restrictions while wealthy newcomers push real estate markets to crazy new heights.

Report Makes 'The Case for Social Housing'
The economic disruption of the pandemic has strengthened public support—even among Republicans—for an ambitious social housing program at the federal level, according to the findings of a recent report.

Washington State Active Transportation Plan Draft Released
The Washington State Department of Transportation is undertaking a legally mandated update of its plan for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Pandemic Endgame: The Goalposts are Moving
With most of the nation in the coronavirus "red zone," the endgame to the pandemic in the U.S. is likely through achieving herd immunity, preferably through vaccinations, but the nation's top infectious disease expert has been changing the threshold.

Preservation Blind Spot Apparent on Philly's Black 'Doctor's Row'
Christian Street, known at the beginning of the 20th century as the Black "Doctor's Row" should have been on the Historic Register years ago, according to this article.

Miami Beach Could Permanently Pedestrianize Ocean Drive
The city banned vehicle traffic from the popular street during the pandemic. Now, transportation planners hope to make the change permanent as part of a new plan to prioritize pedestrians and improve transportation in the Entertainment District.

Arizona Proposes Legislation to Protect Water After Trump Rollbacks to Clean Water Act
To protect the state's water resources, Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality has drafted a new set of regulations aimed at replacing Clean Water Act provisions struck down by the Trump administration.

We Need Rental Registries Now More Than Ever
Most communities lack a way of collecting real-time data on whether landlords are complying with rules. A rental registry could change that.

High Costs Lead Seattle to Scale Back Earthquake Work on Bridges
After underestimating costs by hundreds of millions, Seattle is forced to cut back on proposed seismic improvements for the city's bridges.

New South Bay BART Stations See Disappointing Ridership
Introduced during the pandemic in an area where many residents now work remotely, the new stations have failed to attract new commuters.

New York City Rolling Out First E-Scooters in the Spring
After years of outright banning them, New York City is finally giving e-scooters a chance to operate on its streets.

The Best (and Worst) of Architecture and Design in 2020
An annual review of the world of architecture and design from design critics at the Dallas Morning News and Curbed.

Reassessing New Urbanism
A thematic issue of the peer reviewed journal Urban Planning provides a framework for reassessing New Urbanism.

Eviction Moratorium Renewed for State of New York
The New York State Legislature convened for a special session between holidays to implement new protections in the housing market.

Seattle Neighborhood Groups Propose Aerial Gondola to Replace Light Rail Expansion
Impatient with the city's light rail expansion plans, some residents are looking to aerial gondolas as a new mode of public transit.

The Pandemic Expert in the Biden Cabinet Who is Not on the Biden Health Team
Ron Klain, President Obama's former Ebola response coordinator, will serve as chief of staff to President-elect Joe Biden. This post also looks at all the appointments and nominations for Biden's health team that will devise a Covid response.

Seattle's Homeless Bearing the Brunt of Helmet Citations
Almost half of bike helmet citations in the city are issued to people experiencing homelessness.

The Foreclosure Crisis Waiting in January
Although homeowners have so far accessed financial relief from the pandemic much more easily than renters, housing counselors are bracing for a foreclosure crisis as forbearance terms start to end.

I-880 Reconfiguration Takes Another Step Forward in Oakland
The Oakland Alameda Access Project, in the works since 1997, is meant to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood.

The Planning Profession Needs More Black Women
If planners want to address the impacts of exclusionary planning, historical inequities, and policies that ignore the needs of women and minorities, they must address systemic inequities within the field itself.
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