The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line
Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.

Are Mobility Hubs Child-Friendly?
‘Mobility hubs’ aim to make urban travel easier by connecting travel modes. Adding more services could make them more accessible and useful to women and families.

Austin’s Project Connect Funding Safe for 2025
The light rail project is moving ahead with plans to finalize its environmental impact review by late 2025.

FEATURE
Planning Trends for 2025: Creative Housing Solutions, Ongoing Transit Woes, and the Ever-Creeping Tentacles of AI
Urban planners have no shortage of urgent issues to delve into, from a deepening housing crisis to an increasingly unpredictable climate to a new federal administration bent on slashing key funding for everything from electric cars to housing assistance.

University of Hawai‘i Appoints New Architecture School Dean
The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has named Mo Zell as the new dean of its School of Architecture, bringing over two decades of experience in academia, innovative educational programs, and industry partnerships to advance design education.

Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April
Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.

El Paso Wastewater Purification Facility Breaks Ground
As water supplies become strained and technology advances, cities look to wastewater as a viable source of drinking water.

Spirit Lake Nation Reclaims 680 Acres After Century-Long Effort
After decades of advocacy, the Spirit Lake Nation successfully reclaimed 680 acres of its original treaty land from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, marking a significant step toward healing and future development.

Bourbon Street Could Be a Model for Pedestrian Spaces
The conversation around pedestrianizing public streets isn’t new — think Times Square. Could one of America’s oldest streets lead the way in a revival of the pedestrian mall?

Multiple Lawsuits Aim to Save NYC Congestion Pricing
Environmental and transit advocacy groups, along with the MTA, are suing USDOT over its recent crusade to end the cordon pricing program.

Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms
A package of proposed bills would change the state’s road funding formula to ensure more money flows to rural areas with limited resources.

Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.

Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.

Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.

Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.

Commentary: How Remote Work Supports Rural Communities
Allowing federal employees to work from home can deepen government agencies’ understanding of communities’ needs and create economic opportunities for local residents.

What is the Future of NYC’s ‘Dollar Vans’?
A semi-formal transportation system has served New Yorkers for half a century, but complex regulations prevent most drivers from operating legally.

FEATURE
Don't Cement Our Future: Rethinking LA’s Landscape After Fire (and Floods)
A call for regenerative approaches to rebuilding that work with nature rather than against it.

San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
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