The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Affordable Housing Losing Ground in New Orleans
For the second year in a row, New Orleans is losing more affordable housing than it is creating, according to a recent report published by HousingNOLA.

A Test Ride for Mobility Hubs
Offering multiple, non-automobile options for transportation in one place is the idea behind mobility hubs. The city of Minneapolis is now testing the concept at four locations.

Two New California Laws Take Aim at Pollution from Heavy-Duty Trucks
Trucks, which disproportionately contribute toward air pollution, will soon be subject to similar types of smog checks that apply to light-duty vehicles. A second bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will spur movement toward cleaner alternatives.

Boulders Meant to Deter Homeless Cause a Ruckus in San Francisco
Desperate times. Desperate measures.

Plans to Expand I-25 Through Denver
Colorado transportation officials are making plans for a major overhaul of a five-mile stretch of Interstate 25, one of Colorado’s busiest highway corridors.

Gentrification and Displacement in One of Miami's Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods
The Miami Herald is running a series of articles to explore the regional housing crisis. The latest in the series focuses on gentrification and displacement in the Little Haiti neighborhood.

L.A.'s Strategy for 'Safe, Mobile, and Sustainable' Streets
Streets LA General Manager Adel Hagekhalil lays out his priorities and plans for transforming Los Angeles into a system of world-class streets.

Lincoln Common, a 1.1-Million-Square-Foot Development, Takes Shape in Chicago
A massive new development in Chicago's Lincoln Park is taking shape, and the local architecture critic has offered a positive review of the final product.

What's the Right Price for Congestion Pricing in New York City?
On this episode of the price is right, a city of more than 8 million people tries to determine the most effective cost for driving in a dense part of its downtown.

The Past and Future of Pedestrian Malls
Pedestrian malls, a common urban design goal of the 1960s and 1970s have so fallen out of fashion that failed examples from history are cited as boogeyman like "bridges to nowhere" and "big digs."

Doubts Raised About the Private Equity Firm Behind High-Speed Rail to Vegas
Trouble in the Desert? The sources quoted in this article by Bloomberg aren't betting on the success of a high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and San Bernardino County in California.

The Radical Remaking of a New York Street Launches This Week
The 14th Street Busway will make its debut on Thursday of this week. Cars will be prohibited from the street and buses will gain newfound freedom, in a model that duplicates other efforts in Europe and Canada.

Boston's Zoning Board Called Out for Conflicts of Interest
The Boston Globe reports on reasons to suspect more conflicts of interest than there appears on the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal.
Virginia Interstate Widening Would Convert Free Lanes to Toll Lanes
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization is proposing a 45-mile network of high-occupancy toll lanes on I–64 that includes conversions of 16 miles of carpool and three miles of general-purpose lanes. No unpriced lanes would be added.

Portland Surpassing Its Housing Bond Targets
Three years after passing a $256 million housing bond, city officials in Portland, Oregon, report that over 1,400 units of affordable housing will result from planned and completed projects.

L.A. River Restoration Challenged by Gentrification, Environmental Concerns
A massive effort to restore the Los Angeles River to more public access and open space amentias continues to raise the specter of gentrification in neighborhoods already feeling the pressure of the housing market.

I-5 Freeway Lid Plans Take Step Forward
A plan to build a cap over Interstate 5 in Downtown Seattle has taken a small but significant step forward.

Editorial Sounds Alarms About the 'Illinois Exodus'
The Chicago Tribune sends a message to the political leadership of Illinois and Chicago about population decline, and its causes.

FEATURE
Three Studies That Show Density Doesn't Determine Car Travel
Thirty years after a seminal study attempted to connect increased density with decreased automobile use, several new studies are raising doubts about that central assumption of contemporary planning.

Three Years of New York's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program
One of the more aggressive inclusionary zoning programs in the country has been in place long enough to evaluate for lessons regarding the effectiveness of the controversial affordable housing development tool.
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