The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Waterfront

Lessons in Tax Increment Financing

Vermont enabled tax increment financing (TIF) for the city of Burlington in 1985, in keeping with a nationwide trend at the time. TIF is still a major player in the state's redevelopment efforts to this day.

September 15 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Transportation Planning

Seattle Ponders Improvements to Ballard Bridge for All Modes of Transport

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the midst of a planning study on Ballard Bridge, soliciting feedback from the community about how to improve circulation of vehicles and pedestrians.

September 15 - The Urbansist

Echo Park

L.A. Unveils Plans for Historic Water Infrastructure Tax

Katy Young Yaroslavsky discusses the the Measure W Implementation Ordinance and the committee appointees tasked with determining how this new funding will flow into community water projects.

September 15 - The Planning Report

Nice Tramway

France's Transit Ridership Booms as the USA's Busts

Large American cities are losing bus and train riders, but in France, most cities have seen the opposite trend.

September 15 - theTransportPolitic

Farmers' Market

Your County May Not be Very Good at Accessing Community Development Funding

New research shows that some U.S. communities are much better than others at attracting grants and financing for community development—even after adjusting for relative need. The numbers are clear, but the reasons for the disparity may not be.

September 15 - Shelterforce


Ontario

Toronto's New Affordable Housing Program Yields 651 New Units

The first round of projects to move forward under Toronto's Open Door affordable housing program will deliver 651 units spread across eight developments.

September 14 - Toronto Star

Air Conditioner

The High Cost of Cool Air

Air conditioning has drastically changed modern life and the ways cities have developed. But, the environmental consequences are immense, and it’s time to cut back.

September 14 - The Guardian


Pedestrian Danger

After Rash of Pedestrian Deaths, Texas Looks to Create Safety Initiative

In 2018, drivers killed 632 pedestrians in Texas; 68 pedestrians were killed in San Antonio.

September 14 - Fox San Antonio

Port Authority of Allegheny County

Fewer Bus Stops in Pittsburgh

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is slowly but surely removing a significant number of bus stops from 98 routes in the system. Two routes are under review right now.

September 14 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Horse and Buggy

Batteries Replacing Horses in the Carriage Industry

A growing number of cities around the world, and around the United States, have banned horse-drawn carriages out of concern for the health and welfare of the horses.

September 14 - WHYY

Berkeley People on Bikes

City to Bicyclists: Berkeley Not in Idaho

Berkeley, California might have a reputation of a very progressive city, but when it comes to cycling, it appears to have little tolerance for cyclists who roll through stop signs. Police are justifying the crackdown on the terms of a state grant.

September 13 - San Francisco Chronicle

Plunger

Plunger-Protected Bike Lane Clears Path in Boulder

Someone must have tired of the cars clogging the 30th Street bike lanes and taken matters into their own hands.

September 13 - The Denver Post

North Carolina Bus TRansit

Asheville to Begin Bus Improvement Project

A $6 million project in Asheville, North Carolina will include the purchase of new hybrid and diesel buses and an update of the city’s transit center.

September 13 - Asheville Citizen Times

Morrison Spring, Walton County, Florida

Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Water Protections

Environmentalists worry that the latest action by the Trump administration on the environment will set a dangerous precedent that is difficult to overturn with a more conservative Supreme Court.

September 13 - The New York Times

Traffic Safety

Deaths from Drivers Running Red Lights Increase 150 Percent in Wisconsin

AAA Wisconsin is trying to raise awareness about traffic safety as fatalities skyrocket in Wisconsin, outpacing a problem mirrored nationally.

September 13 - Wisconsin Public Radio

Swimming Hole

Friday Eye Candy: A Love Song for Swimming Holes

There's still technically some time left in the summer of 2019 to enjoy a dip, or a frolic, in a swimming hole.

September 13 - The New York Times

California State Capital

Statewide Rent Control, Eviction Protections Adopted in California

It's been a historic year for rent control on the West Coast, as California joins Oregon as the first states to approve statewide rent control laws.

September 13 - Los Angeles Times

Mississippi River

All New Commercial Developments Require Porous Pavement in New Orleans

After the challenges of a rainy season with persistent flooding last year, New Orleans is ensuring that the future of its development is more stormwater friendly than its past.

September 13 - NOLA.com

Patapsco River

Dam Removal Complete on Maryland's Patapasco River

The Bloede Dam was the most downstream of a series of three dams on the Patapsco River in the Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland. Now all three dams have been removed, concluding with the Bloede Dam, and the river runs free.

September 13 - American Rivers

CEQA Droput

Kanye West's Unpermitted Vision for Housing Utopia Has Been Demolished

Kanye had 45 days to submit plans for the unpermitted buildings built on his property in Calabasas, California. Instead, the rapper tore the buildings down.

September 13 - TMZ

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Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.