The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sales Tax to Fund Water Projects Extended in Las Vegas Region
The Clark County Commission is extending a sales tax, created in 1998, which could have drawn to a close after raising $2.3 billion or the year 2025, whichever came first. The tax will remain in place indefinitely.

Unlocking the Market for Affordable Homeownership with Private Capital
Charles Loveman, executive director of Heritage Housing Partners, explains the historical role that subsidized demand played in spurring housing production and the value of low to moderate-income affordable homeownership development.

Four Illinois Coal Plants to Close
Vistra Energy is closing coal power plants in Illinois, each of which employs between 60 to 90 workers.

Counties Outside of Bay Area Eye Transportation Mega Measure in 2020
Northern San Joaquin Valley transit officials are eying a $100 billion Bay Area transportation measure to potentially fund a $1 billion rail tunnel for two commuter railroads to bring workers to the East Bay and Silicon Valley.

Revisiting the Megaregion
The idea of cities as components of larger megaregions has lost some of its popularity, Alon Levy looks at regions around the world to try to understand how useful the concept is in understanding cities and regions.

109 Counties Became 'Majority Nonwhite' Since 2000
The United States is still mostly populated by white people, but there are plenty of places where that is no longer true.

Transforming the Waterfront into Baltimore's 'Blue Green Heart'
Dutch design firm West 8 recently won a competition to rethink an 11-mile stretch of the Baltimore's waterfront, not to be confused with a $5.5 billion project to redevelop Port Covington.

The Aftermath of Dorian's Destructive Path Through the Bahamas
Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on the Bahamas for several days before turning toward the Southeastern United States.

Town Hall Spotlights Democrats' Climate Change Proposals
Critics of the earliest Democratic candidate debates have noted a conspicuous lack of substantive and concentrated discussion on one of the great existential threats of the era: climate change. Neglect of the subject could change soon.

New York City's Transportation Future Hindered by a Dysfunctional Present
Too many innovative proposals to solve the city’s biggest transportation problems fall by the wayside.

In Tucson, Sweltering Heat Threatens the Most Vulnerable
When the temperatures become dangerous in this desert city, not everyone has the option to retreat to air-conditioned spaces to wait it out.

L.A. County's Sustainability Plan Crafted With a Little Help From University Friends
Los Angeles County's new, ambitious sustainability plan was crafted in collaboration with the significant resources available in the region, including one of the nation's finest public universities.

As Colorado Grows, Buses Become More Important for Regional Transportation
Bustang regional bus service is growing fast as people look to navigate a growing state.

Dodger Stadium as Civic Space with a New Front Door
Janet Marie Smith, famous for helping plan Camden Yards in Baltimore, discusses how Dodger Stadium's 'new front door' will optimize transit and pedestrian access while preserving the field's historic character and sweeping 'postcard views.'

Can Steel Go Green?
Making materials like cement, plastic, glass, and steel creates a lot of emissions. In an opinion piece, Bill Gates argues any climate plan needs to grapple with these hard-to-decarbonize industries.

Texas Roadway a Threat to Prairie Preserve, Say Environmentalists
Part of the Houston-area Grand Parkway would pass through a tallgrass prairie reserve, and opponents say it would destroy the grasslands and bird habitat.

The Dire Straits of the Working Homeless
Due to stagnant wages and the lack of affordable housing in many U.S. cities, even people with jobs are finding themselves slipping into homelessness.

Skateboarding and the City
Skateboarding is becoming a legitimate part of the urban landscape by revitalizing public spaces and engaging young people and the broader community.

Opportunity Zones a 'Windfall for the Rich'
Opportunity zones are so far only benefitting the moneyed interests of the real estate industry.

FEATURE
An Interview With New York Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, FAICP
Mitchell Silver, commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, former planning director of Raleigh, and former president of the APA, discusses the aspirations and realities of a long, successful career in planning.
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