The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

An Affordable Housing Plan Takes Shape in Atlanta
The "One Atlanta Housing Affordability Action Plan" would protect or create 20,000 affordable homes in Atlanta.

Two Chicago Neighborhoods—Same City, But Starkly Different Worlds
A dataset on health measures in U.S. cities shows the difference in life expectancy between two Chicago neighborhoods is 30 years.

'Smart Cities' and Surveillance
The big city isn't such an anonymous place anymore.

Another Mega-Project Coming to Downtown Toronto
Developers are betting on the continued shift of office work from the suburbs to downtown in Toronto, as the city experiences a building boom to support brisk business in the technology and financial-services industries.

An International Design Competition Reveals New Plans for Detroit's Cultural Center
Dubbed "Detroit Square," the newly revealed designs for ten blocks around 12 cultural and educational institutions will redesign the public realm for the human scale.

Oakland Keeps its DOT, Moves Forward With Innovative Street Repaving Plan
The city of Oakland had a particularly tough budget approval process this year. The future of capital investments in the city's transportation system was at stake.

The Congestion Pricing Movement Comes to Chicago
A large, powerful coalition of advocacy groups, local universities, and other organizations sent a letter to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to consider congestion pricing for single-occupant automobile trips in the city's core.

New York City Agencies Gain Design-Build Authority
Agencies in the city of New York needed to state clearance to win design-build authority. Mayor Bill de Blasio hopes the change will allow more efficient development of capital projects.

The Man Who Bought an Out of Service Monorail Train
It only cost him $1,000 to buy the whole train.

Tech Execs Call for More Public Transit Funding in the Boston Region
A Red Line train recently derailed on the T in Boston, providing the latest example of the need for drastic measures to course correct public transit in the region.
Deaths of Seven Motorcyclists Results in Resignation of Motor Vehicle Registry Chief
A pickup truck driver towing a trailer on a two-lane rural road in New Hampshire on June 21 is charged with seven counts of vehicular homicide after colliding with a group of motorcycle riders. Attention has turned to his commercial driver's license.

Numerous Development Subsidies Approved, Despite Controversy, in Cincinnati
The lengths to which the city of Cincinnati should go to attract development investments was up for debate this week.

California's New Vision Zero Task Force Convenes
A new state task could prove its seriousness about ending traffic fatalities, by recommending that two of its most populated counties test speed cameras on highways.

Legalize Basketball Hoops
Noise and drug dealers are two reasons to remove city-owned basketball hoops every day. Or you could give the public resources for fun and exercise in place, which is what Toronto decided to do this week.

Another Proposed Bus Rapid Transit Route Provokes Controversy in Los Angeles
Los Angeles transit planners wants to connect two of its rail lines with a bus rapid transit line. The idea has critics.

Pop Quiz: Name the City Based on its Cycle Lane Icon
The Guardian has a new pop quiz that will test the knowledge of urban aficionados that tend toward two-wheeled forms of transportation.

Voluntary Inclusionary Zoning Scores Early Wins in Philadelphia
A compromise was necessary to enact inclusionary zoning in Philadelphia, and so far it eems to be working out for program supporters.

A New Neighborhood Plan for Staten Island's Bay Street Corridor
A new neighborhood plan for a corner of Staten Island imagines a new downtown along the Bay Street Corridor on the borough's North Shore waterfront.

Walkable Neighborhoods Benefit Property Values
Walkable areas are more prosperous in cities all around the country, a report from Foot Traffic Ahead concludes.

Zoning Slowing Production of New Homes in Massachusetts
A quarter of all Massachusetts renters spend more than half their income on rent. A report from the Smart Growth Alliance argues NIMBYism is partly to blame.
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