The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

British COlumbia

Youth Ride Transit Free in Victoria, B.C.

The city of Victoria is using parking revenue to fund free transit for everyone under 18 years old.

June 13 - Global News

Los Angeles Bungalow Court

On the Massive Carbon Savings of Gentle Density

A thought experiment compares the carbon impact of three new single family homes with the same block if it contained a duplex, a triplex, and a fourplex.

June 13 - Sightline Institute

Arlington County, Virginia

Amazon Donates $3 Million for Housing in Northern Virginia

The online retail giant also donated funding for educational programs at a nearby university and a nearby community college.

June 13 - The Washington Post

Western Massachusetts

Reviving an Old Regional Rail Route to Spur Tourism in Western Massachusetts

The Berkshire Mountains have long been a popular destination for sightseers, tourists, and weekend warriors. A pilot Amtrak route is designed to attract new waves of New Yorkers to the region.

June 13 - Curbed Boston

Pedestrians and Walkable Street

Pedestrian Planning in Response to Worsening Safety Data

Faced with rapidly deteriorating pedestrian safety statistics, Montgomery County in Maryland is getting to work on a new Pedestrian Plan, following closely on the heels of work completed for the county's Bicycle Master Plan.

June 13 - Bethesda Magazine


Manhattan, New York City, New York

Advocating for Upzoning in Two of New York's Wealthiest Neighborhoods

The New York City Department of City Planning is expected, very soon, to release a rezoning proposal for the neighborhoods of SoHo and NoHo in New York City.

June 13 - Medium

London

Around the Globe, Urban Diversity Is Alive and Well

It might feel like the world is shrinking as globalization expands, but many cities still have their individual characters and qualities.

June 12 - Bloomberg


Complete Street Vancouver

OP-ED: Why Quality Matters in Bike Lanes

The real test of a city’s bike infrastructure isn’t measured in miles of bike lane but in how comfortable and safe they are for everyone.

June 12 - Fast Company

Seattle Multi-Family and Downtown

Doubt Cast on Induced Demand for Housing

Applied to roads, the theory of induced demand says new construction only brings out more users. But can something similar be said of housing? According to this research, the likely answer is no.

June 12 - City Observatory

Albany

'Landmark' Rent Protections Deal Moving Forward in New York

The New York State Legislature has made a deal paving the way for local governments to approve rent regulations—a degree of local control that was previously impossible in the state.

June 12 - The New York Times

McMansion

Study: A McMansion Can't Buy Happiness

As houses grow and households shrink, many Americans have a lot more space to themselves. But recent research says they aren't any happier trying to keep up with Joneses.

June 12 - The Atlantic

Atlanta Park

A Sustainability Plan for Georgia's Most Populous County

Fulton County, Georgia, home to Atlanta, adopted the "2019 Sustainability Plan + Resilience" earlier this month, focused on addressing the effects of climate change.

June 12 - SaportaReport

Inland Empire, California

The Small City Leading the New Era of Redevelopment in California

La Verne is the first city in Los Angeles County, and one of the first in the state, to implement an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, designed to generate a source of funding to replace the loss of redevelopment funds during the recession.

June 12 - San Francisco Chronicle

Adams Morgan District

The Case for Upzoning

The parallel crises of pollution and housing affordability require denser zoning of land uses, otherwise known as upzoning, according to this article.

June 12 - Greater Greater Washington

Surveying

Private Golf Courses Closing in Chicago's Suburbs

Failing golf courses pose a choice for cities that can use tax dollars to turn them public or put the land to use in other ways.

June 12 - Crain's Chicago Business

Hudson Yards, New York City

NYC Planning Head Defends Growth-Oriented Policies

Acknowledging anti-development sentiments currently simmering at an "all-time high," New York's planning director Marisa Lago defended de Blasio administration policies like mandatory inclusionary housing.

June 12 - Crain's Business New York

The Transit Agency formerly known as the Nashville MTA

Following a Failed Referendum, Nashville Transit Advocates Regroup

Last spring, voters resoundingly quashed Let's Move Nashville, a $5.4 billion plan to build out the city's transit options. The plan paid too little attention to current riders, advocates say, and they aim to do things differently.

June 11 - TransitCenter

Yosemite Shuttle

Yosemite Shuttles Reportedly Crowded and Unsafe

The popular park's shuttle buses are intended to ease traffic and get people out of their cars. But critics say management and maintenance of the shuttle system leave much to be desired.

June 11 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Transbay Transit Center

Cracked Beams Repaired, S.F.'s Transbay Transit Center Ready to Reopen

Buses and people will soon return to the Transbay Transit Center, which operated for just over a month at the end of 2018 before structural flaws forced the closure of the facility for inspections and repairs.

June 11 - San Francisco Chronicle

Accessory Dwelling Unit

ADU Reform Moves Forward in Seattle

A sweeping reform of Seattle's current accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules is currently underway. Proposed legislation sets the stage for an ADU boom to potentially match Vancouver and Portland.

June 11 - The Urbanist

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Top Books

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.