The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Seattle Bus

Expansion Planned for Low-Income Bus Pass Program in Seattle

The ORCA Opportunity program will provide free bus passes to some of the city’s low-income residents.

February 26 - Curbed Seattle

PPG Plaza

Pittsburgh's Big Development Plans Ready to Switch Gears

There are plenty of big, splashy projects to track in Pittsburgh's development pipeline.

February 26 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Minnesota Transportation

Major Bus Transit Investments Proposed for Minnesota

Bus transit advocates in the state of Minnesota are happy to see they have a friend in the Governor's Office.

February 26 - MinnPost

Arlington County, Virginia

More Planning Staff Needed to Keep Up With the Amazon Boom in Northern Virginia

The arrival of Amazon's HQ2 facility in Northern Virginia is expected to multiply development investment in the area, requiring more planners to review project proposals.

February 26 - Washington Business Journal

Boston Skyline with Dome

Boston Plans to Put $26 Million Toward Affordable Housing Projects

A new initiative will fund 10 new developments as the city works to increase available affordable housing.

February 26 - The Boston Globe


Timber Production

Seattle Could Be at the Forefront of the Mass Timber Industry

Cross-laminated timber offers a multitude of environmental and economic benefits. With the state’s resources and Seattle’s construction needs, the city is the ideal location for mass timber production to take off.

February 25 - The Urbanist

Low Gas Prices

Seven State DOTs Awarded $10 Million to Study Gas Tax Alternatives

When transportation spending was last reauthorized, rather than hike the gas tax to maintain current spending, Congress diverted general fund revenue. A program to study alternative revenue options was created so states could launch pilot projects.

February 25 - Transport Topics


Broadway Los Angeles

Auto-Centric City Dichotomy: More Mobility Options and More Risk

As cities strive to improve mobility for all users, the existing auto paradigm is slow to change

February 25 - The Conversation

Metropolitan Detention Center

White House Ends Talks with California Over Fuel Efficiency Standards

Ending the talks means litigation will have to settle the conflict over the two standards: California and 12 other states continue to use the Obama-era standard of 36 mpg by 2025, while the administration's rule freezes standards at 2020, or 29 mpg.

February 25 - The Washington Post

Washington

$738 Million Parks Levy on the Ballot for Seattle Area Voters

King County, Washington voters will vote on a parks levy reauthorization in August—at stake is $738 million over the six years to fund improvements to the Seattle area's parks, trails, and open space.

February 25 - The Urbanist

San Francisco Parklet

Role of S.F. Parklets as Public Space Not Always Clear

Parklets in San Francisco are available for public use, but often they serve as extensions of the dining rooms of eateries.

February 25 - San Francisco Chronicle

Transit Oriented Development

FEATURE

Everywhere, Signs of Demise for the Planning Status Quo

The plans, they are a-changin.

February 25 - James Brasuell

Apartment renter

With Growing Number of Affluent Renters, Denver Matches National Trend

The housing crunch and changing lifestyle choices mean more people who could be in the market to buy a home are renting instead.

February 25 - The Denver Post

Tiny Home

Size of New Homes Shrinking in the U.S.

Experts say more builders are building smaller homes to meet demand for cheaper ownership options.

February 25 - The Dallas Morning News

Manhattan Upper West Side

Trump's Name Disappearing from Manhattan Buildings

President's Trump's name appears on six fewer buildings in Manhattan than on Election Day 2016.

February 25 - The Washington Post

Los Angeles Downtown Historic Core

BLOG POST

The 'Failure' of Gentrification?

Urban scholar Joel Kotkin says that gentrification has "failed" in Los Angeles. It's a curious notion, since gentrification is generally considered a bad thing. The reality is much more complex than Kotkin suggests.

February 24 - Josh Stephens

Seattle, Washington

Electric Vehicle-Ready Parking Proposed for All New Seattle Buildings

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan proposed new electric vehicle parking requirements in the recent State of the City address, but the proposal is in keeping with the Seattle Climate Action Plan released in April 2018.

February 24 - Smart Cities Dive

Manhattan

Promised Data-Driven Infrastructure On Hold at Hudson Yards

When the Manhattan megadevelopment got its start, big data was a major part of Hudson Yards' marketing pitch. Now it's "probably the last thing we'll get to."

February 24 - Metropolis Magazine

Washington D.C. - The White House

Does Climate Change 'Really' Pose a Threat to National Security?

The White House is planning to establish a new climate panel, headed by a well-known climate denier, to question the findings of the president's own intelligence agencies that climate change does indeed pose a national security risk.

February 24 - The Washington Post

Cambridge Massachusetts

Cambridge Won’t Reach Goals to Curb Car Ownership

The city’s original plan to decrease car ownership isn’t quite panning out, even with more alternative transportation options for residents.

February 24 - The Boston Globe

Post News

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