The City of Austin will hire consultants to develop a Downtown Austin Plan to create "one of the best downtowns in the country."
"Austin Mayor Will Wynn and other local leaders believe Downtown can eventually have as many as 25,000 residents and encourages that many parking lots be replaced with multi-level parking and condos, with downtown rail lines to help mobility...[the mayor] announced a City Council resolution to hire consultants to develop a Downtown Austin Plan aimed at turning those parking lots, and other underutilized space, into a more people-friendly, mass transit-navigable, and revenue-generating vertical topography."
In addition to a plan for subsidizing affordable housing downtown, the resolution anticipates "that a critical mass of downtown residents will provide a steady market for retail, restaurants, and (especially) mass transit that all of Austin can enjoy. The 'density begets density' argument is familiar to anyone who paid attention to the city's other recent densification efforts, such as commercial design standards or the transit-oriented development ordinance, and the plan includes many familiar features -- rail and dedicated bus lines, updating infrastructure, and dealing with those pesky height restrictions, to name a few."
FULL STORY: Downtown Density Dreams
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence
Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?
Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability
Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.
Indy Bikeshare System Turns 10, Expands to E-Bikes
Pacers Bikeshare riders logged over 700,000 rides since the system launched in 2014.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
