The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
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Planetizen Federal Action TrackerA weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Feds to more closely scrutinize proposed Amtrak facility’s environmental impact
The Federal Railroad Administration had initially said the facility qualified for a less extensive environmental review.
Boston is hard to build housing in: its chief of planning wants to keep it that way
Chief of Planning Kairos Shen said she would not make changes to Boston’s affordability requirements for new housing, which critics say have slowed down development.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
With no reauthorization bill in sight, Texas slashes $6.6 billion from transportation budget
An official said the program may receive additional funding when a federal reauthorization bill passes.
Chicago’s new transit authority has ‘unprecedented’ land development power
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority is allowed to buy and develop land for reasons unrelated to transit, a power that is fairly unique among transit authorities.
Iowa taxpayers are paying thousands to clean manure out of their water
While the Clean Water Act makes states responsible for regulating factory farms that discharge pollutants, Iowa has turned a blind eye to the polluting farms.
Amtrak cuts ribbon on Seattle Airo maintenance facility
The $250 million, nearly 100,000-square-foot building can house an entire Cascades Airo trainset.
To power data centers, Google seeks autonomous control of thousands of homes’ electricity
The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.
From robotaxis to robotrains: LA, DC weigh driverless transit
If approved, the projects will take years to implement and face financial and technical hurdles.
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A noise limit on data centers is only as good as its measurement
Counties and states must make conscious decisions about when, where and how they measure data center noise if they want to meaningfully improve residents’ lives.
Dallas suburbs are turning their downtowns into small towns
Four Texas towns are embracing walkability and density in their downtowns.
Home batteries are ushering in an energy revolution
Batteries capable of storing solar energy can stabilize the grid during peaks and keep homes running on cloudy days.
A sneak peek at NYC’s Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild
The city will turn a deck used for storage during the construction process into a park once construction is complete.
Air taxis to connect Texas airports to business hubs
Archer Aviation says its taxis will turn 90 minute drives into 20 minute flights.
Houston is reining in gas station development
The city has proposed new rules that would limit development in residential areas.
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LA doesn’t need new transit for LA28: it needs to connect the transit it already has
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles showed that if the county’s transit providers work together, they can move thousands of people with ease. With two years remaining before the Games, the region should treat that success as inspiration, not a finish line.
Portland to transform vacant landfill into energy-generating sanctuary
The project will boast hundreds of solar panels, and create jobs in Portland’s renewable energy industry
LA accused of breaching $1.4 billion sidewalk repair settlement
The city faces a backlog of nearly 5,000 street repair requests.
MTA kicks off six-year, $1 billion transit upgrade project
The authority is replacing the roughly 90-year-old train signals on the A and C line with modern technology.
Developers may expand largest gas pipeline network in Northwest
Pipeline giant Williams has proposed new expansions for its Northwest Pipeline from the Colorado Rockies through Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
