Government / Politics

Tokyo Skyline

Japan's Rental Housing Market Defined by Land Scarcity, Earthquakes, Demographic Shifts

The island nation's housing market faces a discrepancy between existing stock and rapidly changing demographics.

May 9, 2021 - Brookings Institution

California Aqueduct

Southern California's Water Conservation and Storage Efforts Paying Off

The region has poured over a billion dollars into storage infrastructure and demand management policies in anticipation of worsening drought conditions.

May 7, 2021 - Bloomberg Green+CityLab

Red Light Camera

Texas Lawmakers Want to Shut Down Grandfathered Red-Light Cameras

Despite a statewide ban approved by the Texas State Legislature in 2019, four Texas cities still have active contracts with photographic enforcement companies.

May 7, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

American River Bike Trail, Sacramento, CA

Regional Bikeway System Planned for Sacramento Area

The proposed network would improve connectivity between the area's existing bikeways and increase access to regional job centers.

May 6, 2021 - Sacramento Bee

California

'Indirect Source Rule' Would Clean Up Warehouses in Southern California

Dr. Joe Lyou, CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air, walks through the legal necessity of South Coast AQMD's proposed Indirect Source Rule, which aims to accelerate the transition to zero-emission technologies and fleet electrification.

May 6, 2021 - The Planning Report

Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester Massachusetts

Transitional Housing Project Rejected Due to Parking Concerns

The nonprofit developer of a transitional housing project in Dorchester, Massachusetts argues that most residents of the proposed project won't own cars, but neighbors worry the added density will put a strain on local parking.

May 6, 2021 - Universal Hub

Racial Equity in Planning

Equity and 'Righting Past Wrongs' to Start the 2021 National Planning Conference

The American Planning Association's 2021 National Planning Conference started streaming this morning, with an obvious focus on equity and the historical role of the planning profession in perpetuating systemic racism.

May 5, 2021 - James Brasuell

Route 66 Bridge in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Towns Offering Cash to Lure Remote Workers

Smaller cities are luring newly untethered workers with cash incentives, bikes, and other local perks.

May 5, 2021 - Medium

Community Meeting

Why Participatory Planning Fails (and How to Fix It)

“Having participated in several of the I-70 meetings, I got to see firsthand how community input really just meant show up, complain, and we’re going to do the opposite of what you’re asking,” says one Denver councilmember.

May 4, 2021 - Next City

Dealer

Biden Administration Hits Automotive Emissions Reset Button

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rolled back Trump administration reductions of auto emission standards enacted by the Trump administration, and is taking first steps toward a new emissions agreement with automakers.

May 3, 2021 - The Washington Post

SouthWest Transit

Senate Committee Hearing Signals Possible Shift in Federal Transit Funding

Transit advocates were pleasantly surprised to hear senators address specific questions about the 80/20 split in transportation funding, transit operations, and rural transit needs.

May 3, 2021 - Transportation for America

I-71 I-70 Columbus OH

Northeast Ohio Agency Set to Reject Three Highway Proposals

The agency's recommendations are based on a new method of cost-benefit analysis that includes equity and environmental sustainability as key measures.

May 3, 2021 - Cleveland.com

COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemic Still Surging in Parts of the U.S.

Bloomberg News' 'Evening Briefing' on April 29 looked at the global pandemic, noting the horrific scenes in India, Brazil's rising death toll, and added, "Coronavirus mutations are also wreaking havoc in America." Oregon is their focus.

May 2, 2021 - Bloomberg News

Florida Roads

Florida Highway Project Faces Opposition From All Sides

Critics worry the proposed 330-mile corridor would encourage sprawl, harm wildlife, and saddle the state with decades of debt.

May 2, 2021 - Grist

San Carlos, California

Pandemic Street to Outlast Pandemic in California (By 2.5 Months)

Gov. Newsom's unexpected announcement that the pandemic would end on June 15 led one city to consider reopening its al fresco street and parklets to motor vehicles. After hearing from the public, the city council sided with diners over drivers.

April 29, 2021 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Oil field and houses in Signal Hill, California

Your Not-So-Friendly Neighborhood Oil Well

Much of California's oil and gas extraction takes place in residential neighborhoods, posing significant health risks to entire communities.

April 29, 2021 - Yale Environment 360

Vancouver

Vancouver Considers Easing Rezoning for Social Housing

The proposal would let non-profits build housing developments of up to six stories without a public rezoning process in mid-rise neighborhoods.

April 29, 2021 - The Province

Waldorf-Astoria

Special Permits Could Be Required for Hotel Development in New York City

Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing ahead with a controversial approval step for hotel development, despite the warnings of city budget office staff about the long-term consequences of the move.

April 29, 2021 - The New York Times

Downtown Detroit

How Easy Is it to Repurpose Offices into Apartments?

Adaptive reuse is a hot concept, but regulatory and financial hurdles have made it slow to catch on in practice.

April 28, 2021 - Slate

Garbage truck and garbage collector

New York City Battles a Garbage Crisis

Last year's budget cuts have led to mounting complaints as the city's sanitation department falls behind on collections and rodent complaints surge.

April 28, 2021 - Bloomberg

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.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.