One quick way to build sprawl.

The Florida State Legislature is responding to ongoing growth pressure by making it easier to build sprawling development.
HB 439, under consideration by the Florida Legislature would change the legal definition of “sprawl,” along with other key terms of land use regulation, such as “intensity” and “density.”
According to an article by Ben Abramson for Strong Towns, the changes are designed to “remove existing guardrails on a certain type of development in Florida.”
So, for example, the definition of sprawl would be changed from ‘a development pattern characterized by low-density, automobile-dependent development with either a single use or multiple uses that are not functionally related, requiring the extension of public facilities and services in an inefficient manner’ to ‘an unplanned development pattern.’
“The definition of ‘intensity’ would omit existing language that considers ‘the measurement of the use of or demand on natural resources, and the measurement of the use of or demand on facilities and services,’ and henceforth be ‘expressed in square feet per unit of land,’” according to Abramson’s explanation. “A redefining of ‘density’ would replace references to people, residents, or employees with ‘dwelling unit per acre.’”
Strong Towns’ Director of Community Action Edward Erfurt is quoted in the article saying that the legislation ‘knocks the wind out of the definition by leveling the playing field for all development to be equal.’
FULL STORY: Don’t Like Sprawl? Just Call It Something Else.

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

Report: Austin’s State Roads Deadlier Than City Roads
Traffic fatalities and serious injuries grew on state-owned roads in the Texas capital, even as city-owned streets saw death rates plateau.

Who Benefits Most from Land Conservation Efforts?
A new study estimates that recent land conservation generated $9.8 billion in wealth nationally through the housing market and that wealthier and White households benefited disproportionately.

Richmond Repeals Parking Minimums, Encourages Off-Street Parking and Transit
The Virginia city is replete with underused off-street parking lots, which city councilors hope to make available for parking at more times while encouraging transit use.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.