The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Largest TIFIA Loan to P3 Goes to Florida's 'I-4 Ultimate' Project

Transportation Secretary Foxx announced the largest TIFIA loan to be awarded to a public-private partnership will be used to widen 21 miles of Interstate 4 in Florida known as "I-4 Ultimate" by adding four express or toll lanes in the Orlando area.

September 12 - Transport Topics

Mixed-use waterfront

6 Ways Urban Renewal Misses the Livability Mark

Despite spending millions on urban renewal projects, municipalities often miss a common group of opportunities to make their communities more livable and walkable, according to William Adams, a San Diego-based land use attorney.

September 12 - UrbDeZine

Crowdsourced App Finds Playgrounds for All Children

A new application, "Playgrounds for Everyone," has a growing database of 2505 inclusive and accessible playgrounds around the country suitable for children with special needs.

September 12 - NPR

Friday Eye Candy: Behold the 'Emojiopolis'

If you're not familiar with the world of emojis, bravo for holding out against the widely adopted trend. But now that (most) people have adopted pictographs for communication, could the shift in communication produce new kinds of landscapes?

September 12 - Sam Jacobs Studio

An image of Transit Oriented Development in Saltillo Lofts, Austin, Texas

Now Available: Federal Grant Funding for Transit Oriented Development

The FTA has announced new funding (albeit, a small amount) through the "Transit-Oriented Development Planning Pilot Program."

September 11 - Transportation for America


Transit Oriented Development Ordinance in Chicago Saves Space and Money

A recently adopted ordinance allows developers to build significantly fewer parking spaces for projects in proximity to transit stations. Developers have already responded to the advantages offered by the reduced requirements.

September 11 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Important Role of Front Porches in Latino Communities

James Rojas explains the importance of front porches in Latino-American communities.

September 11 - Project for Public Spaces blog


Study: Residents Living Near Fracking Suffer Negative Health Impacts

Self-reported respiratory problems and skin irritations were significantly greater for those living near natural gas fracking wells in southwestern Pennsylvania than those living more than two kilometers away, according to a Yale University survey.

September 11 - USA Today

Bus Startup Bridj Hires Gabe Klein as Chief Operations Officer

Gable Klein, former head of transportation for Chicago and Washington D.C., has joined Bridj, a Boston-based startup building dynamically generated bus routes.

September 11 - TechCrunch

nyc. subway.

Shouldn't Transit Managers Actually Ride Transit?

Eric Jaffe lays out the case for why individuals in charge of transit systems should ride transit, and what problems stem from them not doing so right now.

September 11 - CityLab

San Francisco McCoppin Hub

On the Value of Small Spaces in Remaking the Public Realm

San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King reviews, and celebrates, the recent string of small projects that reclaim public space in the city, calling them "modest works of true ambition."

September 11 - San Francisco Chronicle

Op-Ed: Limit Parking to Limit Driving

Matthew Garbet contributes a guest column to the SaportaReport wherein he debunks the "Tipping Point Theory of Transit"—that cities should continue to support cars until a complete transit system is realized.

September 11 - SaportaReport

Golf Joins Agriculture to Oppose EPA's Proposed 'Water of the United States' Rule

Laura Barron-Lopez reports on the golf industry's reaction to proposed rules that would expand and clarify the regulatory powers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.

September 11 - The Hill

Where D.C.'s 'New Communities' Public Housing Program Went Wrong

Washington D.C.'s New Communities program has failed to live up to its titular promise, according to a new report released by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

September 11 - Washington City Paper

Pittsburgh Reaches Deal for 'Transformative' Redevelopment of Lower Hill District

The old Civic Arena site, formerly the home of the Pittsburgh Penguin NHL team, will be redeveloped with the help of the city's largest-ever tax increment financing district.

September 10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Key to Successful Parks: More Female Visitors

The example of Holladay Park in Portland is examined for lessons in improving public spaces through the help of private sector consultants.

September 10 - The Oregonian

Detroit Bankruptcy Breakthrough: Regional Water Authority Moves Forward

One of the most politically treacherous proposals of Detroit's bankruptcy plan has finally gained approval—a regional water authority.

September 10 - The Detroit News

Identifying Trends from Analysis of 7,000 PlanPhilly Stories

A meta-analysis of the archive of popular local planning website PlanPhilly provides insight into the issues and ideas that drive the planning conversation in Philadelphia.

September 10 - PlanPhilly

Downtown Los Angeles Punching Above its Weight in Residential Development

Shane Phillips shares the results of his own analysis about how completely Downtown Los Angeles has dominated the supply of new housing units in the city since 1999.

September 10 - Better Institutions

Seattle's Voter-Approved Park Boom

With Seattle adding new density to go with its status as the fastest growing large city in the country, an August vote to approve and fund the Seattle Park District will have a large impact through the creation of small parks.

September 10 - The Seattle Times

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