The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Pedestrian safety in Philadelphia is a mixed bag. While it can often be a pleasant, pedestrian-friendly city, recent pedestrian deaths have highlighted the ongoing need to improve the safety of the Philadelphia's sidewalks and streets.

June 23 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau continues his case for proclaiming the City of Angels as the museum capital of the United States.

June 23 - UrbDeZine

Washington D.C. is experiencing a "rush" on new construction of renovated townhouses or "pop-ups," which many say do not fit the character of the neighborhoods where they tend to proliferate.

June 23 - Washington Post

In a 5-4 decision on June 23, the Supreme Court ruled that EPA erred in the permitting processes for new carbon-cutting rules. However, most of the Clean Power Plant rule that reduces emissions 30 percent will not be affected.

June 23 - Los Angeles Times

Louisville, like many other cities around the country, has been working hard to reduce the number of abandoned buildings. Recent efforts have provided the city with a new road map for blight reduction.

June 23 - The Courier-Journal

While biking might be seen as a young person's cause, new data from the National Household Travel Survey show that American's aged 60-79 are responsible for a huge chunk of new riders.

June 23 - Streetsblog USA

After the New Cities Summit last week, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week, Dallas has been the location of a lot of recent discussion about the future of cities.

June 23 - Dallas Morning News

A precedent-setting settlement for a cyclist run over after being doored should send a message to motorists, both exiting their parked vehicle and when driving, and cyclists when riding adjacent to parked cars.

June 23 - Streetsblog USA

BLOG POST

Chicago's complaints about the signage on Donald Trump's new tower are predictable enough. What's surprising is that the people to design buildings rarely, if ever, get the slightest recognition in the public realm.

June 23 - Josh Stephens

The findings of the Housing Works survey, released earlier this month, suggest that the cost of housing is a pervasive concern among Americans, even if Americans aren't sure they support the kinds of measures necessary to improve the problem.

June 23 - Governing

BLOG POST

The least congested cities tend to be small, declining, and dangerous.

June 22 - Michael Lewyn

A hedge fund manager recently took it upon himself to bring 20 goats into Detroit as an experiment of urban agriculture. The city quickly shipped the herd off, but fans of goats wonder why these animals shouldn't have a place in the city.

June 22 - NPR The Salt

Pittsburgh leads all American cities in the number of its public stairways (followed by Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco), but the city has begun removing some of the staircases, citing the high cost of maintenance and public safety.

June 22 - The Wall Street Journal

The 12-cent indexed gas tax hike isn't even a formal bill, yet it's making waves in a Republican Congressional primary in Sen. Bob Corker's home state of Tennessee. One candidate challenged another to take a position on it.

June 22 - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Josh Barro examines the possible use of inclusionary zoning to generate affordable housing stock in the city of New York City finding that the only way to build more affordable units is by increasing density.

June 22 - New York Times

Responding to advocates who are calling for granny flats as a potential boon to the city's housing stock, city staff will begin a public engagement process this summer in preparation for possible changes to the city's zoning code.

June 21 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

An academic look at unauthorized housing in the Los Angeles area: Interview of Jacob Wegmann by Los Angeles County Planner Jonathan Bell

June 21 - UrbDeZine

Dave Helling details the political machinations behind the state of Missouri's proposed statewide transportation sales tax that will appear before voters in August.

June 21 - The Kansas City Star

Jerry Brown signed a $156.3-billion budget on June 20 that marks a new day for greenhouse gas-reducing transportation and sustainable communities projects due to new revenues from the state's cap and trade market now and, particularly, in the future.

June 21 - TransForm

In a significant advancement in New York City mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to eliminate vehicle fatalities in the city, the New York State Assembly voted to allow a citywide change in the speed limit—from 30 to 25 miles per hour.

June 21 - New York Times