The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

According to new date from the U.S. Census, McMansions are back. In fact, the data indicates that the housing crash and recession was a temporary pause in the long-term trend of the always-expanding American home.

June 6 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, details the ongoing preparation and response his regional water agency has championed in the face of the driest calendar year in the state's history.

June 6 - The Planning Report

A private bus service launched this week in Boston that decides service based on crowdsourced data on where and when people need to travel.

June 6 - New York Times

Convincing neighborhood stakeholders and local businesses that shutting down a street to cars is a good idea can be a herculean task. After nine years of work to do just that, a group of advocates in Philadelphia has lessons to share.

June 6 - This Old City

Joel Kotkin picks up on the findings of a study released in March from Cleveland State University about the city's net increase in young, well-educated population and recommends a regional approach to ensuring that the growth sticks.

June 6 - Forbes

A Tumblr called Signs from the Near Future has seen the signs, and has predicted what the signs of the future will look like.

June 6 - Signs from the Near Future

The Washington Post editorializes against the use of general funds to fill the Highway Trust Fund shortfall ($18 billion annually), whether they be dedicated funds or offsets, and evaluates proposals from President Barack Obama and House Republicans.

June 6 - The Washington Post - Opinions

Although the skateboard's been around for a while, recent modifications to traditional designs are targeting skateboards for an older, wealthier demographic.

June 5 - The Wall Street Journal

A state-by-state breakdown of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed carbon reduction rule reveals that some states will have to go far beyond the 30 percent goals for the country overall.

June 5 - Governing

Andrew Keatts interviews Benjamin Ross, of Maryland's Purple Line advocacy fame, about what it takes to build local support for transit and urban design.

June 5 - Voice of San Diego

All over the country, local craft brews, and the restaurants that serve them, have been drivers of economic development and neighborhood revitalization. But a restrictive law in Minneapolis has prevented the full benefit of the industry.

June 5 - Minneapolis Post

A recent article by Sommer Mathis fills a void in supportive arguments for alternative forms of transportation: giving people more and better options not to drive, especially while drunk, is a massive public safety issue.

June 5 - CityLab

Here's one you probably didn't see coming. A recent pair of articles makes the case for preservationists to find ways to protect surface parking lots.

June 5 - Public History Commons

During Australia's 12-year drought, cities like Brisbane cut water usage per-person-per-day by more than half. Andy Lipkis, the founder and president of TreePeople, believes Los Angeles can follow this example.

June 5 - The Planning Report

As part of an initiative called Choose Chicago, meant to boost the city's draw for tourists, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pursuing a plan to light the city up

June 5 - Chicago Tribune

Climate mitigation and adaptation have become de rigeur aspects of urban planning for most cities, according to results from MIT's international Urban Climate Change Governance Survey. What's missing in most plans is the link to economic development.

June 5 - MIT News

FEATURE

Google's bold new design for a self-driving car has no steering wheel or pedals. And it has a top speed of 40 km/h. Here is a look at Google’s plans and the role low-speed automated vehicles could play in urban transportation.

June 5 - Antonio Loro

The Washington Post has a look at the initial draft of MoveDC, Washington D.C.'s Multimodal Long Range Transportation Plan, which will guide the city's transportation plans until 2040. The plan is available for public comment until July 6, 2014.

June 4 - The Washington Post

Garden cities have been making news lately thanks to a new book by architect Robert A.M. Stern, but a design competition and policy declarations in the United Kingdom have put some serious skin in the game.

June 4 - BBC News

The eventuality predicted since San Francisco's Prop. B qualified for the ballot has come to pass, with more than 59 percent of San Francisco voters approving the ordinance that will require votes on developments exceeding existing height limits.

June 4 - SFGate