The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Friday Funny: Copy-Cat Planner Can't Help It
The Onion has once again focused its satirical gaze on the art and science of planning, this time telling the fictional story of a planner in Des Moines, Iowa, who just couldn't help but copy Philadelphia.
Charlotte Mayor Arrested After Taking Bribes for Zoning, Parking
Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was first elected to the city council in 1993. He’s expected to be indicted on public corruption charges next week after accepting more than $48,000 for “the use of his official position..."
Is this Closure? Bank of America Settles with FHFA for $9.3 Billion
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $9.3 billion settlement with Bank of America following a 2011 suit tied to the bank’s role in selling faulty mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A Call for a Youth Movement in the Planning Process
Most millennials and Gen Xers are either too busy or too disengaged to realize how the future of their hometowns is being shaped by people much older than they.
Legal Battle Over Transportation Network Companies Shifts to Chicago
Chicago political leaders are floating a pair of competing bills that would regulate transportation network companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar. Cab companies are pushing for legislation, seeking a “level playing field” in the market.
Small City Braces for Marijuana Dispensaries with New Zoning Restrictions
Burlington, Massachusetts is considering a zoning bylaw to determine the location of “Registered Marijuana Dispensaries” before a state deadline for creating land use controls for dispensaries. The legal distinctions in zoning for RMDs are tricky.
What Street Grids Reveal About a City
Author and blogger David Prowler takes a lighthearted and pictorial look at what the layout of a town's streets unveils about a city's history and aspirations.
Energy Economics: Europe Pays Steap Price For Opposing Fracking
When it comes to fracking, much dialog is about energy vs. environment. Not this one. NPR reports on the economic consequences of Europe's rejection of fracking. Many European companies are setting up shop in the U.S. where energy may cost 75% less.
Kansas City Streetcar Expansion Moves Forward; Wealthy Enclave Opts Out
A pair of articles by the Kansas City Star details a surprising development in the preparation for an expansion of the city’s streetcar: the affluent neighborhood of Brookside along the southwest corridor of the proposed extension opted out.
Economic Impact Report or 'Siren Call'?
Marlys Harris describes a simple way to overcome the default opposition setting that determines most local politics: “the sweet yoo-hoo of the economic-impact study.”
Checking in on the Bicycle Backlash
Alan Davies writes from Down Under about a recent controversy in the Australian media about the “menace” of cycling in the urban core—where some are tired of the bicycle lobby's advancements of its cause.
The Most Dangerous Small Towns in America
Where are the most dangerous—and least populated—places to live in America? Surprisingly, none are on the west coast.
Push to 'Free the Food Trucks' in Dallas
A newly formed coalition of the food truck owners has begun lobbying the Dallas City Council to reduce the regulations governing the operation of food trucks around the city and open the streets to mobile food vending.
Houston Launching 'Goal Zero' Bike Safety Program
Following the lead of New York City and San Francisco, Houston is the latest large American city to launch a program aimed at eliminating bike fatalities. The program includes funding for the creation of a Bicycle Master Plan.
A Female Champion for Salt Lake City’s 'Transportation Revolution'
Robin Hutcheson has led the transportation planning division of Salt Lake City since 2011—a period of expansion for multi-modal transportation improvements all over the city.
Room for Improvement for Citi Bike—But Not Dead Yet
Nancy Scola responds to a recent Wall Street Journal article detailing the ongoing financial troubles of Citi Bike—New York City’s bikeshare program, which is reportedly scrambling for money and operating deeply in the red.
Catastrophic Mud Slide in Washington—Could it Have Been Prevented?
The death toll in this rural area 55 miles north of Seattle in Snohomish County is expected to rise. Rain had saturated the ground and led to the collapse of a hillside about 600 feet high and 1,500 feet long. But was the slide foreseeable?
Graphic Reveals Cardinal Orientation of Street Grids
Seth Kadish says he was born with an innate sense of direction. As such, he appreciates street grids oriented to cardinal directions. The phenomena interested him enough to create a graphic that visualizes the orientation of 12 urban areas.
Tappan Zee Bridge Bike and Pedestrian Path Sparks Controversy
A recent article calls it likes it sees it: most would consider a three-mile bike and pedestrian path over the Hudson River a gift. Not so in South Nyack, at the western end of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, where such a plan sparked vehement opposition.
Commuter Taxes: An Untapped Revenue Source?
For all those cities that double population during the work day, here's a revenue thought to consider. But why restrict it to in-bound commuters? What about residents who commute-out of the city? Is the commuter tax a legitimate revenue source?
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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Planning for Universal Design
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