The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
The Not-So-Great Lessons of SimCity
A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?
Viaduct Removal Coming to Chicago's Western Avenue
Demolition of the Western Avenue viaduct will begin on March 1. An at-grade intersection will replace the old structure.
Making the Case for Mixed-Use, Walkable Development: #BuildHereNow
A new social media-fueled engagement effort is shedding light on the policies that make it hard to build walkable, mixed-use infill in communities around the country.
Pittsburgh-Area Buses Due for a Fare Overhaul
Public hearings have begun for a proposal that would implement a flat fare system on the Port Authority of Allegheny County transit system.
Detroit's Business Community Ties Its Fate to Detroit's Neighborhoods
The Detroit Regional Chamber made an explicit show of solidarity with the concerns of neighborhood revitalization in the many neighborhoods of the city.
The United States of Startup Accelerators
The Brookings Institution mapped the proliferation of startup accelerators—an increasingly popular tool for economic growth.
Smart Design = Smart Policy? Not So Fast
After a few decades watching—and sometimes helping—great ideas die of overexposure to reality, I'm convinced it's not enough to just listen to folks you're hoping to help. You have to make something happen. A well-conceived charrette helps.
Ten States Could Hike Gas Taxes this Year
With gas prices the lowest since 2009, ten state legislatures and governors consider raising state gas taxes, though many are accompanied by fiscally questionable tax shifts. Some tried and failed last year. All of the proposed increases are modest.
BLOG POST
DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning
Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.
Facebook Is Mapping the World's Buildings
A mapping project lead by Facebook's Connectivity Lab is gathering data from all over the atmosphere, and beyond, to make a comprehensive map of the world's buildings.
A Failing Anchor Sinks All Mall Businesses
The big anchor businesses of malls are bleeding business and closing stores, dragging the rest of the mall business down with them.
Miami's Looming Climate Change Disaster
Many experts believe that a property crash, as a result of Hurricanes or sea level rise, on the coast of South Florida is inevitable. But that hasn't deterred the suppliers or the consumers in the Miami real estate market.
BLOG POST
It's Our Future You Are Planning For: Getting Youth Involved in Planning
This blog post highlights resources available to help engage children and young adults in participatory planning processes.
'Peak Millennial' Has Passed: What Comes Next for Cities and Suburbs?
The largest cohort of Millennials (those born in 1990) recently turned 25, leaving only smaller waves of their generational peers to follow. Are economic and generational trends primed for another, suburban shift?
Ohio Supreme Court Comes to the Rescue of Municipal Golf in Cincinnati
The Ohio Supreme Court had to intervene in the complicated issue of municipal golf courses managed by private operators. In the end, Cincinnati's municipal golf courses will keep their property tax exemptions.
Loan Program Provides Gentrification Defense Near Chicago's 606 Bike Trail
That beautiful new bike lane, known as the 606, in Chicago has brought along with it local concerns about gentrification. The city and a local non-profit have teamed up to create a loan program to help current residents stay ahead of the curve.
'Rust Belt Riders' Grow New Composting Service in Cleveland
Waste management and composting take an entrepreneurial twist through Cleveland millennials' burgeoning home-grown business.
BLOG POST
Tip of the Iceberg: Seeking Real Accessibility in Community Engagement
Do modern accessibility regulations go far enough to ensure fair access to all community members for public engagement activities? How can we design our planning processes to reach the broadest demographic?
Sacramento Region Approves New Transportation Plan
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments put the finishing touches on the 2016 update to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 MTP/SCS) last week.
Kentucky Governor Rules Out Bridge Tolls — Could Jeopardize Federal Funding
Gas taxes and road and bridge tolls are not very popular, but important nonetheless. Gov. Matt Bevin (R) will sign a bill that prohibits tolls on a new Ohio River bridge, and might also endanger federal funding.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
