The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Op-Ed: Stop Letting Alternative Transportation Slice from the Highway Trust Fund Pie

A Congressional bill has been introduced to "provide a long term solution" to the transportation funding problem by eliminating spending on transit, biking, and local projects rather than finding funding to maintain $50 billion in annual spending.

June 19 - Cincinnati Enquirer

Support for Walmart Grows Nationally

Opposition to Walmart is now holding at just 50 percent, when people are asked how they would feel if a Walmart was proposed "in your community." Support for Walmart is up 16 percentage points since 2006.

June 19 - The Saint Index

Seattle City Council

Breaking Down the Seattle City Council's 'War on Density'

Recent legislation considered (with some approved) by the Seattle City Council Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee takes anti-development politics to a new level in a city reacting to years of growth.

June 19 - Publicola

With Planning Approval Comes New Value: How Can Communities Gain Too?

A post by CityMetric uses examples from the United Kingdom to make the case for new approaches to value capture.

June 19 - Citymetric

Friday Funny: Which City Should Be Home to a Real-Life Jurassic Park?

CityLab stages a humorous competition for the location of a likely-to-go-horribly-wrong tourist attraction.

June 19 - CityLab


Seattle skyline

What Cities Can Learn From Companies Migrating to Downtown

The Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown report, released on June 18, 2015, provides in-depth analysis of a powerful trend of companies investing in urban downtowns.

June 19 - Smart Growth America

Paterson: A Postindustrial Portrait

Once a major industrial hub, Paterson, NJ has experienced urban decline since the end of World War II. But the city is rich with history and opportunities for revival. The article chronicles how the city can avail these opportunities through design.

June 18 - Doggerel


End of the Line for Honda's CNG-Fueled Cars, Civic Hybrid, and Accord Plug-In

Honda announced that low gas prices contributed to low demand for the Civic Natural Gas, the only compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered car for sale, the Civic Hybrid, and their first plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle, the Accord.

June 18 - Wall Street Journal

Metro Atlanta Developing 52 Miles of Express Lanes

The Georgia Express Lanes project will add managed traffic lanes to routes along I-85 and two separate stretches along I-75.

June 18 - SaportaReport

Engagement Comes Before Infrastructure

London's deputy mayor for transport says E should come before I—engagement before infrastructure.

June 18 - McKinsey & Company

How NIMBYism Contributes to San Francisco's Housing Shortage

A pattern of opposition to housing projects that leads to the underdevelopment of land has contributed to a housing shortage in San Francisco, writes planning consultant Jim Chappell.

June 18 - UrbDeZine

Learning from New York City's Economic Development Engine

Since 2012, New York City has implemented its vision for economic development through NYCEDC, a non-profit corporation charged with deploying city assets to stimulate economic growth.

June 18 - The Planning Report

Vintage Taxi

Uber Vehicles are Not Taxis, Even When They Want To Be

A June 16 vote by the San Francisco MTA to improve safety will allow taxis, along with bicycles and Muni buses, but not ride-hailing services to make turns onto the downtown's main thoroughfare, Market Street, has upset San Francisco-based Uber.

June 18 - San Francisco Chronicle

Should Egypt Build a New Capital to Replace Cairo?

Reviewing the plausibility of replacing the thousand-year-old capital of Cairo with a new, master planner, $45 billion capital city.

June 18 - Global Site Plans

Mapping the Ongoing Challenges of Environmental Justice

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new tool to visualize the ongoing realties of environmental justice in cities around the country.

June 18 - Fusion

Want Smart Kids? Provide Access to Green Space

A new study finds evidence of the benefits of green space for the cognitive development of children.

June 18 - The Atlantic

San Antonio Outpaces Austin in Millennial Growth

The question remains whether San Antonio can back up the population of young people moving to the city with desirable multi-family housing.

June 17 - San Antonio Business Journal

Labor Ruling in California Means Big Changes for Uber's Business Model

A California labor commissioner has resolved a long-standing dispute over the employment status of Uber drivers. Uber and other transportation network companies will have to adjust.

June 17 - Bloomberg Business

Toronto to Implement '10-Minute-Or-Better' Transit Service Network

Toronto Transit Commission recently approved a major overhaul of transit service in the city. In total, 52 transit routes will operate on ten-minute (or better) headways.

June 17 - Progressive Railroading

Urban Institute Report: Peak Homeownership Reached Nine Years Ago

Homeownership peaked at 67.3% in 2006. The Urban Institute forecasts its decline to the year 2030. Emily Badger of The Washington Post Wonkblog writes on the report released this month that evaluates homeownership rates among different demographics.

June 17 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.