The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Making Transportation Options Safer for Women

A post by the World Band surveys efforts around the world to mainstream gender on public transport—an effort challenged substantially by continued risks to the safety of women.

January 18 - The World Bank

Is Housing 'Baggage' Holding America Back?

Throwing money at our housing problems is clearly not the answer, but are there ideas from markets in Europe that might work for us?

January 18 - Rooflines

The Evolution of Austin—Found on Sixth Street

A Dallas Morning News column illustrates the evolution of Austin by exploring the changes in the neighborhoods along the city's famous Sixth Street corridor.

January 17 - The Dallas Morning News

Architecture for Humanity Closes—Cites Lack of Funding

A sad day for the mission of using design to benefit the most vulnerable among us, Architecture for Humanity closed its doors earlier this month.

January 17 - San Francisco Chronicle

Qualcomm Stadium

Debunking Myths about NFL Stadium Construction

Political leaders in San Diego have spent years characterizing the city's NFL team as a regional asset, requiring a new stadium to keep in place. A column debunks some of the logic behind how and why behind some of that reasoning.

January 17 - Voice of San Diego


Conservative Columnist Promotes $1 Gas Tax Alternative

Charles Krauthammer offers his own brand of gas tax hike that differs from others mentioned recently. One, it's much bigger. Two, revenues won't be used for transportation. It would be revenue neutral; all funds would be returned to taxpayers.

January 17 - The Washington Post

Lessons for the Real World in SimCity 4's Homeless Problem

Emanuel Maiberg discusses an ongoing crisis in a simulated version of reality familiar to many planners—i.e., the homelessness problem in SimCity 4.

January 17 - Motherboard


Metro Map

Pop Quiz: Can You Name Cities from their Transit Maps?

What better way to wind down from a long week thinking about cities and maps and transportation than by taking a quiz to show off your knowledge of cities and maps and transportation?

January 16 - The Washington Post

Welcome

More Evidence of the 'Neighborhood Effect'

Two recent studies find evidence of a powerful "neighborhood effect" for economic mobility—especially on the incomes of blue collar and service workers as compared to knowledge and creative workers.

January 16 - CityLab

Critic: Development Proposal to Close for Comfort to Philadelphia's Rodin Museum

Architecture Critic Inga Saffron decries the development proposal making progress through the approval process in Philadelphia—a large, glassy residential building that would encroach on the tiny serenity of the Rodin Museum.

January 16 - Philadelphia Inquirer

State-Level Data Reveals Earlier Peak Driving than Previously Thought

With implications on the narrative of peak driving and on the economic forces that drive the country, a new study reveals that some statewide populations began driving less as early as 1992.

January 16 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Bucktown and Wicker Park, Chicago

When 'Gentrification is Good'

Looking a little closer at a city not called New York, San Francisco, or Boston, one writer argues that gentrification is often a good thing.

January 16 - The Corner Side Yard

A Small Town Supports Citywide 25-mph Speed Limit

One town in Georgia recently conducted a public opinion poll finding that most of its 19,000-plus citizens support reduced speed limits on all city streets.

January 16 - Decatur Metro

California High-Speed Rail's Second Construction Contract: $1.36 Billion

A week after the groundbreaking ceremony for California's beleaguered high speed rail project, a second construction contract has been awarded. The rail authority will now build 29 miles north and 65 miles south of Fresno to the Kern County line.

January 16 - The Fresno Bee

Checking in on New York City's Affordable Housing Efforts

First, a new report from NYU's Furman Center details the evolving characteristics of subsidized rental housing in New York City. Second, the results from Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing efforts are in from his first year in office.

January 16 - NYU Furman Center

'Urban Yoga' Reveals the Human Element in Cities

"The Urban Yoga Photo Book" is a new, Kickstarter-funded photo book that blends the beauty and grace of yoga with the grit and structure of urban settings.

January 16 - Urbanful

Low Gas Prices

Friday Funny: the Onion Asks, 'Why Are Gas Prices So Low?'

The Onion is back with its unique brand of hard-hitting satire on the conditions of American life. This time the joke is on Americans celebrating low prices at the pump.

January 16 - The Onion

'Inequality Happens?' Hopefully Not

Even local officials who prefer to talk about the fiscal rebound of their cities will not be able to accept escalating inequality as a byproduct of urban growth forever.

January 15 - Rooflines

Report Recommends Bus Rapid Transit to Improve Traffic Safety

A new report by from the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ EMBARQ initiative provides evidence of the benefits of safe, well-designed BRT and bus priority systems.

January 15 - The City Fix

Plan Portsmouth

A Small Town's Game-Changing Approach to Mapping

Portsmoth, New Hampshire has created textured, 3D maps of its historic district to help illustrate development impacts during the approval process.

January 15 - Next City

Post News
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.