The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Canyon the Grids

Friday Eye Candy: 'Crayon the Grids' City Mapping

Artist-scientist Stephen Von Worley is taking on a new project— mapping the world's city streets based on a complex set of algorithms and psychedelic colors.

November 7 - Urbanful

Tailoring Bikeshare for Underserved Communities

As discussed on Longbeachize by Brian Addison, a new movement in Long Beach is working to make bikesharing more accessible for marginalized communities.

November 6 - Longbeachize

Pasadena Ditches 'Level of Service' Review for Multi-Modal Measurements

Pasadena got out in front of the state of California this week by replacing "level of service" with a more holistic, less car-centric, set of standards for review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

November 6 - Boyonabike!

Einstein's Bike Shop

Study Ties Bike Infrastructure to Increased Active Commutes

A study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina finds a connection between bike-friendly infrastructure investments and positive public health outcomes.

November 6 - ScienceDaily

Los Angeles Considering Diagonal Crosswalks

With a plan to add diagonal crosswalks at several intersections in Los Angeles on the table, will the recent shift toward pedestrian friendly streets be enough to make the idea stick?

November 6 - Los Angeles Times


Competitors File Suit Over San Francisco's Airbnb Legislation

The already controversial law enabling Airbnb in San Francisco will head to court, as a competitor believes the city has granted Airbnb an unfair advantage.

November 6 - SFGate

recycled greywater

U.S. Water Use Hits 45-Year Low

Recent data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that the country is using less water even as its population grows.

November 6 - United States Geological Survey


Nothing to See Here: Detroit's Blockbuster Blight Bid Falls Through

Anna Clark has the scoop about the latest wrinkle in the blockbuster Detroit blight auction: the surprise, mysterious bid for 6,000 parcels if off the table.

November 6 - Next City

Election 2014 Roundup

Following on on our earlier coverage of the Nov. 4, 2014 election, here is a supplemental list of election reporting and analysis on land use, infrastructure, and transportation. Please add anything we missed in the comments.

November 6 - Planetizen

Campaign 2014 Results: Bay Area Transportation, Land Use, and Soda Tax Measures

Votes exceeded the two-thirds threshold to pass two vital transportation funding measures in San Francisco and Alameda counties. In Berkeley (which passed the nation's first soda tax) and Menlo Park, voters resoundingly reject anti-growth measures.

November 6 - San Francisco Chronicle

Campaign 2014 Results: Transportation, Energy, Conservation Measures

We've covered a wide variety of ballot measures that appeared on the Nov. 4, 2014 ballot. While the media has focused greatly on Congressional and gubernatorial outcomes, we'll look at the results of the state and local measures we've covered here.

November 6 - T4America Blog

Paying a Premium to Live on New York City's Shortest Streets

One-block streets are, often one-way and without sidewalks, are home to some of New York City's desirable residences.

November 5 - New York Times

HUD Report: Progress in the Fight Against Homelessness

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress shows substantial decreases in the number of homeless this year, especially homeless veterans.

November 5 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Working Adults More Likely to Live with Roommates

Recent data by Zillow suggests that we might all soon be living like the Golden Girls (original author's joke).

November 5 - The Billfold

El Paso Launches 'Brio' Bus Rapid Transit Line

El Paso launched a bus rapid transit line known as the Brio, connecting the Mesa Transfer Center to Downtown El Paso.

November 5 - KTSM News

Santa Monica Pier Parking

Places for Parking, Not People, in Santa Monica, California

After noting the heated rhetoric that surrounds development in Santa Monica, especially during election season, Jason Islas reveals claims of the city's overdevelopment to be true—if we're talking about cars.

November 5 - Santa Monica Next

Revealed: Proposed Designs for Chicago's Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Beijing's MAD Architects have unveiled their preliminary design for Chicago's Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, inspiring no shortage of commentary in the process.

November 5 - Curbed Chicago

Making the Case for Biking in Atlanta

The take of a large culture publication like Atlanta magazine can be helpful in assessing the traction of a movement—in this case, biking in the city of Atlanta.

November 5 - Atlanta

Adapt and Reuse: Transforming the Old to the New

Adaptive reuse can help the old become the new, honoring our history and desire for efficiency along the way. This piece highlights 10 examples of adaptive reuse projects from around the west, depicting them in their before and after states.

November 5 - Community Builders

The High Revenue Potential of a Mileage-Based Driving Fee

Based on a comparison to a list of federal revenue options to make the Highway Trust Fund sustainable, one stands out far above the others—a mileage-based user fee which, surprisingly, is also one of its disadvantages, writes Eric Jaffe of CityLab.

November 5 - CityLab

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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.