The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Now Available: Federal Grant Funding for Transit Oriented Development
The FTA has announced new funding (albeit, a small amount) through the "Transit-Oriented Development Planning Pilot Program."
Transit Oriented Development Ordinance in Chicago Saves Space and Money
A recently adopted ordinance allows developers to build significantly fewer parking spaces for projects in proximity to transit stations. Developers have already responded to the advantages offered by the reduced requirements.
The Important Role of Front Porches in Latino Communities
James Rojas explains the importance of front porches in Latino-American communities.
Study: Residents Living Near Fracking Suffer Negative Health Impacts
Self-reported respiratory problems and skin irritations were significantly greater for those living near natural gas fracking wells in southwestern Pennsylvania than those living more than two kilometers away, according to a Yale University survey.
Bus Startup Bridj Hires Gabe Klein as Chief Operations Officer
Gable Klein, former head of transportation for Chicago and Washington D.C., has joined Bridj, a Boston-based startup building dynamically generated bus routes.
Shouldn't Transit Managers Actually Ride Transit?
Eric Jaffe lays out the case for why individuals in charge of transit systems should ride transit, and what problems stem from them not doing so right now.
On the Value of Small Spaces in Remaking the Public Realm
San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King reviews, and celebrates, the recent string of small projects that reclaim public space in the city, calling them "modest works of true ambition."
Op-Ed: Limit Parking to Limit Driving
Matthew Garbet contributes a guest column to the SaportaReport wherein he debunks the "Tipping Point Theory of Transit"—that cities should continue to support cars until a complete transit system is realized.
Golf Joins Agriculture to Oppose EPA's Proposed 'Water of the United States' Rule
Laura Barron-Lopez reports on the golf industry's reaction to proposed rules that would expand and clarify the regulatory powers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Where D.C.'s 'New Communities' Public Housing Program Went Wrong
Washington D.C.'s New Communities program has failed to live up to its titular promise, according to a new report released by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
Pittsburgh Reaches Deal for 'Transformative' Redevelopment of Lower Hill District
The old Civic Arena site, formerly the home of the Pittsburgh Penguin NHL team, will be redeveloped with the help of the city's largest-ever tax increment financing district.
Key to Successful Parks: More Female Visitors
The example of Holladay Park in Portland is examined for lessons in improving public spaces through the help of private sector consultants.
Detroit Bankruptcy Breakthrough: Regional Water Authority Moves Forward
One of the most politically treacherous proposals of Detroit's bankruptcy plan has finally gained approval—a regional water authority.
Identifying Trends from Analysis of 7,000 PlanPhilly Stories
A meta-analysis of the archive of popular local planning website PlanPhilly provides insight into the issues and ideas that drive the planning conversation in Philadelphia.
Downtown Los Angeles Punching Above its Weight in Residential Development
Shane Phillips shares the results of his own analysis about how completely Downtown Los Angeles has dominated the supply of new housing units in the city since 1999.
Seattle's Voter-Approved Park Boom
With Seattle adding new density to go with its status as the fastest growing large city in the country, an August vote to approve and fund the Seattle Park District will have a large impact through the creation of small parks.
Lessons Learned from Decades of California Planning
Since the 1980s, California has been both a beacon of cutting-edge urban policy and an example of the ways planning can go awry.
Nashville's New Bike-Friendly Bonafides: Bike Boxes
Bike boxes, a European import, may not have received as much attention other novel bike facilities such as protected bike lanes, but they are spreading. Nashville's first bike box accompanies a road diet and buffered bike lanes.
Lessons in Sprawl from an Abandoned Government Housing Program
The Mexican government built houses for five million citizens in the last decade, only to see those houses abandoned en masse after sprawling patterns out stretched demand.
Playable Cities Bring the Fun Back to City Life
Supporters and practitioners of the playable city movement will gather this week at a conference in Bristol, UK called Making the City Playable.
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.
