The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Commentary: Place-Based Policy Must Target Chronically Poor Areas
As more evidence shows that neighborhood-level factors heavily impact future outcomes, place-based policies should use more accurate measurements to ensure persistently poor places don’t fall through the cracks.
Richmond Poised to Make ADUs By-Right
A new ordinance would reduce costs and delays for building or converting accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods.
Report Proposes $15 Peak Hour, $3 Off-Peak Toll for New York Congestion Pricing Plan
As New York City’s congestion pricing program gets closer to implementation, a proposed pricing scheme would charge $15 at peak traffic hours.
San Diego Camping Ban Set to Take Effect, but Details Remain Murky
The city plans to crack down on unhoused people camping on city property, but has yet to identify parks and school zones targeted for enforcement under the new ordinance.
Las Vegas-to-L.A. High-Speed Rail Project Passes Another Hurdle
The segment between Rancho Cucamonga and the high desert town of Victorville received a key approval, with groundbreaking scheduled for later this year.
National Zoning Atlas Makes Headway
The project aims to bring zoning data from around the country into one database, making it easier for planners and researchers to compare policies and their impacts.
Shuttered Bus Terminals Cause Problems for Riders, Cities
The closure of intercity bus stations is putting passengers out on the curb.
BLOG POST
Public Lands in the United States, Part Two: The Conservation Turn and ‘America’s Best Idea’
As Western expansion reached its geographic terminus, the U.S. government began tightening rules around land use and designating protected areas such as national parks and wilderness areas, often displacing local Native Americans.
EPA Grant Will Fund Air Pollution Tracking in Houston
The city wants to monitor air quality and measure cancer-causing emissions near two petrochemical plants, one of which announced plans for expansion last year.
How Close Is the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Collapse?
The crucial freight connection is ‘crumbling,’ but a decision on how to move forward with repairing and supplementing it continues to elude the city.
Tent Encampments: Will the Legal Restraint be Lifted?
A controversial U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 that has hindered the ability of western cities to clear tent encampments on public spaces will likely be revisited and overturned by the Supreme Court, predicts a popular CNN host.
New Bus Priority Lane Under Construction in Los Angeles
La Brea Avenue will soon gain a new bus priority lane, with plans for more to come still gathering community feedback.
A Look at Amtrak’s Ambitious Expansion Plan
The agency wants to add new lines, improve service, and modernize its fleet as part of a $75 billion plan to revive U.S. train travel.
Maine Program Funds Rural Affordable Housing
Developers can access up to $185,000 per unit to build affordable multifamily rental housing in small towns.
New Public Hearing Requirements Delay Completion of Reston’s New Comprehensive Plan
One of the country’s most prominent master-planned communities has spent several years working on an a comprehensive plan update. The plan will have to wait a little longer as the Fairfax County, Virginia community adjusts to new state laws.
ADU Demand Grows Across the West Coast
In communities from California to Washington, permit applications for accessory dwelling units outpace the ability of permitting and construction to keep pace.
Transit Advocates Fear On-Demand Microtransit Undermines Bus Service
A new on-demand transit service is meant to fill gaps in Kansas City regional bus service, but some transit supporters worry the service is drawing funding away from fixed-route buses.
The Geekiest Cities in America
Which cities have the most comic book shops, D&D meetups, and LARPing groups?
‘Divided by Design’ Underscores Inequities in Transportation Policy
The report calls for a wholesale overhaul of U.S. transportation policy to redress the damages caused by decades of auto-centric development.
San Francisco’s Tunnel Tops Gets Family-Oriented Expansion
Unlike its flashier, selfie-friendly neighbor, the new Outpost Meadow is designed to provide comfortable space for locals.
Pagination
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
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.