The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.
Bus Service Cut in Portland as Driver Shortage Lingers
Like many transit agencies around the country, the regional transit agency for Portland, Oregon is struggling to attract enough bus drivers to maintain planned levels of transit service.
Behind the Allure of the ‘Smart City’
The glamour of digital technology can obscure the hard work of building healthy, sustainable cities.
Kansas City Pedestrian Deaths Surpassing Last Year’s Rates
The city has taken some steps to address gaps in pedestrian infrastructure, but fatalities are growing as the most disadvantaged communities continue to lack safe walking conditions.
How Micromobility Can Improve Last-Mile Delivery
Facilitating the use of micromobility devices for the last mile of urban deliveries can reduce congestion, lower emissions, and take bigger vehicles off small neighborhood roads.
State of the Cities: Mayors Focused on Infrastructure, Economic Development
Mayors around the country are pledging to bolster infrastructure projects with new federal funding, generate economic growth, and support the most vulnerable residents.
Snohomish County, Washington, Sets its Sights on Sprawl
Advocates say it’s unnecessary, but Snohomish County is preparing to expand its urban growth areas to allow for more low density residential development.
Spokane to Test Citywide Residential Density Incentives
The Spokane City Council in July will consider the "Building Opportunity and Choices for All" pilot program, which would allow new residential densities throughout the city.
Preserving More Hillside Land for Conservation and Biodiversity
The Los Angeles City Council recently approved an ordinance giving the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy first right of refusal to purchase any surplus hillside land owned by the city so it can be preserved.
Texas Supreme Court Approves Eminent Domain for Bullet Train
In a decision that could change the calculus on a beleaguered high-speed rail project, the state’s highest court rules that the railroad has the right to acquire land along the project route.
Shrinking Great Salt Lake Is a Ticking Time Bomb
Climate change and population growth are shrinking the Great Salt Lake. The environmental consequences are dire.
The Importance of Inclusive Playgrounds
The first fully inclusive playground in the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County features full, accessible rubber surfacing and activities accessible to children of all abilities.
New Tool to Understand Heat Vulnerability and Resilience in California
The California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition is a tool which provides datasets on projected heat exposure for California, including place-based indicators measuring community conditions and sensitive populations.
Redesigned Local Bus Network Launches in the Bronx
A redesigned bus network in the Bronx, planned since October 2019, is now live.
FEATURE
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
The Return of San Francisco’s Privately Owned Public Spaces
In San Francisco, you can find respite from city life in some unexpected places—if you know where to look.
Advocates Hope the Next Texas Freeway Widening Won’t Be the Like the Previous
Community Design Fort Worth, a nonprofit collective of planners and designers, is pushing the Texas Department of Transportation to do something revolutionary with its plans to widen Interstate 30.
New York City Approves Rent Hikes on Rent-Stabilized Apartments
The rent increases, which the Rent Guidelines Board deemed necessary to support “mom and pop” landlords, will affect two million residents.
Federal Funding To Boost Supportive Housing Efforts
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $365 million package aimed at efforts to reduce homelessness and provide outreach and care for people lacking adequate housing.
Protecting Chicago’s Tree Canopy
Advocates for urban greening are asking the city to boost its tree planting efforts and protect existing trees, which are a key tool for fighting the effects of climate change and worsening heat waves.
Pagination
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
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.