The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Pittsburgh Plans Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover on Downtown Street
Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street could gain wider sidewalks, a bike lane, and more green space.
BLOG POST
RAISE Proposals Are in; What Will it Mean for Climate Change?
The deadline for the first discretionary program to accept applications since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law was April 14, marking the day as one of the most consequential in America’s response to climate change.
Fire-Ravaged Paradise Plans for a Resilient Rebirth
A new urban design plan calls for a robust buffer zone to protect the town from fast-spreading fires, among other mitigation measures.
Walkability Scores Don’t Tell the Whole Story
A new report concludes that common ‘walkability’ measures don’t account for many barriers faced by pedestrians, such as environmental factors and policing.
Superyachts Calling the Shots for How Light Rail Gets Built in Seattle
Determinations made by the Coast Guard to accommodate superyachts will affect the price of light rail and other bridge projects in Seattle and environs.
San Diego To Consider Tightening Regulations on E-Scooters
Proposed regulations would limit the popular micromobility devices to two operators, impose new fees, and require more accountability for safe scooter use and parking.
NFL Draft Inspires Proposal to Block Cars From the Las Vegas Strip
The NFL draft shut down the Las Vegas Strip to car traffic. Some people liked the change so much that a new law proposes to permanently block cars from the street. Yes, you read that correctly.
How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That
The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.
Houston Transit Ridership Highest Since the Pandemic Began
Ridership on Houston trains and buses rose sharply in March, thanks in part to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a limited return to offices.
Diverging Fortunes: Winners and Losers in the Pandemic Housing Market
The sharp rise in housing costs created massive wealth for property owners, while shutting many potential homebuyers out of the market.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is Automobile Dependency?
Automobile dependency is a term used to describe households who must rely on private vehicles for everyday transportation, often due to a lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure, ineffective or absent public transit options, and sprawl.
How Houston Is Growing its Bike Infrastructure
The famously car-centric city is investing more than ever in bike infrastructure, with ambitious plans to build 1,800 miles of protected bike lanes and trails.
Study: Transit Boards Don’t Reflect Their Ridership
Across U.S. cities, transit agency boards are overwhelmingly more suburban than their riders, causing a disconnect between decisionmakers and the people who regularly use transit.
Mayor Releases ‘One Fresno Housing Strategy’
The document outlines 47 policies aimed at maintaining affordability and encouraging more housing production in the increasingly expensive Central Valley city.
People Mover Proposed for San Diego Airport
The $4 billion project promises to connect San Diego to its international airport in under ten minutes.
Report: United States Could Cut Transport Emissions by 34 Percent by 2030
The U.S. transportation sector is on track to reduce emissions by 19 percent by the end of the decade, but a new report indicates the public and private sectors could implement policies that would cut emissions by as much as 34 percent.
Maine Passes Zoning Reform Laws
The state legislature passed two bills, one supporting accessory dwelling units and another incentivizing adaptive reuse, aimed at boosting housing affordability.
Energy War Comes to the European Union
When President Putin ordered Gazprom to turn off the valve on pipelines carrying Russian gas to Poland and Bulgaria, he effectively expanded the Russia-Ukraine war to the European Union, threatening their economic well-being and way of life.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is a Planned Unit Development?
A Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a specific type of plan or development commonly associated with master planned communities and sprawl. The specific definitions of a PUD vary by jurisdiction, but the term generally refers to a flexible approach to the planning of a variety of housing types and land uses on a relatively large portion of land.
BLOG POST
Day Two of the National Planning Conference: Staying on the Cutting Edge
The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance. Here is some of what we saw on the second day of the conference.
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.
