The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Colorful two-story historic homes in Portland, Oregon.

Portland’s Fines for Short-term Rental Violations Are 27 Times Higher Than Comparable Cities

A city report criticizes short-term rental regulations as ‘flawed,’ calling for less punitive enforcement.

March 10 - KATU.com

Two-story apartment or condo building under construction behind green construction fence in Cupertino, California.

40,000 California Housing Units are Stuck in ‘Financial Purgatory’

A lack of sufficient funding is holding back the construction of hundreds of ‘shovel-ready’ projects.

March 10 - CALmatters

Modular home being dropped onto site with large crane.

Vermont Catalog of Pre-approved Middle Housing Designs Harkens Back to Sears Catalog Homes

The 802 Homes initiative provides templates for ADUs, duplexes, and other mid-sized homes.

March 10 - CNU Public Square

White articulated transit bus with blue and red stripes in Houston, Texas.

BLOG POST

A Love Letter to the Articulated Bus

An ode to the bendy boys, by far the wackiest of the specialized vehicles you might find at a transit authority.

March 10 - Joshua Woods

Three older women hold up signs protesting deportation and ICE abuses in New York City.

Commentary: In the Age of Mass Deportation, Mobility is a Civil Rights Issue

How transportation networks support — or impede — immigration enforcement systems.

March 10 - Streetsblog USA


Close-up of black and yellow oak borer beetle.

Invasive Beetle has Killed Over 200,000 Southern California Oak Trees, Raising Wildfire Risk

The rapid spread of the Goldspotted Oak Borer is killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees, undermining habitat and increasing wildfire danger across Southern California.

March 9 - ABC7 Eyewitness News

Yellow and black Los Angeles Metro light rail train stopped at Redondo Beach elevated outdoor station.

LA Metro Greenlights South Bay Light Rail Extension

When complete, the K Line extension will offer a 19-minute ride from Torrance to LAX.

March 9 - Secret Los Angeles


Wood-framed townhomes under construction in Houston, Texas with light green two-story building in background.

Report: Texas Needs ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of New Homes to Meet Demand

For the second consecutive year, home construction in the state failed to keep up with rising demand.

March 9 - Houston Chronicle

Green painted and curb protected bike lane under construction in Atlanta, Georgia.

Midtown Atlanta Bike Lane 16 Years in the Making Now Open

The protected lane spans a roughly one-mile segment of Juniper Street.

March 9 - 11 Alive

Yellow sign for audible crossing signal on post at intersection in New York City with one person walking on sidewalk in background.

90% of NYC Intersections Lack Audible Crossing Signals for Blind Pedestrians

People with vision impairments rely on a complex network of tactile and audible signals to navigate cities.

March 9 - Bloomberg CityLab

Collage of eight book covers.

FEATURE

Eight Sci-Fi Books That Teach Urbanists the Dos and Don’ts of the Future

Science fiction has long painted a picture of the city of the future. What if it’s our roadmap out of dystopia?

March 9 - Jake Pitre

Seattle skyline with Space Needle and power lines in foreground.

Seattle Density Increase Stymied by Underground Power Line Requirement

A new policy that requires buildings with four or more units to bury their electrical lines is making housing development more costly and causing months-long delays.

March 8 - The Seattle Times

Aerial view of construction on a viaduct for the California High-speed Rail project.

California High-Speed Rail Slashes $1.7B From 2026 Budget

The CHSRA plans to complete the Central Valley segment of the line and begin revenue service as soon as possible.

March 8 - Progressive Railroading

Unhoused man pushed a shopping cart filled with items and a bicycle along an empty canal in Phoenix, Arizona.

New Phoenix and Oakland Homelessness Plans Prioritize Prevention, Permanent Housing

Phoenix’s unsheltered homeless population grew by 28 percent last year.

March 8 - Smart Cities Dive

Blue Kansas City RideKC bus.

Kansas City Will Start Charging Bus Fares in June — With no Plan in Place for Low-income Riders

Service providers say they haven’t been told how their clients can access free or reduced fares after the agency starts charging again this summer.

March 8 - KCUR

Diagram of proposed street redesign in Huntsville, Alabama with illustrations of new bike lanes and sidewalks.

Huntsville, Alabama Launches $30M Complete Streets Project

A redesign of Holmes Avenue will bring new sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, and street furniture to the corridor.

March 8 - WAFF

Aerial view of Newark Bay Bridge with light traffic.

New Jersey Governor Kills ‘Boondoggle’ Highway Expansion

Gov. Sherrill ‘right-sized’ the Newark Bay Bridge reconstruction project, nixing a second proposed bridge and road expansion.

March 8 - City Observatory

Road in Yosemite National Park with Half Dome rock formation looming above.

‘Builder’s Remedy’ Housing Project on Yosemite Border Draws Opposition From Locals, Environmentalists

Local residents are raising questions about a proposed 110-unit development in an isolated region adjacent to the national park.

March 6 - San Francisco Chronicle

People walking bikes on Caltrain platform next to Caltrain bike car.

Caltrain Outlaws Cargo Bikes, Child Seats as Demand Overwhelms Bike Cars

Around 20 percent of Caltrain passengers use a bike to get to or from stations.

March 6 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Vacant freeway underpass.

Report: Land Under US Highways Could Earn Over $5 Billion in Property Taxes Yearly

An analysis of 142 U.S. cities reveals the economic potential of land used for highways.

March 6 - Bloomberg 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.

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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.