The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Cafe on corner of small street with leafy trees on sunny day in Seattle, Washington.

Washington House Legalizes Corner Cafes, Bodegas Statewide

The near-unanimous vote allows commercial uses in residential areas in nearly every Washington neighborhood.

January 20 - The Urbanist

Coal power plant near Portage, Wisconsin.

Trump Officials Want to Keep Coal Plants “100% Open”

While officials tout the return of coal power as the answer to the affordability crisis, critics point to America’s aging coal infrastructure as a pain point in its return.

January 20 - MSN

Street with small rick commercial buildings and many pedestrians in Atlanta, Georgia.

BLOG POST

The Superstar Metro Argument... And Why It Fails

One argument against solving the housing shortage in large, expensive cities is that growth in those cities will drain people and wealth from declining areas. Data does not agree.

January 20 - Michael Lewyn

White San Francisco transit buses parked in a large lot.

Report: USA Must Triple its Transit Vehicles to Offer ‘World-class’ Transit

To achieve the level of transit access that most global cities enjoy, the United States would need trillions more in funding… and a LOT of buses.

January 20 - Transportation for America

Neo-Spanish style new house with brown garage door and xeriscaped small yard.

Nevada Law Requiring Removal of ‘Useless’ Grass Has Killed 100,000 Las Vegas Trees, Lawsuit Claims

The lawsuit alleges that the removal of ornamental grass has damaged the city’s tree canopy.

January 19 - Independent


Passengers in Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York City.

Why the First 3 Months of 2026 Will Decide the Future of US Passenger Rail

Three events likely to occur in the first 90 days of the year will have major impacts on U.S. train travel.

January 19 - Streetsblog USA

Dome-shaped building at Foxconn data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.

Madison Puts Temporary Freeze on New Data Centers

The city issued a moratorium until it develops a regulatory framework for data center development.

January 19 - Wisconsin State Journal


Livable Streets 2.0 book cover with blurred background on either side.

BLOG POST

A Classic Revived, and More Important Than Ever

In “Livable Streets 2.0.” Donald Appleyard’s son, Bruce Appleyard, builds on his father’s seminal work and examines what it means today in an age of autonomous vehicles, modern policing technology, “20 is Plenty” and more.

January 19 - Stephanie Rouse

Rendering of white and yellow Brightline West train lounge car in motion.

California’s Brightline West High-Speed Rail Announces 2029 Completion Date

The Las Vegas-to-Southern California rail line was originally slated to open for service in time for the 2028 Olympics.

January 18 - Newsweek

Anti-Trump signs at climate change protest in London, UK.

The United States Exits Global Climate Change Network

Mayors from across the U.S. expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

January 18 - Climate Mayors

Yellow, red, and black Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad locomotive at station.

Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Train Goes Electric

The train’s two historic diesel locomotives are being converted to electric power.

January 18 - Cleveland.com

Two-story duplex with matching dark red doors in Boston, Massachusetts.

Commentary: Growth Without Affordable Housing Requirements is “Hard-wiring Segregating Into the Future”

Development should come with affordability. Here's the case for inclusionary housing, and why opponents aren't seeing the full picture.

January 18 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa at sunset.

Nearly Half of Pennsylvania Residents Oppose Data Centers. Lawmakers are Welcoming Them Anyway

A raft of proposed legislation aims to both regulate and encourage the building of data centers in the state.

January 18 - Spotlight PA

Crowd assembled at event in Baltimore subway station for debut of new subway cars.

Baltimore Metro Receives First of 78 Japanese Bullet Train Cars

The first six cars are part of the system’s first major equipment overhaul since 1983.

January 18 - The Baltimore Sun

Los Angeles wildfire victims stand in street with bags of supplies in January 2025.

AirBnb Commits Empty Los Angeles Listings for Emergency Housing Within 24 Hours of Future Disasters

The company’s nonprofit arm formalized an agreement to offer free housing to residents after disasters.

January 16 - Pasadena NOw

Cattle graze on farmland in the Hualapai Valley north of Kingman, Arizona.

Arizona Tightens Groundwater Restrictions to Rein in Agribusinesses

The state is creating an ‘active management area’ in the western part of the state, where agribusinesses including a Saudi alfalfa exporter have practically free rein over water supplies.

January 16 - The Independent

Aerial of large oil refinery.

EPA to Stop Considering the Cost of Lives Saved in Setting Pollution Limits

The agency will no longer quantify the monetary gains from health benefits from curbing air pollution.

January 16 - The New York Times

Yellow and white Brightline high-speed rail train at platform in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Brightline’s Bond Rating Lowered to ‘Junk’ Status as Debt Mounts Despite High Ridership

The high-speed rail operator faces a $1.2 billion debt load and has never turned a profit since it launched in 2017.

January 16 - Railway Supply

People in hospital hallway waiting area.

Study Links Medical Debt to 44% Higher Risk of Housing Instability

People with medical debts are more likely to have trouble paying rent or face eviction.

January 15 - Consumer Affairs

Skyline of downtown CHarleston, West Virginia.

Historically Affordable West Virginia, Minnesota Saw Highest Jumps in Rents

The states typically known for their affordability saw some of the biggest increases in housing costs in the last year.

January 15 - Missoula Current

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Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

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City of Wisconsin Rapids

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Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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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.