The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Opinion: Transit Has Always Been an Essential Service
Ridership is the wrong way to think about the importance of public transit.
FEATURE
Overcoming Social Distance
People are finding new ways to connect digitally across physical spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, and these temporary solutions could have a lasting impact on the way we live.
74 Miles of 'Slow Streets' in Oakland
Suddenly, cars aren't the first priority on 10 percent of the roadway in Oakland, California.
A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year
Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.
Using Inmate Labor to Build Affordable Housing
How do we balance the need to provide job training to those incarcerated with the need to ensure that prisoners are not exploited for their work?
Speed Measures the Change on New York City Streets
With so few cars on the road, cars and buses are moving faster in New York City. Some drivers are going too fast, though.
FEATURE
The Geography of Occupations: Some Neighborhoods Will Suffer More Than Others Under COVID-19
Census Bureau data shows we live near people with similar occupations, and right now frontline jobs are riskier for both health and economic well-being than working from home.
Coronavirus Signs Say So Much
The signs of the times say much more than words can express.
Even Parks Are Going Online During the Pandemic
Parks departments in New York City and Pittsburgh are offering videos and livestreams to cooped-up residents.
Friday Funny: An Adorable Housing Shortage in Cupcake Kingdom
A satirical article from last year, written by the Onion, offers a bit of satire as either a distraction from the public health crisis or as a reminder of the crisis that existed before the novel coronavirus.
Planning More Important Than Ever During the Pandemic
The work of planners might seem unimportant during the pandemic, according to this article, but some of the skills and expertise of planning are more important than ever.
L.A. Department of City Planning Goes Remote
Los Angeles Department of City Planning Director Vince Bertoni shares the status of the planning department and the daily challenges of providing public-facing service and community meetings under social distancing orders.
Light Rail Service Restored in South Bay Area
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will start running trains again today, two weeks after shutting down service.
California Car Collision Rates Decline After Shelter-in-Place Mandates
A hopeful forecast predicts that thousands of monthly traffic collisions will be avoided due to reduced vehicular travel during California’s shelter-in-place period.
Watch: 'Planning and Health in the Time of COVID-19'
Listen in as planners discuss the response of the profession to the coronavirus pandemic in California.
Transit Shutdown Only Lasts 36 Hours in Petersburg, Virginia
Transit officials quickly rescinded a decision to halt public transit service in the city of Petersburg.
Project For Public Spaces Launches Initiative to Improve Marketplaces Worldwide
Project for Public Spaces' Market Cities Initiative seeks to understand and addresses challenges faced by the public marketplaces to improve market infrastructure and promote healthy food systems in local communities.
Who's Still Riding Transit During the Pandemic? Evidence From Toronto
Transit routes used by workers in Toronto heading to industrial jobs have still been crowded with riders during the coronavirus pandemic.
Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City
Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.
Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership
Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
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.
