The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Help Wanted: HUD Seeks Info About Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is crowdsourcing information about the regulatory barriers to affordable housing.
Caltrans to Ditch Level of Service for Vehicle Miles Traveled
Unlike for land use regulations, state law doesn't require Caltrans to switch from Level of Service to Vehicle Miles Traveled in measuring the environmental impact of projects. The state department of transportation is making the change anyway.
Op-Ed: Detroit's QLINE Is 'At Times an Embarrassment'
Randy Essex details why it is that "rely" isn't a word that comes to mind for many Detroiters when they think about downtown's QLINE streetcar system.
Why New York City's Flooding Its Own Subway Entrances
MTA reassured disoriented New Yorkers that it's flooding subway entrances on purpose, to test barriers that it hopes will guard the system against another Sandy.
How One Wealthy, Historic Neighborhood Maintains an Exclusionary Status Quo
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has had enough with the exclusionary planning tactics of the neighborhood of Society Hill to start calling it the "Republic of Society Hill."
FEATURE
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2019
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There's a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year's top planning books.
U.S. Migration Reaches 72-Year Low
Staying in place is more and more the norm, even among historically mobile young people.
Lessons in 'Transformative Placemaking'
Brookings has collected a year of data on an experiment it calls "transformative placemaking," with case studies from up and down the East Coast.
D.C. Speeds Up Protected Bike Lane Plans
The District Department of Transportation last week promised to double the pace of its planned construction of protected bike lanes, but advocates say the District still isn't doing enough to provide safe accommodations for people on bikes.
Multi-Family Leads Recent Housing Uptick in California
With stronger state mandates kicking in, California housing permits rose sharply in September. But as one construction industry commentator noted, an uptick isn't a trend.
Study: Boomers Leaving Their Homes Will Dramatically Increase Housing Supply
New analysis by Zillow predicts a "Silver Tsunami" of residential properties coming to the market as Baby Boomers leave the housing market. The effect could be like the housing boom of the mid-2000s.
Evaluating the Results of New Protections for Affordable Housing Development
California's Senate Bill 35 is touted by affordable housing advocates and other pro-development forces as an example of what good developments can happen when local obstructions are moved out of the way by the state.
Baltimore's 'Big Jump'
A temporary bike and pedestrian path is changing the street design game in Baltimore.
Major Milestone for Chicago-Area Land Bank
The Cook County Land Bank Authority recently participated in its 500th rehab project. Homeowners and entrepreneurs have benefitted along the way.
A Post-Car-as-King Planning World
Cities not named from Boston in Massachusetts are explored for lessons in contemporary parking regulations.
Congestion Pricing Under Discussion in San Francisco
An expanding number of major U.S. cities are exploring the idea of charging drivers to drive into certain heavily trafficked parts of town. San Francisco is the most recent to explore the idea of congestion pricing (also known as cordon pricing).
Satellite, Launched Into Space Earlier This Month, to Measure Urban Heat Island Effect
A new satellite, currently residing on the International Space Station and scheduled for deployment in January, will measure and map the urban heat island effect of seven U.S. cities.
Federal Housing Administration Expands Housing Rehab Support to Opportunity Zones
The Limited 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program will now be available in federally designated Opportunity Zones, and with more to loan than in the previous iteration of the program.
How One Startup Approaches Rent-To-Own
Founded two years ago, Divvy buys homes for cash and then leases them to tenants who apply part of their rent toward a down payment.
Seattle Companies Want to Drive Down Prohibitive ADU Costs
Legal barriers to accessory dwelling units may be disappearing in some places, but costs can still be prohibitive. Several companies are stepping forward with more affordable options.
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.
