The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

BART train shaped float with face on front and Uncle Sam-style top hat in 4th of July parade.

Bay Area Transit Tax Measure Awaits Governor's Signature

A 5-county sales tax measure to head-off the 'fiscal cliffs' facing Bay Area transit agencies may appear on the November 2026 ballot in what would likely be Regional Measure 4. A signature-gathering effort could reduce the voter threshold to 50% + 1.

September 28 - San Francisco Examiner

Man showing tour group of children indoor farming with automated planting shelves.

A Multimillion Dollar Virginia Company is Turning Empty Office Buildings Into Farms

Area 2 Farms envisions a world where 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of an indoor farm.

September 28 - Fast Company

African American senior couple smiling in front of a moving truck in front of a single-family home.

Downsizing Baby Boomers May Ease the Housing Crisis

Some hope that a ‘silver tsunami’ of downsizing baby boomers will bring down housing costs, but the reality is likely much more complicated.

September 28 - NPR

Four story apartment building with balconies on lake or river in Wilmington, Delaware.

Delaware Governor Could Force Cities to Upzone

Gov. Meyer says the state will work with cities to encourage land use reforms that make room for more affordable housing types, but could take stricter measures if jurisdictions don’t comply.

September 28 - Spotlight Delaware

Modern steel and glass buidings seen in Chelsea, Manhattan in New York City.

NYC to Gain 50K New Housing Units by Year’s End

Thanks to a now-expired tax incentive, the city is seeing a record number of new homes being built.

September 28 - New York Post


Black and white photo of articulated bus turning out of parking lot in the 1940s.

Archival Gems: Century-Old Photos of America’s First Articulated Buses

A richly illustrated trip through the history of articulated buses in America.

September 26 - The Autopian

Concrete Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters building in Washington DC.

HUD Whistleblowers: Agency is ‘Systematically Undermining’ Fair Housing Laws

HUD employees say the agency has decimated the Office of Fair Housing, reducing staff by 70 percent, and forced a gag order that prevents them from effectively enforcing fair housing and civil rights laws.

September 26 - Smart Cities Dive


Outdoor dining tables full of customers on a street in Washington DC.

DC ‘Streatery’ Fees Could Kill Most Outdoor Dining

The new, permanent outdoor dining program will cost businesses $20 per square foot of dining space, prompting most restaurants to dismantle their Covid-era ‘streateries.’

September 26 - WTOP

Two children crossing the street at a striped crosswalk in front of a dark car.

Regulatory Agency Delays Pedestrian-Oriented Car Safety Rating Updates

Under pressure from automakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is delaying the implementation of new vehicle ratings based on safety features that reduce risks to people outside the car.

September 26 - Reuters

Rendering of micro-community with tiny homes and communal patio space for unhoused people.

Sacramento Launches "Micro-Communities" To Address Senior Homelessness Crisis

Sacramento introduces “micro-communities” with tiny homes and communal spaces to address rising homelessness among senior residents.

September 25 - Fox 40

Male parking enforcement officer in uniform stands next to car with ticket in its windshield talking on phone or radio.

For a Few Hours, This Site Put San Francisco Drivers a Step Ahead of Parking Officers

A web developer used city parking enforcement data to map the routes of parking enforcement officers.

September 25 - Wired

Aerial view of downtown Waco, Texas with river and bridge in foreground.

Waco, Texas Plans ‘Futuristic Mobility Corridor’

The city awarded two contracts to move forward plans for a 9-mile mobility corridor adaptable to new transportation technologies and equipped with sensor technology to improve safety and efficiency.

September 25 - GovTech

Crowded NYC subway station with signs for Long Island Railroad and NJ Transit.

Trump's Executive Order Keeps Trains Running on Long Island

A strike by employees of the nation's busiest commuter rail line was averted, if only temporarily, after union leaders asked President Trump to intervene while they negotiate a pay hike. What did the president's love of golf have to do with it?

September 25 - ABC News

Passengers pulling roller bags on outdoor train platform between trains.

Feds Open $5B in Rail Safety Grants

The reissued call for applications omits equity and climate requirements and prioritizes “family-friendly” project proposals.

September 25 - Smart Cities Dive

People gathered around presentation board at IBX open house event.

BLOG POST

Will Urban Planners Lose Their Jobs to AI?

Let’s see what the data says.

September 25 - Tom Sanchez

Green and red modern multistory apartment buildings under construction in Los Angeles.

Survey: 59% of LA Residents Want Dense Housing in Their own Neighborhoods

A UCLA survey reveals strong support for new apartments across the city, bucking the notion that Angelenos are NIMBYs.

September 24 - Los Angeles Times

Mayor Newsom sees how easy it is to plug in as Coulomb Technologies CEO Richard Lowenthal looks on at Debut of San Francisco's new Plug-In Charging Stations in front of City Hall (Green Vehicle Showcase)

California Backtracks on Pledge to Save EV Subsidy

Despite a November promise to replace the federal EV subsidy with a state incentive, Governor Newsom now says the state cannot make up for the “federal vandalism” of EV tax credits.

September 24 - SF Gate

Green traditional duplex with red doors.

Harvard Report Cites Zoning, Construction Costs as Obstacles to New Housing

Zoning restrictions and onerous building codes make mid-sized multifamily housing prohibitively expensive or illegal to build.

September 24 - Smart Cities Dive

Man with beard and black beanie riding e-bike with delivery cargo.

Mamdani on E-bikes: Regulate the Apps, not the Delivery Workers

The NYC mayoral candidate and State Assemblymember says algorithms push workers into unsafe behavior at a systemic level.

September 24 - StreetsBlog NYC

People in swim caps swimming in Chicago River wearing bright orange buoys.

Chicago River Clean Enough for Swimming for the First Time in 98 Years

A historic two-mile river race through downtown highlighted the success of decades-long efforts to clean up the city’s river.

September 23 - Inside Climate News

Post News
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.

Top Schools

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.