The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Man with grey hair sits next to black garbage bags in freeway underpass in Houston.

After Years of Success, Houston Sees Spike in Unsheltered Homelessness

Unsheltered homelessness rose by 16 percent in 2025 despite the city’s previous success in reducing the number of people living on the streets.

September 17 - Smart Cities Dive

White and blue New York City ferry in river with Manhattan skyline in background.

NYC's Ferry System is Quietly Breaking Ridership Records

The system, which is planning an expansion, carried over 7.4 million passengers in 2024.

September 17 - Bloomberg CityLab

Cyclist rides past neoclassical buildings and homeless encampment in Washington, DC.

Housing Groups Sue HUD Over “Unconstitutional and Unlawful” Grant Requirements

The lawsuit claims HUD cannot restrict funding based on political alignment that is out of the control of housing agencies.

September 16 - Smart Cities Dive

Teen boy in orange jacket and girl in white riding one Lime e-scooter across a striped crosswalk in a city.

Car Trips are Down, With Young People Leading the Charge

Americans are driving less, and we have Gen Z to thank for it.

September 16 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

Crowd of people sitting on lawn on July 4 in Austin, Texas with downtown skyline visible in background.

Texas Could Have the Nation’s 3 Largest Cities by 2100. Are They Ready to Embrace Density?

Houston, Dallas, and Austin are growing fast. The old sprawl model is no longer sustainable.

September 16 - Urban Land Institute


Dark blue Amtrak train passing green shipping containers on freight train in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Amtrak Trains Get Priority Over Freight in Legal Settlement

Freight operator Norfolk Southern has agreed to prioritize Amtrak trains and work with the agency to identify the cause of delays on the Crescent line.

September 16 - Trains Pro

Memorial for Iryna Zarutska in Berlin, Germany with black and white portrait surrounded by candles.

DOT, FTA Launch Investigation After Charlotte Transit Murder

Federal agencies are calling on Charlotte’s transit agency to prepare a security plan and outline efforts to prevent future violence after a woman was fatally stabbed on the city’s light rail system.

September 16 - Queen City News


Head shot of smiling young man standing on busy urban street.

BLOG POST

Meet the Columnist Behind our new Limited Series: Transit Planning 101!

Between now and December, Chicago transit planner — and operator! — Joshua Woods will bring Planetizen readers back to school for a deep dive into what it takes to keep the bus running. Literally.

September 16 - Planetizen

Woman wearing sunglasses sits alone on bench at modern bus stop with shelter and garbage can.

BLOG POST

Wow, These Bus Stops are Close Together! The Case for Bus Stop Balancing.

Appropriate bus stop spacing keeps the bus moving and ensures people get where they need to be in a reliable amount of time.

September 16 - Joshua Woods

View from top of hill in San Francisco with people walking down sidewalk next to historic Victorian homes.

San Francisco Mayor’s ‘Family Zoning’ Plan Faces Pushback, Displacement Concerns

Newly proposed legislation aims to protect long-term tenants from displacement caused by Mayor Lurie’s proposed zoning reform plan, which would allow for more housing construction in parts of the city.

September 15 - San Francisco Examiner

Modern black building for Together Center in Redmond, Washington.

Washington Nonprofits Build Housing on Their own Offices

While affordable housing with some office space for nonprofits is relatively common, in Redmond, Washington, a group of human services organizations went the other way: they rebuilt their collective office space and added housing.

September 15 - Shelterforce Magazine

"Sidewalk Closed" signs on a-frames on roped-off sidewalk in Chicago.

Chicago Residents Sue City Over Inaccessible Sidewalks

The suit alleges the city has failed to create a “coordinated, proactive system” for complying with ADA and ensuring accessibility on the city’s sidewalks and crosswalks.

September 15 - Disability Rights Advocates

Large group of protesters in Los Angeles protesting ICE raids in June 2025.

ICE Raids Are Eroding Tenant Rights for Immigrant Households

It’s getting tougher for immigrant communities to believe they still have rights as renters—even if they are living in the country legally. Here’s how tenant organizers are helping these communities push back against ICE and the landlords who are weaponizing the current political environment.

September 15 - Shelterforce Magazine

Tables full of second hand stuff set up in parking area with canopies over them and vintage lamps on tables in foreground.

FEATURE

The “Hundred Mile” Yard Sales That Turn Rural Highways into Treasure Trails

From Kentucky to Florida to Washington State, a delightful culture of impossibly long yard sales helps communities thrive.

September 15 - Kim Kobersmith

Blurred red Muni train passing by platform at underground station in San Francisco.

California Revives $750M Loan to Save Bay Area Transit

The state approved a $750 million loan as a stopgap measure to fund regional transit agencies until a 2026 ballot measure that could bring more permanent funding.

September 14 - KTVU

Gold double decker bus picking up passengers on the Las Vegas strip.

Las Vegas Heat Calls for More Buses. A Federal Rule Prohibits it.

An FTA rule bars cities from keeping more spare buses than 20% of their fleet.

September 14 - Nevada Current

Black Ford F-150 Shelby Raptor Baja off-road pickup truck parked on Paseo de Gracia street in Barcelona.

New Trade Agreement Could Flood Europe With Giant American Trucks

The new ‘reciprocal, fair, and balanced’ trade framework puts American and European vehicle safety standards on the same level, eliminating European safety standards that outlaw some of the largest, most dangerous American trucks and SUVs.

September 14 - Streetsblog USA

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaking in front of Thomas Jefferson monument.

The Facts About Mamdani’s Proposed NYC Rent Freeze

The mayoral candidate has promised to freeze rent for close to a million New Yorkers. Could he actually do it?

September 14 - Next City

Rendering of California high-speed rail train passing over an elevated viaduct.

California Commits $1B Annually for 20 Years to High-Speed Rail

New legislation extends the state’s cap-and-trade program to 2045 and formalized a yearly allocation to the California high-speed rail project.

September 12 - Newsweek

Several Washington DC police on motorcycles with capitol dome in background.

Republicans Aim to Kill DC’s Traffic Cameras, Reverse Right-on-Red Ban

Congressional Republicans want to eliminate funding for automated traffic enforcement and other traffic safety interventions proven to reduce crashes and injuries.

September 12 - Streetsblog USA

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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.