The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Rendering of aerial gondola over main street in Anaheim, California.

Anaheim Proposes Gondola Connecting Disneyland, Stadiums, Transit Center

The as-yet-unfunded project would connect major attractions along the city’s main artery.

September 7 - Urbanize LA

Man on bike looking back at camera with black car blocking bike lane in front of him.

Chicago Pilot Would Keep Bike and Bus Lanes Clear — Without the Police

A proposal supported by many city officials and road safety advocates would shift right-of-way enforcement to ‘Rapid Response Aides’ to free up police resources and clear blocked lanes more quickly.

September 7 - Streetsblog Chicago

Governor Wes Moore of Maryland holds up executive order while sitting at table surrounded by smiling officials.

Maryland Issues Executive Order to Create Affordable Housing on State-Owned Properties

Gov. Wes Moore’s order, which follows on the heels of an unsuccessful attempt to pass the housing reforms in the legislature, prioritizes transit-oriented development and streamlines permitting.

September 7 - WBAL

People walking toward Lincoln Field football stadium in Philadelphia in Eagles gear.

Sports Gambling Company Sponsors Suspended Philly Stadium Train Amidst SEPTA Cuts

After SEPTA announced it would have to cut the subway line that leads to Lincoln Field, FanDuel offered $80k to keep the train running for the season opener.

September 7 - Bloomberg CityLab

Street view of Amal’s Deli, World Famous Tattoo, and Love on Haight storefronts decorated with bright murals and rainbow-colored psychedelic designs.

BLOG POST

August Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

In suburban Houston, cities are scrambling to expand water infrastructure to serve new communities. But can sprawl be part of a workable solution to the housing crisis?

September 7 - Diana Ionescu


Aerial of wood-framed homes under construction in cleared dirt lots.

‘Montana Miracle:’ The State Actually Succeeding at Housing Reform

A series of ambitious zoning reforms is having a significant impact on the state’s housing supply.

September 5 - Governing

New York City crosswalk with a few pedestrians and yellow cab and black SUV stopped at light.

NYC’s ‘Rare and Comprehensive’ Public Data Reveals Congestion Pricing's Success

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s analytics and data team maintains over 180 regularly updated datasets about the city’s transportation system.

September 5 - Wired


Woman in jeans and blue flats walks across a street in San Francisco with a vintage streetcar and a bus behind her.

SF’s Muni Transit Slashes Budget as it Approaches Fiscal Cliff

The transit agency, which faces a $322 million budget deficit, has pledged to preserve current routes and schedules, but is making other cuts across the board.

September 4 - San Francisco Chronicle

White robot drivign down sidewalk in Irvine, California.

Southern California City Using Robots to Make Sidewalks More Accessible

Irvine is deploying robots to assess accessibility issues on its sidewalks and trails network.

September 4 - The Orange County Register

Multistory red apartment building in Pittsburgh, PA against blue sky with white clouds.

Pittsburgh Lawsuit Threatens Affordable Housing Requirement

A suit brought by a developers’ group calls the cost burden of the city’s inclusionary zoning law ‘unconstitutional.’

September 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Silver train at outdoor covered platform in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Judge Orders SEPTA to Stop Service Cuts, Fare Increases

The Philadelphia transit agency planned a ⅕ reduction in service and fare hikes to make up for its $213 million budget deficit.

September 4 - NBC Philadelphia

Busy Helsinki street with pedestrians and green streetcars.

FEATURE

In Defence of Vision Zero — a Traffic Engineer’s Perspective

Traffic engineers have long suffered the reputation that all we care about is moving cars. The reality could not be more different.

September 4 - Wes Guckert

Man wearing red and black plaid shirt stands in front of employment center office in the ground floor of urban office building.

From Empty Spaces to Community Places: Why Nonprofits Belong on the Ground Floor of Affordable Housing

The results benefit residents, neighbors, and the organizations themselves.

September 3 - Shelterforce Magazine

Happy family sitting at table with checkered red and white tablecloth and multiple plates and bowls of food.

NYC to Require 20% of Senior Housing be Multigenerational

The Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program now requires some two-bedroom units to accommodate adult children or other caregivers.

September 3 - Rolling Out

Blue Tri-Rail commuter train passing over small bridge over water with apartment building in background on a sunny day in Florida.

Florida’s Successful Commuter Rail Could Cease Operations in Two Years

After FDOT abruptly decreased its annual subsidy of Tri-Rail from $42 million to $15 million in July, the 80-mile rail line announced that without additional funding, it could cease operations by July 2027.

September 3 - WFLX

Bright yellow, pink, and green historic wooden houses in New Orleans, Louisiana.

20 Years After Katrina, New Orleans is More Unaffordable Than Ever

The city’s post-hurricane redevelopment has failed to include its most vulnerable residents.

September 2 - Smart Cities Dive

Young man and woman on bike share bikes riding in city.

7 Ways Cyclists are Winning in the AI Revolution

For individual cyclists and transportation planners, AI offers some useful tools for understanding bike riders’ behavior and assessing gaps in a city’s bike infrastructure.

September 2 - Momentum Magazine

Color-coded map in shades of red of Chicago neighborhoods based on lead water lines.

84% of Chicago's Pipes Contain Lead — and They're Not Equally Distributed

The city’s Black and Latino communities are most impacted, but the issue is widespread across the city’s water distribution network.

September 2 - Inside Climate News

White Pawtucket RIPTA Bus on Roosevelt Avenue in downtown Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Rhode Island Transit Avoids Driver Layoffs, But Cuts Still Coming to 46 Bus Lines

The agency revised a previous plan that would have reduced service on 58 of its 67 bus lines.

September 2 - Rhode Island PBS

New York City police official holding up paper license plate and clear cover at press conference.

Hard-to-Trace ‘Ghost Cars’ Cost NYC Over $100M in Annual Revenue

Cars with illegal or missing license plates are more likely to drive dangerously and owe unpaid fines.

September 2 - Gothamist

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.