The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Row of various white cars plugged into EV charging stations outdoors.

USDOT Issues New Rules for EV Charging Grants After Judge Forces Administration to Unfreeze Funds

The Trump administration is reviving the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, revising its guidelines to eliminate consumer protections, environmental reviews, labor standards, and other provisions from the Biden-era program.

August 12 - TechCrunch

Close-up of white sneakers walking on solar-powered sidewalk panels.

FEATURE

Is the Future of Solar in our Sidewalks?

From photovoltaic pavement to bus stops that charge EVs from below, the next generation of clean energy infrastructure is right under our feet.

August 12 - Jennifer Cole

Aerial view of mid-rise apartment buildings in Seattle.

Landlords Fined for First Time Under WA’s New Law Capping Rent Increases

For the first time, Washington’s attorney general has enforced the state’s new cap on rent hikes, fining eight landlords $2,000 each for violating the law.

August 11 - Washington State Standard

Young people at a bus stop all looking at their smartphones.

Opinion: Smartphone Dependency Mirrors Car-Centric Development

Decades ago, we started building a society based around car ownership, making it difficult to navigate U.S. cities without one. Are we making the same mistakes with smartphones?

August 11 - Next City

Color map zoomed in on Monterey Park

Monterey Park’s Blueprint for Equitable Parks

Monterey Park’s first-ever Parks System Master Plan offers a community-driven roadmap for creating more equitable, accessible, and vibrant public spaces.

August 11 - City of Monterey Park


Three people walking away from camera on a park trail.

Transforming Brownfields into a Regional Destination: The Rise of Origin Park

River Heritage Conservancy is transforming more than 400 acres of former junkyards, brownfields, and landfills in Southern Indiana into Origin Park, a nature and recreation destination that will honor the site’s history.

August 11 - Louisville Public Media

Oil refinery sillhouetted against evening sky.

Building a Just Energy Transition

A new book outlines a “four-plus pillars” framework for phasing out fossil fuels while addressing systemic inequities, emphasizing public support, dedicated funding, economic diversification, coalitions, and reforms that dismantle extractive systems.

August 11 - Inequality.org


Aerial view of the Atlanta Beltline walking and biking trail with mid-rise buildings on either side.

Mapping Georgia’s Urban Forests

Georgia Tech’s latest urban canopy assessment for Atlanta uses high-resolution mapping and a Potential Planting Index to guide data-driven tree preservation.

August 11 - Georgia Tech News Center

Group of people riding Citibikes in New York City.

FEATURE

Report: Bike and Scooter Shares are up Again, This Time by 31%. Has the Future Arrived?

The new micromobility report is out, and despite rising costs and tight regulations, it is bigger than ever, and still growing. After nearly a decade of adjustment, cities’ mobility systems may be changed for good.

August 11 - Benjamin Schneider

Sun rising over downtown Los Angeles with tall palm trees visible in foreground. Image is bright orange-red indicating extreme heat.

LA County Adopts Maximum Indoor Temperature Ordinance to Protect Renters from Extreme Heat

LA County has adopted an ordinance capping indoor temperatures in rental units at 82 degrees Fahrenheit in unincorporated areas, aiming to protect renters from extreme heat while providing phased compliance and support for small landlords.

August 10 - Random Lengths News

Tesla Model S dashboard with digital panels.

Tesla Found Partly Liable in Fatal Autopilot Crash

The Miami ruling is the first to find the company partly responsible in a crash that killed one pedestrian and injured another.

August 10 - Wired

Former Lincoln Heights jail, now abandoned, with graffiti on white Art Deco stone walls in Los Angeles, California.

Opinion: As Prison Populations Drop, Shuttered Facilities Offer Opportunity

The redevelopment of hundreds of former military bases in the 1980s provides a model for how similar facilities can be repurposed to serve the surrounding communities.

August 10 - Governing

Train platform with red tile roof shelter in Manassas, Virginia.

Amtrak Virginia Ridership Increased Exponentially This Year. But is Future Growth in Jeopardy?

The rail system keeps gaining riders and seeks to expand their reach to other areas in the commonwealth amid federal mass layoffs and budget cuts.

August 10 - The Virginia Mercury

Map of 10 best and worst states for internet provider competition.

Do You Live in an ISP Monopoly?

Almost 9 million Americans live in an area with only one option for internet providers.

August 8 - Reviews.com

Train tracks with red building on left side and Atlanta high-rises visible in background.

Georgia DOT Studying Atlanta-to-Savannah Train

The agency is studying the potential of intercity rail, with Atlanta as a strategic Amtrak hub.

August 8 - Urbanize Atlanta

Street scene in Helsinki, Finland with people and streetcars.

Helsinki Achieves Full Year With No Traffic Deaths

How did the Finnish capital achieve Vision Zero? It was no accident.

August 8 - ZME Science

Actress Jayne Mansfield standing next to a military plane.

BLOG POST

How Jayne Mansfield’s Tragic Death Led to Reforms in the Trucking Industry

The shocking death of actress Jayne Mansfield 58 years ago led to changes in the trucking industry, but underride crashes continue to kill hundreds of people each year.

August 8 - Diana Ionescu

Black and yellow speed hump on road.

In Praise of the Speed Hump

Speed humps offer a cheap, effective, and quick-build traffic calming intervention that receives less local pushback than road diets or traffic cameras.

August 7 - Bloomberg

White and blue modular Throne public restroom outdoors in Washington DC.

DC to Invest $1 Million in Public Restrooms in 2026

After residents protested the closing of six Throne restrooms, the District is creating a position to manage public bathrooms and plans to fund 10 bathrooms in the next year.

August 7 - Greater Greater Washington

People holding up signs at a protest to save SEPTA funding.

SEPTA Plans ‘Unprecedented’ Service Cuts

Without additional funding from state lawmakers, Philly’s transit agency says it will “begin dismantling” the system on August 14.

August 7 - WHYY

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.