The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Schlitz

Milwaukee Lot to be Developed Despite Apprehension

A mixed-use infill project on a tiny lot in Milwaukee is causing a proportionate share of anxiety

November 29 - Urban Milwaukee

Wildfire

Wildfires Prompt Forestry Debate on Climate Change

While forests sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, wildfires release enormous amounts of greenhouse gases as they increase in frequency and intensity from climate change.

November 29 - San Francisco Chronicle

Palm Springs

San Diego Explores its Options for Getting to 100 Percent Renewable Energy

San Diego's Climate Action Plan has set an ambitious goal for renewable energy, and now the investor-owned utility San Diego Gas & Electric is competing for a chance to deliver on those goals.

November 29 - San Diego Union Tribune

Los Angeles 110 Freeway

South L.A. Community Plans Tackle Gentrification

As public and private investment grow in South L.A., new community plans mark a victory for local organizers seeking to prevent displacement.

November 29 - KPCC

Baltimore Rowhouses

Baltimore Confronts Underinvestment in Communities of Color

As part of an interdepartmental effort, the city's planning department is embedding an explicit equity lens into how it considers the distribution of civic resources.

November 29 - Next City


Fargo, North Dakota

Minnesota Offers Models for Stormwater Management

Reflecting its reputation as the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota's highly developed water management infrastructure can be instructive for states facing frequent floods.

November 29 - Brookings

London High-Rise Fire

BLOG POST

Unfortunate Lessons for City Planners From the Grenfell Tower Fire

The Grenfell Tower Fire in London took the lives of 71 people, and investigators are still searching for lessons from the tragedy. American planners shouldn't neglect these lessons, either.

November 29 - Kayla Matthews


Toronto

In Praise of Toronto's Least Ambitious Transit Project

After decades of big, expensive plans, diverting cars from a busy streetcar route will make a bigger difference to commuters for far less money.

November 29 - The Globe and Mail

Cul de Sac

FEATURE

The Block Fallacy, or How Not to Build a Circulation System

An examination of the Block Ordinance as a panacea for the ailments of modern cities.

November 28 - Fanis Grammenos

University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh Settles for Pedestrian Improvements on Adjacent Street

The university wanted to limit a section of Bigelow Boulevard to pedestrians, but the city pushed for a compromise: better crosswalks and traffic calming features. Now the challenge is finding the funds.

November 28 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Philadelphia DNC

Philadelphia's New Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Hangs Up in Committee

Philadelphia's controversial "Mixed-Income Housing Program" legislation has run into stiff resistance from developers and builders.

November 28 - PlanPhilly

Parking Meter Fail

Making the Leap From Smart Projects to Smart Cities

Most "smart city" projects to-date are somewhat isolated and are not part of a more comprehensive network.

November 28 - Scientific American

Albuquerque's Recently Opened Bus Rapid Transit Line Sets a New Standard

Overcoming lawsuits and controversy, Albuquerque opened the Albuquerque Rapid Transit to partial service over the holiday weekend.

November 28 - Albuquerque Journal

MTA Bus

Report: NYC Bus System in Crisis

A new report cites decreased ridership and dismal service despite a growing need for more and better routes.

November 28 - The New York Times

Cross-Laminated Timber

Timber Industry 'Bracing' for Soaring Demand

Building with wood is back in fashion, but lumber producers have to reckon with thorny politics and new timber-based materials that have yet to be truly defined.

November 28 - The Architect's Newspaper

Who Opposes New York's BQX Streetcar? Not Who You Think

Brooklyn and Queens need better transit, but activists say this waterfront "luxury trolley" is not the way to get it.

November 28 - Technical.ly Brooklyn

Cleveland

Not Enough Condos to Go Around in Downtown Cleveland

What will it take for the supply of urban condos to catch up with the demand in Downtown Cleveland?

November 28 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

New Jersey Borough Showcases Town and Gown 'Instant Urbanism'

Glassboro State College became Rowan University and exploded its enrollment numbers. The borough of Glassboro and the university have worked together, and quickly, to accommodate all those new students.

November 28 - Philadelphia

Millennium Atoll

Sea Level Rise Will Not Be Uniform

As the climate warms, the world's glaciers and ice sheets are melting, but sea level increase will be greater in some places due to the earth's rotation and gravity, according to a newly released study by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

November 27 - NPR

California Aqueduct

$13 Billion in Water Bonds Headed for the California Ballot in 2018

The legislature placed a $4.1 billion water bond on the ballot in June while a privately funded initiative hopes to qualify an $8.9 billion water bond for the November ballot. The state measure would also fund parks and trails.

November 27 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.