The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

By a vote split (nearly) down the party line, the Oregon House passed a bill to end state restrictions on inclusionary zoning. Municipalities may soon be able to require below-market pricing.

April 24 - Bike Portland

Better safety and multimodal ease are not the only benefits offered by complete streets. According to this report, on the average they pay for themselves and then some.

April 24 - ASLA The Dirt

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently planning a significant realignment of I-45, which runs downtown. The plan could remove an elevated portion of the highway known as Pierce Elevated.

April 24 - Houston Public Media

Big questions remain about how Dallas will address preservation controversies in the future. Meanwhile the past hangs in the balance.

April 24 - The Dallas Morning News

A suburban city in the East Bay Area will allow commuters to use a new app that links their smartphones to traffic lights.

April 24 - San Jose Mercury News

The legislature passed the seven-cent increase on April 11, the final day of the legislative session. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed the bill on April 21, also increasing registration fees by $21. On April 1, the bill had been considered dead.

April 24 - Northwest Public Radio

A survey finds that increasing numbers of Americans did not participate in any physical activities in the last year. At least one feature of the build environment—access to school gyms—is blamed.

April 24 - The Wall Street Journal

There are still a few days left to celebrate National Park Week, which runs from April 18-26.

April 24 - Los Angeles Times

Meet the new plan; it's not like the old plan.

April 23 - Capital

Many Trek bikes produced in the past 15 years could be subject to a recall, after three crashes resulted from an open quick release mechanism on the front wheel coming into contact with the disc brake.

April 23 - New York Daily News

Following on research findings produced a year ago, AARP announced the release of its Livability Index earlier this week at the APA National Planning Conference.

April 23 - Reverse Mortgage Daily

Maglev trains owned by Central Japan Railway were clocked traveling at speeds of 603 km/h, less than week after traveling 590 km/h to set a record last set in 2003.

April 23 - The Guardian

A transportation sales tax can be a designated state or local sales tax where revenues are used for transportation, or a sales tax applied to fuel sales. A bill in Minnesota would grab sales taxes paid on auto parts, car rentals and leases.

April 23 - KARE 11

Concerns about out-of-character construction, much of it oversized, has led the Los Angeles City Council to prohibit construction of additional 'McMansions.' In some areas, all new development will be held up for two years.

April 23 - Los Angeles Daily News

Local ordinances typically try to protect residents from excess noise. In San Francisco, though, a city official is proposing policies that would protect the right of musical acts to keep rocking despite the encroachment of new neighbors.

April 23 - SF Weekly

A new study finds that as travel speed increases, so too does the likelihood that drivers will fail to yield to pedestrians crossing legally with the right-of-way.

April 23 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

In a program called the first of its kind in the nation, the Arlington County will implement a transportation demand management program for public school employees.

April 23 - Mobility Lab

An op-ed in the Boston Globe argues that the endless negotiations over new residential developments—including over the inclusion of affordable housing units—hurts the city's housing market.

April 23 - Boston Globe

A highlight of the APA's National Planning Conference every year—the presentation of the National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards.

April 22 - American Planning Association

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Since then we've discovered an incredible amount about the Earth in addition to doing the planet an incredible amount of irrevocable harm.

April 22 - Vox