The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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A new scholarly paper argues that ancient and modern cities can be usefully analyzed in a comparative perspective. But what you do with the comps depends on how much you value similarities versus differences in urban form.

March 9 - Dean Saitta

The nation's largest automated red light enforcement program will get a trim. How much is mayoral election politics responsible for the change?

March 9 - Chicago Tribune

Top officials at the Florida state agency tasked with studying and planning for the impacts of climate change are taking a novel approach to avoiding the issue.

March 9 - Miami Herald

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its annual report on public transit ridership. Although more Americans are taking public transit, the trend doesn't hold in every city.

March 9 - The Hill

Manufacturers say yes, arguing that the reduction in vehicle crashes decreases traffic congestion. Other features improve traffic flow. But these are safety technologies, not emission-reducing measures, that critics worry will water-down CAFE.

March 9 - The Wall Street Journal

Too often we report on new studies showing how air pollution worsens public health, often causing premature death. For a change, here's a study showing how efforts to improve air quality in Southern California have boosted public health in children.

March 9 - The Wall Street Journal

There is increased call for inclusion and diversity in architecture. This London exhibition profiles five female architects and urban designers at the forefront of their profession.

March 9 - The Guardian Cities

A psychological experiment finds that warning signs depicting more movement gain more attention, making drivers navigate more carefully.

March 9 - The Atlantic

In recent years, tactical urbanism has helped reinvent many streets and sidewalks in center cities, creating new public spaces. But many spaces remain untouched. Anuj Gupta argues that reinvented schoolyards can be the next great public spaces.

March 8 - Philadelphia Magazine

Concerned about their economic fate, several upstate New York towns have expressed interest in joining Pennsylvania instead.

March 8 - Talking Points Memo

In this San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum, Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, makes the case that maintenance as well as capital costs be included when financing new infrastructure projects.

March 8 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Central Loop BRT project, scheduled to break ground this month, will improve commuter travel times. But a collection of compromises means many ideal BRT components won't be installed.

March 8 - CityLab

Successful driverless cars might lead to "mini mass transit," a distinct mode from public transit and the private automobile. The consequences for land use could reshape suburbia.

March 8 - The Greater Marin

Dylan Gentile, a 15-year-old resident of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, offers inspiration in the form of proactive, positive engagement with the built environment, and already an impressive resume of accomplishments.

March 7 - CityLab

Caeser Augustus famously boasted "I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble." An architectural historian and urban designer at UCLA now has the model to prove the veracity of the claim.

March 7 - UCLA Newsroom

Julie Pierce, city of Clayton councilmember, chair of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and president of the Association of Bay Area Governments, evaluates the effects of SB 375, California's key land use law to address climate change .

March 7 - Western City

A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota identifies the consequences of Twin Cities affordable housing policy: deepening racial and economic segregation.

March 7 - MinnPost

New Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser may deviate from the prior administration by not supporting the expansion of the streetcar line. This is a double-blow to streetcar advocates, as Mayor Gray had already pared down the new streetcar's expansion plans.

March 7 - WAMU

We know not everyone is pleased with the winter right now, but there's no denying the beauty of the United States when it's covered in snow.

March 6 - New York Times

Instead of "Bikers First!" or "Creative Class First!" James Siegel, president of Kaboom!, proposes an alternative for cities: "Kids First!"

March 6 - Medium