The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Experts Say Zoning Reform Isn’t Likely to Solve Housing Crisis
A survey by Fannie Mae found widespread skepticism among housing experts that zoning reforms will be enacted widely enough to make a major impact on U.S. housing supply.
Nashville Transit Ridership Back to Pre-Covid Levels
Local bus ridership is recovering quickly, hitting 2.2 million riders in the last quarter of FY 2023-2024.
NYC DOT Podcast Makes Transportation Planning Accessible
‘Curb Enthusiasm’ features transportation experts and discussions on local, national, and global transportation planning topics.
Philadelphia Could Start Citing Drivers for Blocking Bike Lanes
City officials will consider several road safety bills that include higher penalties for stopping in bike lanes and an assessment of the city’s Vision Zero funding.
FEATURE
Commentary: Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Hurricane-Vulnerable Rural Communities Is Imperative
As we brace for the second half of the 2024 hurricane season, we need to take serious action to help rural communities recover and build greater resilience against hurricanes.
Denver Bans Downtown Food Trucks — Again
City officials say the controversial policy, first enacted in 2022, is an effort to reduce crime in the nightlife district.
Reconsidering Travel Behavior in an Era of Decarbonization
It is time to reconsider assumptions about how much and how people want to travel. Per capita vehicle travel has saturated. Many people would prefer to drive less and rely more on non-auto modes, provided they are convenient and affordable.
USDOT Issues $1B in Road Safety Grants
The funding is aimed at helping cities plan and implement safety improvement projects to reduce road deaths and major crashes.
Federal Policies for Creating Permanent Affordable Housing
An Urban Institute analysis outlines three ways federal lawmakers can support housing programs that provide permanent affordable housing for the households that need it most.
Houston Transit Agencies Offer ‘Free Fare Fridays’ for Ozone Action Month
Harris County is one of several Texas counties that failed EPA standards for clean air in recent years.
How Effective Street Lighting Improves Women’s Mobility
A lack of effective lighting in streets, parks, and transit stations limits the places where many women and other vulnerable groups feel safe traveling at night.
Officials Kill St. Paul Streetcar, BRT Proposals
The proposed transit lines would have linked the St. Paul airport, downtown, and the Mall of America.
DC Affordable Housing Faces ‘Existential Crisis’
Housing developers in the District say the industry is on the verge of collapse due to ballooning unpaid rent debts.
Traffic Deaths Dip for Ninth Straight Quarter
Traffic deaths around the country are showing a slow but steady decline, but fatalities remain above pre-pandemic levels.
Envisioning a New Park in East Los Angeles
Los Angeles County is working towards transforming underutilized land into a vibrant pocket park in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA.
BLOG POST
Planning Your Planning Degree
In the Northern Hemisphere, many students are starting urban planning degree programs. How can students position themselves for a productive and meaningful education in planning.
Rising Heat Threatens Growing California Cities
Many rapidly growing inland California cities are facing increased extreme heat days due to climate change, putting more residents at risk of health issues and overwhelming local infrastructure.
Columbus, Ohio's High-Frequency Transit Future Up for Vote in November
Despite being the nation’s 14th largest city, Columbus, Ohio has no high-capacity transit. That could change this November as city officials put a levy before voters that would provide $6.2 billion by 2050 to fund an ambitious bus rapid transit system.
Symposium Highlights the Crucial Role of Trees in Combatting Extreme Heat
Experts emphasize that planting and maintaining trees in urban areas is essential for reducing extreme heat, cooling cities, and preventing heat-related illnesses, especially as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.
Tesla’s Self-Driving Still Not Working in Las Vegas Tunnels
The Boring Company had previously said it was working with Tesla to use its self-driving system in its tunnels below Las Vegas to save costs on drivers, but two years later, there is no clear timeline for “full autonomy.”
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
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.
