The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Buildings in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indianapolis could establish special zoning district for data centers

A city commission advanced a proposal that would establish guardrails for data centers within city limits.

July 5 - Fox 59

Close-up on sign on headquarters building for HUD in Washington DC.

Judge halts 'hasty' HUD changes to homelessness grants

Service providers said the sudden changes would have imperiled thousands of Americans and forced more people into homelessness.

July 5 - Smart Cities Dive

Lake Powell surrounded by red rocks with low water level.

Lake Powell reaches lowest water level on record

Reservoirs along the Colorado River are seeing some of the lowest water flows ever, prompting questions about the future of communities in the basin.

July 3 - Meteored US

Historic Firemen's Insurance building in Newark, NJ with neoclassical columns.

Historic Newark building to become affordable housing

The century-old building will be converted into nearly 200 homes with ground-floor retail.

July 3 - Jersey Digs

San Diego skyline.

San Diego establishes $8.5M affordable housing fund

The new fund will let local nonprofits and developers apply for funding to shore up the city's affordable housing stock.

July 2 - KPBS


Oil derricks in oil field in California.

California company proposes building data center in oil field

A California company hopes to avoid opposition by placing a new data center in an existing oil field.

July 2 - Grist

White Waymo robotaxi in fron tof Southwestern Spanish revival house in Phoenix, Arizona.

Uber and Waymo part ways in Phoenix

The companies ended a three-year pilot program, with Waymo saying it plans to keep its Phoenix robotaxi fleet available through its own app.

July 2 - Quartz


Colorful multi-story apartment building in Ausitn, Texas.

Austin opens city's first carless, affordable condo community

The Ivory building is all-electric and offers residents transit passes to encourage car-free living.

July 2 - City of Austin

Black car with parking ticket in windshield next to parking pay station on curb in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago mayor secretly bid over $3B to buy back city's parking meters

Mayor Brandon Johnson revoked an offer to pay more than $800 million above the next-highest bidder to regain control of the city's parking meters.

July 2 - Block Club Chicago

Close-up on stacks of papers clipped together with multicolored alligator clips on a desk.

FEATURE

AI promises to finally make public engagement meaningful. We put it to the test.

Everything you need to know about how we analyzed the 13,000+ comments submitted in the federal government’s request for information on Surface Transportation Reauthorization — and how you can do it in your own agency’s public engagement.

July 2 - Yoonjeong Kang

Rendering of public plaza with peopple and benches at night in California forever planned development.

Tech investors lobby to bypass environmental review for 'California Forever' project

The backers of a proposed new community in the California Bay Area want the state to approve an 18-year-old environmental review that would let them go ahead with a major shipyard project.

July 1 - CALmatters

Worker working on exposed blue water pipe.

Replacing lead pipes in Chicago costs more than 6 times the national average — and authorities can't explain why

Replacing one lead pipe in Chicago costs around $31,000, while the national average cost sits at around $4,700 per line.

July 1 - Grist

Gold Tesla Cybercab prototype being shown in showroom in Bellevue, Washington.

Tesla's steering wheel-less Cybercabs spotted on Austin streets

The company is testing 34 of its robotaxis in downtown Austin, but they have not been approved for public use.

July 1 - Basenor

Bright pink building for Out of the Closet thrift store in San Francisco, California.

Thrift stores, public libraries and genderless bathrooms: How public amenities become trans infrastructure

Amenities like ample public transit, affordable retail and non-gendered bathroom spaces can make cities more safe and welcoming for transgender residents — and everyone else.

July 1 - Greater Greater Washington

Family with woman, man, and two kids standing in front of white two-story traditional US home.

Report: Housing is becoming an 'inherited advantage'

As housing costs soar, buying a home is becoming unaffordable to a large swath of American families.

July 1 - The Wealth Advisor

Street closure signs in front of construction wall and banner touting LA Metro's subway extension in front of high-rise buildings.

California governor orders state agencies to 'increase the urgency' of transit projects

The executive order calls for expanded transit service and faster transit project delivery.

June 30 - Fox 40

No Data Center Protestors inside the Civic auditorium during the town hall meeting in Emporia, Kansas.

Poll: 75% of Americans oppose data centers near their homes

As they proliferate across the country, data centers face growing backlash from communities concerned about their rapid growth and unknown impacts.

June 30 - Prism

Wood-framed single-story home under construction in snowy landscape in southern Utah.

Southern Utah tackles housing crisis with smaller homes, career support for construction workers

St. George and other communities are feeling the strain of a rapidly growing population.

June 30 - St. George News

Womontown historical plaque next to houses in Kansas City, Missouri.

In the 1990s, Kansas City's Womontown offered queer women community and independence

A group of women created a safe space that gave them the opportunity to buy homes and build wealth in a supportive community.

June 30 - Rewire News Group

US Capitol dome in Washingotn DC at night with chain link fence set up to prevent trespassing.

Washington DC prepares for 4th of July with road closures, security checkpoints

The nation's capital is bracing for a series of large-scale events celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.

June 30 - Fox 5 DC

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Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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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.