The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Texas data centers' demand for electricians is delaying housing construction by 2 months
Data center projects are drawing away many of the state's electrical workers with higher wages that homebuilders can't afford to pay.
Can revolving loan funds revolutionize housing financing?
Revolving loan funds offer governments a way to support increased housing production with a one-time investment.
FEATURE
The myth of the 'first skyscraper:' How a clever PR campaign duped the world
The lie that laid claim to the skyscraper’s origins is well documented. Why do we still believe it?
Study: Speeding drivers are using their phones more, too
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data shows that phone usage while driving increases 12% for every 5 mph drivers go over the speed limit.
New HUD rule would remove gender from housing protections
The proposal in the federal registry would replace “gender” and “gender identity” with “sex” as defined by Trump’s January, 2025 executive order.
California gets three new state parks
The state plans to add 30,000 additional acres to the state parks system by the end of the decade.
Mamdani vows to put the “park” back in NYC’s soon-to-be redesigned Park Ave
The removal of two vehicle lanes will make way for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and public space.
Japan’s bullet trains to debut private pods with 5G wifi windows, “invisible audio bubbles”
The compartments have “personal sound zones” with noise-cancelling technology embedded in the seats, and wifi-infused glass that promises interruption-free streaming and video calls.
BLOG POST
AI agents: What urban planners should know
The self-driving cars of the AI world open a trove of opportunities for planners — and a whole new set of challenges to overcome.
Study: “Community severance” by roads and traffic increases schizophrenia-related hospital admissions
The new framework from Brown University researchers evaluates the impact of urban design elements on mental health disorders separate from pollution-related factors — a first in its field.
Bipartisan bill aims to make transit and rail as easy to permit as highways
The Modal Parity in Permitting Act aims to reduce a “structural disadvantage in the permitting process” and level the playing field between transit, rail and highway projects.
Hoover Dam’s power output could drop 40% this year due to drought
The dam's turbines provide power to Nevada, Arizona and California, including Las Vegas and Los Angeles
NJ Governor demands affordable housing ideas from state agencies within 60 days
The new executive order requires agencies to report any land, assets or other opportunities to “boost supply and bring prices down.”
Louisiana bill criminalizing homelessness threatens jail time, “unpaid labor”
Critics call Bill 211 “one of the cruelest anti-homeless bills in the country.”
Seattle's Pioneer Square to become pedestrian zone during World Cup
The city will restrict car traffic and street parking in areas around Lumen Field on match days.
Study: Pavement covers 40% of Phoenix
A new study reveals how ultrafine particles emitted by pavement worsen air quality.
Huntsville wants to be a key Southern player in intercity rail
The Alabama city is commissioning a study to assess the potential for 'Amtrak-like' connections to Nashville, Atlanta, and other Southern cities.
Judge saves DC bike lanes
A federal judge ordered the Federal Highway Administration to stop a planned removal of bike lanes, saying the government provided no evidence that they would have a negative impact on traffic or safety.
Waymo says blocking bike lanes is 'normal practice'
The company says riders expect to be picked up and dropped off next to the curb, even if they're illegally blocking bike lanes.
BLOG POST
The trouble with QUIMBY, revisited — a rebuttal to a rebuttal
In a perfect world, QUIMBY might get us a bit closer where we need to go. But, this YIMBY argues, not close enough.
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.
