The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Controversial ADU Allowances Approved in Maryland
Spirited protests weren't enough to stop the Montgomery County Council from allowing accessory dwelling units (ADU) in parts of the county.
The Post-Wildfire Dilemma: Rebuild or Retreat?
Even after experiencing devastating wildfires, residents are often willing to take the risk to return and start over.
Congressional Report on Transit Spending Stops Short of Accountability
Transit advocates were hoping the U.S. Government Accountability Office was finally going to expose the systematic failures of transit spending in the United States by comparing the practices of other countries.
Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet
Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.
FEATURE
Et Tu, Portland?
Opinion: The Rose City joins the nationwide attack on neighborhood-scale public involvement—and throws its pioneering model of grassroots democracy under the bus.
Rethinking Downtown Streets in a Revitalizing Pittsburgh
With $5.2 billion of investment in the past 10 years, and another $3.5 billion in the development pipeline, Pittsburgh planning organizations are considering ways to rethink the streets of the city's downtown.
'Community Preference' Housing Policy Under the Microscope on Either Side of the Country
A new study out of New York City reveals the worsening effects of segregation due to the city's "community preference" affordable housing policy, Seattle sets out to craft a policy of its own.
The Car-Centric World and the Ongoing Expansion of Police Powers
While cars are still equated with freedom of mobility and personal liberty, they've also offered courts the chance to expand police powers in the public realm, time and time again.
Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings
On Tuesday night, the City Council of Berkeley, Calif., unanimously voted to ban natural gas infrastructure from new buildings starting next year, the first city in the U.S. to pass such an ordinance. Fifty cities in the state could be next.
An 'Urban Orchard' Next to the Los Angeles River
The city of South Gate, located on the southern stretch of the Los Angeles River, downriver of Downtown Los Angeles, recently published an initial study of the "Urban Orchard Project."
Austin Mulling New Incentives for Transit Riders
A proposed pilot program would text six new types of transit ridership incentives in the city of Austin.
'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople
"Urban Green Spaces" is informative, even for practitioners, and a good read, according to a book review by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau.
BLOG POST
The Myth of the 'Childless City'
It is conventional wisdom that suburbs are more attractive to families with children than cities. But in fact, the most dense urban cores are gaining children to a greater extent than their suburbs.
After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets
No victim blaming or scooter shaming here. Two Atlanta politicians have responded to a recent tragedy by calling for more traffic safety improvements.
A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a busy schedule of complete streets projects in the works. The city has a goal of building 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020.
Home Improvements Expected to Slow Substantially in the Upcoming Year
It will be a quick transition from record spending on home renovations to a steep decline in spending, according to a new report.
As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows
Some cities, like Nashville, have been keeping pace with the economic growth of more internationally renowned cities like San Francisco and Seattle.
Advocates Press for Harder Questions While Pittsburgh Experiments With Self-Driving Cars
Five self-driving car companies are currently operating in Pittsburgh, without much critical rigor in asking about the consequences of the technology to the city.
Tampa's 'All for Transportation' Sales Tax Clears Post-Election Obstacles
The "All for Transportation" sales tax in Hillsborough County, Florida, survived a revolt and legal challenge from conservative county commissioners, despite earning 57 percent of the public vote.
Transit Oriented Development Shifts Into High Gear Near BART Stations in the Bay Area
Transportation and land use are being considered together at a new scale in the Bay Area, as transit oriented development pops up next to BART stations all over the region.
Pagination
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
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.