The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

An oil and gas field in the Arctic with a helicopter flying overhead.

122 ‘carbon major’ companies to blame for half of the West’s lost water

A first-of-its-kind study found that “carbon major” companies drained the west of trillions of gallons of water.

August 27 - Inside Climate News

A digital checklist

BLOG POST

Does every planner need an AI policy?

From a hundred-person agency to a one-person consultancy, the answer is yes. The difference is what “policy" means.

August 27 - Tom Sanchez

A sign reading Pe’ Sla in a grassy prairie.

South Dakota tribes drove a mining company off sacred land in one week

Land disputes between tribes and the federal government often take much longer to resolve.

August 26 - Yahoo News

Mamdani in an apartment

NYC creates fast track court for tenants in unsafe housing

Owners of buildings with vacate orders or major safety problems will have five days to answer the complaints in court.

August 26 - Gothamist

A dark green Airo train on the train tracks.

Washington and Oregon receive first new Amtrak trains in decades

The Airo trains promise shorter commutes, more frequent trips and fewer emissions than their predecessors.

August 26 - Grist


The Jacumba Hot Springs border wall in California.

Trump’s new $1.2 billion border wall segment to cut through nature preserve

Opponents expressed concerns about the wall's impact on preserving wildlife and serene views.

August 26 - inewsource

A crowd of people gather to watch the famous water fountain show in front of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

Nevada sues feds to block Colorado River cuts

The federal government’s newly released plan for managing the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply could cause Nevada to lose over 70% of its allocated water.

August 26 - The Colorado Sun


A zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell bus under a Las Vegas sign.

Las Vegas debuts new bus rapid transit

The project also brings widened sidewalks and more trees to the Maryland Parkway corridor.

August 25 - Smart Cities Dive

A dried up section of the Colorado River at on the Colorado River at Lake Powell 's Hite Bridge Crossing.

Feds say Arizona, California and Nevada must cut Colorado River water use by 1.25 million acre-feet

The new plan does not apply mandatory cuts to any of the river’s upper basin states.

August 25 - Source NM

A long, green building that is the proposed location of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River's new shelter.

Cape Cod court to decide whether off-site homeless shelter qualifies as ‘religious use’

Faith-based communities across America are increasingly using their land to build affordable and supportive housing.

August 25 - Boston.com

A traffic jam on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

NYC to erect ‘temporary highway’ while rebuilding crumbling BQE

The city estimates it will spend $4 billion on the renovated expressway, which will reopen by 2040.

August 25 - Gothamist

The Kansas City streetcar

FEATURE

How Kansas City quietly built one of the best streetcars in America

A detailed and completely unbiased history of one of American transit's greatest comebacks.

August 25 - Joshua Woods

Downtown Tulsa sign and street view with the Tulsa Performing Arts Center under stormy skies.

Tulsa dissolves city-county planning commission

The Tulsa Metropolitan Planning Commission, which previously oversaw both city and county planning issues, will split into two separate bodies on Sept. 2.

August 25 - Tulsa Flyer

People drinking at outdoor tables in front of Bua bar on the Open Street, a car-free pedestrian zone, on St. Mark's Place in the East Village, Manhattan, New York City

NYC will add nearly 10,000 acres of ‘urban forest’ by 2040

The city aims to increase canopy tree coverage by nearly 30% to cool streets and decrease heat-related illness.

August 24 - Brooklyn Paper

An aerial photo of Lake Powell.

Even a “best case scenario” El Niño won't fix the West’s drought

While lower basin states may see increased precipitation, increased snowfall in upper basin states is needed to bring sufficient water to the West.

August 24 - Wired

People relax on Pensacola Beach.

Pensacola to build first ever permanent affordable housing

The Community Land Trust development will use a shared equity model to keep homes affordable for the next 99 years.

August 24 - Pensacola News Journal

Wild donkeys on the road in the US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are facing a “drought disaster,” US government declares

Puerto Rico is also experiencing a drought.

August 24 - The Associated Press

Solar panels on a single family house

FEATURE

The newest state on the virtual power plant frontier: Illinois

The state's "Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act" is the latest jumpstart for the VPP market, which turn individual homes into green energy producers.

August 24 - Dan Gearino, Inside Climate News

A aerial view of a train station in Providence, Rhode Island.

Providence train station to gain new bus hub

The new hub will replace the one currently located at Kennedy Plaza.

August 24 - The Providence Journal

Salt Lake, Utah, at the Great Salt Lake.

Feds look to Great Salt Lake as a source of rare minerals

A new grant is funding the expansion of non-evaportative lithium extraction from the brackish waters.

August 23 - Utah News Dispatch

Post News
Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.