The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A person pours soil next to a tree sapling.

Maryland county approves first agricultural use of composted human remains

Earth Funeral will grow a forest from human remains that have gone through a “natural organic reduction” process.

August 23 - OC Today-Dispatch

A group of people circle around in front of the Heron’s Nest greenhouse entrance. Two flags ever in the wind as a cloudy sky hovers over the volunteers of the space.

Seattle land ‘rematriated’ to Duwamish Tribe

Volunteer efforts transformed the space from a hazardous waste zone to a community gathering spot.

August 23 - Underscore Native News

A photo of the high sierras.

5 books to contextualize America’s public land tempest

The featured texts include in-depth histories of America’s public land and how public land and the government’s displacement of Native American people are connected.

August 23 - Alta

An older Black man and two Black children play in a newly-renovated Baltimore pool.

Baltimore’s historically-Black communities receive upgraded pools after decades of neglect

Four pools have already been renovated, with a fifth set to open in 2028.

August 23 - Next City

A light-blue Ojai vehicle. The car's design resembles a mini van.

Waymo’s Ojai robotaxis from China now able to pick up all riders

Steep tariffs and tight federal laws haven’t stopped Waymo from purchasing over 3,200 vehicles from Zeekr, a Chinese manufacturer.

August 22 - Electrek


A graph from New York City's first study on the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Program’s impact on air quality. The graph shows that air quality improved at the rate predicted, and in some cases, slightly more than predicted.

First study of NYC congestion zone’s air quality impact shows improvements

The study also examined air quality around freeways which experts worried would see increased traffic from people avoiding the tolls.

August 21 - Mass Transit

Devil's Castle and Cecret Lake at Wasatch Range in Utah.

‘Snow-eater’ heat waves are increasing in frequency, study finds

During intense spring heatwaves, snow melts nearly twice as fast as usual and can overwhelm city reservoirs.

August 21 - Tahoe Daily Tribune


The Kiva Ruins at Pueblo Bonito at the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Trump to allow drilling, mining near world heritage site

A UNESCO spokesperson said the world heritage committee has consistently considered mining and drilling near sites to be “incompatible with world heritage status.”

August 21 - Guardian

Lake Mead's low water levels, seen from the Hoover Dam

FEATURE

Why a Colorado River water conservation agreement is so hard to reach

As the nation's two largest reservoirs hit their lowest levels on record, what would it take to avert the crisis? An expert weighs in.

August 21 - Sarah Porter

A series of unhoused people’s tents in Hollywood.

Los Angeles rescinds twelve 'anti-camping zones'

The zones previously prohibited unhoused people from camping in parts of Hollywood.

August 21 - NBC Los Angeles

A large pride flag hangs over the Equality Community Center.

Portland unveils Maine’s first affordable housing complex for LGBTQ+ seniors

The building earmarks 11 units for people with disabilities or living with HIV/AIDS.

August 20 - Maine Wire

Wildfire smoke from the Kaiser Canyon and Modrite fires on the Colville Reservation drifts across the sky over Lake Roosevelt, casting an orange glow on the water as eastern Washington wildfires burn over 250,000 acres across the region

One month of wildfires has cost Washington state over $200 million

Washington’s fire season lasts through October.

August 20 - Washington State Standard

The outside of the Kennedy Space Center

Brightline expands service to Florida’s Space Coast

A Federal Railroad Administration grant will fund the project.

August 20 - Secret Miami

A birds eye view of a data center.

New house bill proposes taxing data centers based on electricity usage

Revenue from the bill would evenly fund five different federal projects.

August 20 - Data Center Knowledge

A sleek light rail glides through Charlotte, NC, carrying commuters and visitors past busy neighborhoods, skyline views.

FEATURE

The triumph and tragedy of light rail in Charlotte

Like the iPhone, Charlotte's Blue Line represents a missed opportunity for the public to recoup the value it created.

August 20 - Benjamin Schneider

Crowd crossing the street in Astoria, Queens.

NYC needs 700,000 new homes to resolve housing crisis, report states

The report gave every neighborhood a non-binding development target.

August 20 - Gothamist

A black and wood coloured ADU in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County gained more than 10,000 ADUs in 2025 — and barely made a dent in its housing goals

A new study warns that the burst in ADU development will not be enough to remedy Los Angeles’ affordable housing gap.

August 19 - Smart Cities Dive

Blue tanks of a water desalination plant

To guarantee residents fresh water, Tijuana looks to the sea

Construction on one of the largest desalination plants in Latin America will soon break ground to reduce reliance on the dwindling Colorado river.

August 19 - Smart Water Magazine

South Bay Gardens apartments

Los Angeles opens public housing waitlist for first time in over two years

The 16 properties with newly available waitlist spots accept families and senior residents.

August 19 - Los Angeles Magazine

A person riding an ebike in a park

Berkley bans e-bikes from parks, sidewalks

City Council hopes the new limits will improve public safety.

August 19 - CBS News

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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

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.