The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

This report estimates that U.S. cities could save half a trillion dollars by investing in "smart surface technologies." The study takes into account obvious factors like energy use and less intuitive ones like tourism revenues.

February 20 - Next City

Plenty of sidewalks stand in need of improvement, and many aren't there at all. But they're also a symbol of the automobile's engineered dominance of our roads.

February 20 - Curbed

According to one recent study, regional culture plays a major part in how healthily people eat. Supply may be less of a factor than demand.

February 19 - The Washington Post

At the ninth session of the World Urban Forum held earlier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy introduced their new "Pedestrian First" toolkit to measure and promote walkability in urban environments.

February 19 - Thomson Reuters Foundation

It is illegal to operate a mobile phone to talk, text or listen to music while crossing the street in Montclair, California

February 19 - Daily Bulletin

A highly congested route in Houston is getting new, dedicated bus lanes. Metro looks ready to build the kind of high-quality BRT line that has been a tough sell in the United States.

February 19 - Houston Chronicle

Unlike Trump's suggested quarter-per-gallon gas tax, this 9-cents-per-barrel tax is real. Like the gas tax, it goes to a trust fund, to respond to oil spills rather than build and maintains roads. While small, it brings in $500 million annually.

February 19 - Washington Examiner

The president's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget cuts the critical Capital investment Grants program run by the Federal Transit Administration. Projects lacking a full-funding grant agreement, like the Sacramento Streetcar, may fall victim.

February 18 - The Sacramento Bee

Computer vision and machine learning promise to change the way we see and understand urban life.

February 18 - Curbed

The outdoor recreation industry grew faster in 2016 than the rest of the U.S. economy.

February 18 - Earther

During a closed-door meeting Wednesday with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, President Trump endorsed hiking the gas tax by 25-cents per gallon to help pay for the $200 billion investment and restore solvency to the Highway Trust Fund.

February 18 - Politico

Reeta Herzallah and Hamdi Almasri used a fake garage door to live in an area that required a garage space.

February 18 - The Guardian

Though cities hope for an economic boost, these photos show it's far from guaranteed.

February 17 - Business Insider

Policymakers, auto manufacturers, and especially advocates are very engaged in transitioning from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The problem is that interest isn't shared by the general public, according to research by UC Davis.

February 17 - UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

Using treated wastewater for snowmaking would have dual benefits for Big Sky, Montana.

February 17 - Water Deeply

One of the nuggets included in the Regional Plan Association's Forth Plan, released in late 2017, is a proposal to create a national park out of the New Jersey Meadowlands.

February 17 - Curbed New York

Bus advocates aren't going to like the sound of this.

February 17 - Recode

The city of New Orleans wants to watch you party.

February 16 - CityLab

Expect more cities and transit agencies around the country to wrestle with funding quandaries if the Trump Administration gets its way with existing capital investment grants.

February 16 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Advocates and politicians are mustering ideas and support for new tree ordinances that line up with the city's climate goals.

February 16 - KUOW