The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Office Conversions Have Increased Every Year This Decade
Since the pandemic, office vacancy rates remain high, leading many cities to adjust zoning codes to accommodate adaptive reuse.
Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity
When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.
Most Public Lands Are Safe — For Now
A proposal to sell off federally owned lands was removed from the Republican spending bill on procedural grounds.
Hundreds of New Yorkers Hospitalized Due to Extreme Heat
A brutal heat wave is causing hospitalizations for heat-related illnesses, an increasingly common threat as summers get warmer.
Opinion: Illinois Transit Bill Could Revolutionize Intercity Travel
A bill passed by the state’s General Assembly would create a permanent source of dedicated funding for intercity rail.
US Forest Service Could Open Millions of Roadless Acres to Logging
The USDA indicated it plans to repeal the ‘Roadless Rule,’ a Clinton-era regulation that prevents new road-building in undeveloped federal forest areas.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is the Fair Housing Act?
Signed in 1968, the Fair Housing Act legally prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and other protected categories in housing. Over fifty years later, access to safe and affordable housing remains uneven across social and racial groups.
Judge Reverses Federal Funding Freeze for EV Infrastructure
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a $5 billion program aimed at improving charging infrastructure.
Santa Monica May Raise Parking Permit Fees
The city says the changes would help better manage curb space and support its sustainability goals.
Portland Housing Bond Created Nearly 5,000 Units, But Affordability Remains Out of Reach
Despite better-than-expected results from multiple local housing bonds, housing costs and homelessness remain top of mind for many Oregonians.
Florida Law Could Eliminate Dedicated Bus Lanes
A new law calls for a minimum ridership of 6,000 passengers in the first year for new bus rapid transit lines. To date, no bus lines in the Tampa Bay region come close.
FEATURE
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
How Bike-Friendly Is Your City?
PeopleForBikes just released its annual rankings.
US Rents Squeezing Low-Income Tenants
Despite a recent — and slowing — apartment construction boom, renters at the lower end of the income scale are still struggling to find housing.
Tech Tools Help Tenants Push Back Against Problematic Landlords
Shelterforce found more than a dozen examples of tenant-serving technology that help renters identify landlords, respond to eviction, fight back against housing discrimination, and more.
More Apartments Are Being Built in Less-Dense Areas
Rising housing costs in urban cores and a demand for rental housing is driving more multifamily development to exurbs and small metros.
Plastic Bag Bans Actually Worked
U.S. coastal areas with plastic bag bans or fees saw significant reductions in plastic bag pollution — but plastic waste as a whole is growing.
Improving Indoor Air Quality, One Block at a Time
A movement to switch to electric appliances at the neighborhood scale is taking off in California.
Opinion: How to Rebuild the ‘Starter Home’ Market
Large minimum lot sizes and restrictions on multi-unit housing put an artificial floor under home costs. Is it time to eliminate them?
How Understanding Near-Misses Can Improve Road Safety
Most road safety efforts are based on data about crashes that have already occurred. But important information can be gleaned from incidents when something almost went wrong, but didn’t.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
