The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Community Improvement District Considered to Fund Atlanta Beltline Improvements
Stakeholders are considering the implementation of a Community Improvement District along the Atlanta Beltline to help pay for ongoing maintenance and other improvements to the ongoing project of building this singular public facility.
'Beyond the 710' Seeks Multimodal Alternatives to Filling Freeway Gap
A coalition in Los Angeles County wants to reframe the debate about closing the gap in the 710 Freeway, asking Metro to look "beyond the 710"—and toward a multi-pronged, multimodal approach to transportation problems in the region.
Proactive Approach to Displacement Included With 11th Street Bridge Park Plans
A proposal to design a park at the 11th Street Bridge between Capitol Hill and Historic Anacostia includes a through study of how the new park can connect two neighborhoods without leaving anyone behind.
Volkswagen Caught Cheating on Emissions Testing
A toxic revelation about the use of software to cheat emissions testing, found in 11 million Volkswagen vehicles, has taken down the company's CEO and could cost the company around $7.3 billion.
Still Gritty: Crime Wave in Downtown Los Angeles
As people and jobs stream into the district, downtown's long-simmering problems butt up against vigorous urban renewal. Crime is up, but so are property values.
Massachusetts Could Be Next State to Adopt a Road Usage Charge
In the wake of voter rejection of automatic indexing of the state gas tax, Massachusetts legislators may do away with the tax altogether. They are considering a trial of the Oregon model of road usage charge.
Book Review: 'The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies: Lessons From S.F. and L.A.'
Reviewer Jon Christensen suggests that an alternative title to this book on urban economic development by four UCLA researchers could be the much simpler, and probably more attention-grabbing, "How San Francisco Beat L.A. — for Now Anyway."
Build It and They Will Come: Big Expansion Expected for Houston Bikeshare
Critical funding from the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council will expand the size of Houston's B-Cycle bikeshare system. The investment is intended to attract more users.
The Outsized Benefits of Transforming Parking Lots to TOD
Chicago's sale of three city-owned parking lots demonstrates how selling underused land for the purposes of transit-oriented development can benefit people and government.
Nashville Neighborhood Conducts Car-Free Experiment
A neighborhood in West Nashville is in the midst of a "Don't Car Campaign," concluding on September 25, to determine just how walkable and transit-friendly their homes can be.
Street Artist Shepard Fairey Tackles Detroit
After billionaire landlord Dan Gilbert commissioned a mural, less-legal works in Fairey's style began showing up around the city. Detroit's case against the artist brings gentrification's ironies into focus.
Electric Vehicles: When Too Much of a Good Thing Is Bad
Environmental sustainability on a national level is proving to be financially unsustainable on a local level for an island community in Norway that is counting on $20 tolls, with an electrical vehicle exemption, to pay off a $70 million tunnel.
Op-Ed: Stop Attacking My Suburb!
A proud suburban resident defends her neighborhood from the criticisms of city-dwellers. It's not walkable, it's not perfect, but it's home.
Moving Forward in Ferguson with Better Transit
The Ferguson Commission report includes recommendations for combating racial inequity in the Saint Louis region with better-funded, more expansive transit access.
Controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project Moves Forward
This week Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas submitted permits to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a 550-mile natural gas pipeline across three mid-Atlantic states.
Why We're Not Meant to Live in Boring Cities
Features like blank street facades literally turn us off, decreasing mental stimulation and bringing on restlessness and stress. Research points to worrying consequences for people who find their city, well, boring.
The Coolest Structures in San Francisco: an Interview with John King
The urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle publishes a new book of 50 of his favorite San Francisco structures.
Moses and Jacobs: A Drama Fit for an Opera (Coming Soon to a Stage Near You)
Yes, the world of urban planning will soon get a star turn of epic proportions—as the focus of an opera currently in development and scheduled to debut in New York City in 2017.
Study: 'Severely Cost-Burdened Renters' Could Increase 25 Percent
A study by Enterprise Community Partners and Harvard's Joint Center on Housing Studies includes dire predictions about the future of an already-deeply-troubled rental market.
Visualizing the Housing Stock of American Cities
A simple chart allows an easy comparison between the varieties of housing that comprise the housing stock of U.S. cities.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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.
