The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Nighttime view of Sacramento River with Tower Bridge and Sacramento skyline.

ADU Permits Spike in Sacramento County

Backyard cottages, known as accessory dwelling units, are touted as one solution to the rising cost of housing.

September 14 - KCRA

People lounging on grass in Alamo Square park in San Francisco overlooking painted ladies Victorian houses and city skyline

Drinking Water More Precious Than Grass in California

Ornamental grass—the kinds of grass that line medians and roadsides but never serves for recreation—is a vanishing amenity in a drought-stricken West.

September 14 - Los Angele Times

Close-up of front of blue MCTS bus with "Ride MCTS" on marquee in urban Milwaukee neighborhood

Waukesha Transit Joins Milwaukee Fare Collection System

New technology allows for more streamlined travel and fare capping for riders across the region.

September 14 - Urban Milwaukee

View of small-town street with brick buildings and cars parked in diagonal parking with string lights going across street in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.

Norman, Oklahoma Eliminates Parking Mandates

The city made a subtle, one-word change that frees up developers to build parking based on actual need and eliminates costly unnecessary parking.

September 14 - Next City

Empty, darkened corridor in transit station before opening with Brightline logo in lights on one side

High-Speed Rail To Begin Serving Orlando Next Week

Florida’s Brightline high-speed train will open its station at Orlando International Airport on September 22.

September 14 - Progressive Railroading


View of empty brick crosswalk in shopping district in Greenwich, Connecticut

Connecticut Launches Complete Streets Standards

The new policy calls for sidewalks, bike lanes, and crosswalks on state roads and state-funded road projects.

September 14 - Roads and Bridges

View of Boston from Bunker Hill with statue in foreground

Boston to Begin Zoning Code Update, Mayor Announces

It’s been nearly 60 years, but the city of Boston is finally ready to do a comprehensive rewrite of its zoning code.

September 14 - The Boston Globe


The Three Sisters, snow-covered mountains in Central Oregon, are visible in the distance beyond a farm.

Draft Comprehensive Plan Published for Deschutes County, Oregon

Deschutes County is working on a new comprehensive plan that will chart land use for the Central Oregon county for the next 20 years.

September 13 - KTVZ

Aerial view of Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River among red rocks

Calls Grow for ‘One-Dam Solution’ on Colorado River

California growers and others in the river’s Lower Basin want the federal government to consider draining Lake Powell to conserve more water downstream.

September 13 - Los Angeles Times

Close-up of blue "Slow Down - Shared Street" sign on orange and white barricade in Denver, Colorado.

Denver Plans to Make Some Open Streets Permanent

The city is moving to institutionalize segments of streets that were successfully pedestrianized during the pandemic.

September 13 - The Denver Post

Person on bike wearing helmet biking on asphalt road with red cliffs in background in Zion National Park

Utah Approves $14 Billion Transportation Program

The largest investment in the state’s history reflects Utah’s rapid growth.

September 13 - Mass Transit

A yellow sign points to a bike and pedestrian path with open park space in the background.

BikeWalkOKC Plan Updated After Five Years of Progress

The BikeWalkOKC plan has proceeded faster than expected after its approval in 2018. A 2023 update is expected to pick up where the 2018 plan left off.

September 13 - Oklahoma City Free Press

A sign for SMART Bus on a pole.

Suburban Detroit Achieves Long-Awaited Bus Service Expansion

Novi and Bloomfield Hills in Southeast Michigan will have transit service for the first time in 28 years.

September 13 - The Oakland Press

Modernist concrete facade of Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

HUD Considering Cash Housing Assistance Pilot

Cash housing assistance in lieu of bureaucracy-laden vouchers could make affordable housing more accessible to low-income households.

September 13 - Vox

Silver turnstiles at a subterranean subway station

Opinion: Fare Evasion Is a Red Herring

The loss of revenue from fare evasion is a drop in the bucket compared to the fiscal cliff facing major U.S. transit agencies.

September 13 - Streetsblog USA

View of two trucks on asphalt two-lane road in Vapa Valley with vineyards along side of road

A Vision Zero Plan for Napa Valley

The regional transportation agency released a Vision Zero that will guide a ‘Safe Systems’ approach to improving road safety.

September 12 - Napa Valley Patch

Close-up of top of ornate Art Deco blue tile Eastern building in downtown Los Angeles

Easing Regulations for Adaptive Reuse

Cities with ordinances aimed at making commercial-to-residential conversions easier are reaping the benefits.

September 12 - Route Fifty

Aerial view of green Memorial Park lawns and trees with downtown Houston skyline in background

Houston Cut Chronic Homelessness by 60 Percent; Can It Do More?

Local housing advocates called for a commitment to bring the number of chronically unhoused people to zero.

September 12 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of downtown Dallas surface parking lots

Dallas Council Memo Suggests Ending Parking Requirements

City staff were asked to evaluate the potential for reducing parking and eliminating or altering minimum parking requirements.

September 12 - KERA News

A rider waits on the platform of the Sox-35th station on the CTA Red Line in Chicago.

$2 Billion Federal Grant for Red Line Extension Project to Chicago’s South Side

A plan to extend the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line 5.6 miles to the south won a $2 billion grant from the federal government.

September 12 - ABC 7 Chicago

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