The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Greece

New Park Space for an Old City

After 3,400 years, Athens will soon get its first large urban park. When completed in 2030, Ellinikon Metropolitan Park will be 600 acres (243 ha), about three-fourths the size of New York City’s Central Park, an enormous addition of green space.

August 31 - ULI Urban Land Magazine

One of Pittsburgh’s bridges is visible through cherry blossoms, with downtown high-rises in the background.

Pittsburgh Launches New Comprehensive Plan Process

Pittsburgh is starting from scratch on a new comprehensive plan, after stalling on the ForgingPGH plan in 2021.

August 31 - Pittsburgh Union Progress

An aerial view of the South Side of Chicago, with Lake Michigan to the left in the distance.

Historic Victory for Environmental Justice on Chicago’s South Side

The city of Chicago has agreed to take significant steps to remediate decades of discriminatory zoning and land use policies.

August 31 - The National Resources Defense Council

Portland Bus Lane

‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland

Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.

August 30 - Mass Transit

A hardscaped park with creative architectural featues is shown with the high-rises of Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

Pershing Square, Downtown L.A.’s ‘Forgotten Park,’ Begins Long Awaited Revamp

A makeover that began in 2015 is finally underway in 2023, but the process of reconstructing Pershing Square is expected to proceed incrementally.

August 30 - Urbanize Los Angeles


A picture of a corner store at night.

Exploring Urban Resurgence

In a wide ranging personal journey of interest to planners and interpreters of the built and natural landscapes, Chuck Wolfe weaves the interplay of the forces behind the everyday, providing fodder for problem solving in our cities and towns.

August 30 - Medium

AI generated image of a greenway and transit corridor.

Seattle Releases Draft 20-Year Transportation Plan

The draft Seattle Transportation Plan proposes an ambitious agenda for the next 20 years of transportation planning in the city of Seattle.

August 30 - The Urbanist


A new house is under construction with the walls and the roof installed but only the frames and trusses, respectively.

Post-Pandemic Home Building Trends: More Bedrooms, Smaller Homes

U.S. homes are adding bedrooms while getting smaller, according to two seemingly contradictory articles published on the same day from different data sources earlier this month.

August 30 - Bloomberg

Colorful "atx" sign in front of Whole Foods store in Austin, Texas

Austin’s ‘Affordability Unlocked’ Initiative Faces Lawsuit

A group of 18 plaintiffs is suing to overturn the city of Austin’s “Affordability Unlocked” planning initiative.

August 30 - Austin Monitor

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan Update Attracts Opponents

An updated version of the Charlottesville comprehensive plan update is now available for public comment, and a recent article in the local paper lets plan opponents air their grievances.

August 30 - The Daily Progress

West Palm Beach, Florida

Brightline Opening to Central Florida Delayed

The high-speed rail connection between West Palm Beach and Orlando will not open on time for the holiday weekend as originally planned.

August 30 - Railway Technology

The exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court, with an American flag flying above its large columns and white marble exterior.

Supreme Court’s College Admissions Ruling Could Impact Environmental Justice Efforts

If rectifying racial injustice no longer passes constitutional muster, what chance does the environmental justice movement have?

August 29 - New Jersey Monitor

Blue and green playground equipment in Los Angeles with palm tree and mountains in background

Partnering with Schools to Expand Parks Access

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is partnering with over 560 schools to provide students access to the outdoors, nature education, and recreational programming.

August 29 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Orchard Station RTD Light Rail

Colorado to Consider Statewide Transit Pass

A bill expected soon in the Colorado State Legislature would establish a universal transit pass, good for a ride on any of local or regional transit system in the state.

August 29 - Colorado Newsline

A map of zoning codes in the Michigan city of Traverse City.

ADUs, Minimum Lot Sizes, and Quadplexes Under Discussion in Traverse City

Zoning changes for everything from housing density to minimum lot sizes are under consideration for a city on the shores of Lake Michigan.

August 29 - The Ticker

Apartment building under construction with other new apartment buildings and taller glass office towers in background in Dallas, Texas

New Research Builds Evidence for Zoning Reform

Cityscape has published a collection of new research building support for zoning reforms as a tool for mitigating the effects of the housing affordability crisis.

August 29 - Forbes

The TTC logo is visible on a sign with the high-rises of Toronto in the background.

Toronto Shutters the Scarborough Rapid Transit Line Months Early

A 6.4-kilometer, six-station transit line was decommissioned early in Toronto, before a planned bus rapid transit route could be be put in place.

August 29 - Canadian Press via Toronto Star

Pedestrians and people on bikes on Atlanta BeltLine multiuse trail

Atlanta Advances Automobile Alternatives; Parking Minimums Persist

The Atlanta City Council passed a pair of ordinances recently to improve conditions for modes other than cars, but a proposal to remove parking requirements for development around the Atlanta Beltline are in limbo.

August 29 - ThreadAtl

"Municipal speed camera in use" sign

More Evidence That Speed Cameras Slow Traffic Speeds

File under: not a cash grab.

August 29 - StreetsBlog NYC

A parking lots and homes sit on a bluff above a large beach on Pacific coast in Southern California.

Meeting Housing Goals by Loosening Commercial Zoning

Torrance, a city on the coast of Southern California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, recently adopted a zoning overlay that will relax commercial zones to allow more residential development.

August 28 - The Real Deal

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