The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

2020 Campaign

What the Presidential Debate Revealed About the Suburbs

Trump has been repeatedly criticized for misunderstanding the suburbs, but former Vice President Jose Biden's take on the subject during the debate also missed the mark.

October 1 - Bloomberg CityLab

Fracking

The End of New Hydraulic Fracking Permits in California Would Still be a Half Measure

As part of a series of dramatic environmental announcements in September, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised to work with legislators to end new hydraulic fracking permits in California.

October 1 - Palm Springs Desert Sun

San Francisco Tunnel Boring Machine

European Tunneling Technique Cuts 50 Weeks From Construction Schedule for Brightline Extension

An innovative tunneling technique, commonly used in Europe, is catching on here in the United States.

October 1 - Construction Dive

HUD

HUD Rule Change Allows Landlords to Use Screening Services Despite Discrimination Concerns

A revised U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rule makes it more difficult to submit claims of housing discrimination when a landlord's decisions is influenced by a third-party tenant screening service.

October 1 - The Markup

Water Emergency Transportation Authority

Plan Bay Area 2050 Proposes 60% Telecommute Rates for Office Workers

A drastic and unprecedented measure included in the draft Plan Bay Area 2050, released this summer, would require 60 percent of all workers in Bay Area office jobs to telecommute.

October 1 - Bloomberg CityLab


Connecticut

Lawyers Taking the Single-Family Zoning Fight to a Connecticut Town

Open Communities Alliance, along with law students and professors at a fair housing development clinic at Yale Law School, have proposed a development meant to trigger the exclusionary zoning code in the town of Woodbridge, Connecticut.

October 1 - The Connecticut Mirror

MARTA Green Line

Transit Sales Tax Hinges on Local Control in Suburban Atlanta

Gwinnett County voters living have rejected proposals to pay taxes for the MARTA transit system before, so the latest proposal for a transit sales tax is going to great lengths to prove its local control bonafides.

October 1 - SaportaReport


Manhattan

Judge Throws Out Plans for New Residential Skyscraper on Manhattan's Upper West Side

A residential skyscraper proposed for Manhattan's Upper West Side included a mechanical void that predated new rules in the city prohibiting the height-enhancing building practice. A judge still rejected the project as planned.

October 1 - Gothamist

Project Connect, Capital Metro

BLOG POST

How COVID Impacts the Future of Light Rail in Austin

The budget for Austin’s massive transportation plan was cut by nearly a third in the wake of the pandemic, but a tax rate increase to help pay for it is still on the ballot for November.

September 30 - Katharine Jose

People on Bikes

Starting Today: The Idaho Stop Is Legal in Washington State

A law passed in March allowing people on bikes to treat stop signs as yield signs when conditions permit takes effect today in Washington State.

September 30 - KUOW

San Antonio, Texas

Alamo Master Plan Thrown Into Disarray

Remember that $450 million plan to renovate The Alamo in time for the 300th anniversary of the battle? It's in trouble.

September 30 - San Antonio Business Journal

Airbnb logo over Dresden

Airbnb City Portal Offers Transparency, Addresses Safety Concerns

A new Airbnb Portal gives cities a much-requested glimpse into the short-term rental company's books. Now operating in 15 cities, the Airbnb City Portal is poised for implementation on a global scale.

September 30 - Bloomberg CityLab

Suburban Homes

FEATURE

An Academic Debate With Very Real Consequences: Land Use Regulations and the Cost of Housing

An article from the journal Urban Studies is inspiring debate and controversy over a year after publication, presenting opposing opinions on fundamental questions about how land use regulation affects the housing market.

September 30 - James Brasuell

Interstate 77

Local Opposition to Ohio DOT's I-77 Widening Plans Near Akron

The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to add lanes to Interstate 77 outside Akron to reduce congestion. Some local officials think the project will connect the region to the East Coast; others think the money would be better spent locally.

September 30 - Cleveland.com

Apartment Construction

Rent Control Debated in the Nation's Capital

District council members and local tenant advocates are engaged in a bit of tug of war about how far the District should go to limit the amount landlords can raise rents.

September 30 - DCist

New Jersey Power Plant

Landmark Environmental Justice Law Signed in New Jersey

New Jersey is now home to one of the "most stringent" environmental justice laws in the country.

September 30 - Next City

Brooklyn, New York City

Adaptive Reuse More Popular Than Ever, Study Says

The past decade saw more old commercial buildings transformed into residential buildings than any decade previous.

September 29 - RentCafé

Space X

Tampa Area Spending $1 Million to Study the Hyperloop

Another regional transit authority isn't as skeptical about the Hyperloop as many critics in the transit and technology press.

September 29 - Naples Daily News

Houston Bayou

Houston Officials Draft Ordinance to Protect Natural Areas

With more than 50,000 acres of parkland, Houston is one of many cities to notice an increase in use of natural areas. Natural Resources Manager Kelly Ondracek is drafting a plan to protect the natural lands from development.

September 29 - Next City

Wall Street

Lessons from the Last Housing Crisis: How to Get Control of Properties

How to keep affordable apartments and single-family homes out of the hands of institutional investors if the coronavirus pandemic leads to a giant wave of evictions and foreclosures.

September 29 - Shelterforce Magazine

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.