The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Coronavirus

The Disconnect Between Virus Prevalence and Local Business Climate

Public health experts assert that to safely reopen the economy, the coronavirus needs to be contained. In Manhattan, where the virus is largely controlled, chain restaurants are closing while their sister stores in Florida are expanding.

August 18 - The New York Times

Woman on Transit

A Detailed Look at Women's Urban Experiences

In Feminist City, geographer Leslie Kern describes the often invisible ways in which cities are unwelcome to women. It's an essential look at the urban gender divide, and it passionately calls for gender equity in the planning profession.

August 18 - California Planning & Development Report

New York Subway

How New York City Subways Prevent Viral Spread, Illustrated

Detailed animations of ventilation systems in New York City subway cars provide transit riders with a better understanding of the possibility of community spread in subway cars.

August 18 - New York Times

South Bay Area

Proposed Single-Family Zoning Reform Would Have a Big Footprint in California

SB 1120 is the latest law proposed in the California Legislature to preempt restrictive local zoning.

August 17 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Rural Highway

Traffic Returns to Normal in Nebraska

Rural traffic has recovered from COVID-19 lows earlier in the year and has even surpassed historic averages, according to the case study supplied by the state of Nebraska.

August 17 - KLIN


Los Angeles Earthquake

Resilient Los Angeles: Preparing for Overlapping Disasters in Pandemic

L.A. City Chief Resilience Officer Aaron Gross elaborates on how the pandemic is shaping the city’s understanding of resilience and the cascading impact that overlapping disasters of earthquake or wildfire could have on the city’s limited resources.

August 17 - The Planning Report

King County Metro Transit

Bus Rapid Transit Plan Taking Shape in Seattle

The Madison Bus Rapid Transit LIne, also known as the RapidRide G Line, got a green light from federal authorities to move forward in the grant funding process.

August 17 - Seattle Department of Transportation


Accessory Dwelling Unit

California Cities Going the Extra Mile to Support ADU Construction

A few jurisdictions have gone beyond conformity with state law to encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units in the state of California, like in San Diego.

August 17 - Next City

New York City Subway

Advocates: It's Time to Get Back on Transit

The story about the safety of public transit has changed since the early days of the pandemic.

August 17 - Scientific American

South Los Angeles

It's High Time for a Community-Led Economic Recovery

Past recoveries have only exacerbated structural inequalities. The recovery from the current economic and social crises can't afford to make the mistakes, according to a recent paper from researchers at the Brookings Institution.

August 17 - Brookings

14th Street Busway New York City

New York's Bus Lane Program Slow to Start

It's a case of arrested development, as local opposition has derailed ambitious plans to greatly expand bus priority on streets around the city of New York.

August 17 - New York Post

Full House Painted Ladies

The Planning Tools to Overcome Racial Segregation

A new report presents five strategies for overcoming the long-term effects of systemic racism as perpetuated by housing and planning policies of the past and present.

August 16 - Othering and Belonging Institute

Hillsboro, Oregon

New Grant Program to Fund Off-Road Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure in Oregon

A new grant program launched by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) aims to fill a key gap in the funding available for bike and pedestrian paths.

August 16 - Bike Portland

Detroit Fairgrounds

Dormant Michigan State Fairground Site to Make Way for Amazon Distribution Center

Detroit officials have been trying to find a new life for the former site of the Michigan State Fair for a long time. Amazon will fill the void, according to a redevelopment proposal announced last week.

August 16 - Detroit Free Press

Flushing, Queens Historic Theater

A Development Proposal 34 Years in the Making

Or a historic preservation fight, 34 years in the making, depending on your perspective.

August 16 - Queens Daily Eagle

Public Service Announcement

Criticism of San Jose's Plan to Add New Billboards to the City

San Jose banned new billboards in 1985, but a proposal making its way through the planning department would allow for a wave of new billboards in the city. One local columnist isn't buying it.

August 14 - The Mercury News

Plano DART

The Day after Plano Tomorrow

Planners in Plano, Texas are ready to pick up the pieces and move on from the demise of the Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan.

August 14 - The Dallas Morning News

Police Enfocement

Investment in Public Transit Could Reduce the Need for Police Traffic Enforcement

In Nick Demarsh and Rick Banks' opinion, defunding the police requires cities to reconsider car culture.

August 14 - NextCity

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Manhattan Residents Don't Want Empty Hotels to House the Vulnerable During the Pandemic

The Upper West Side of Manhattan is embroiled in controversy as local residents react badly to at-risk New Yorkers being housed in a local hotel for safety during the pandemic.

August 14 - West Side Rag

Mobility

Mobility-as-a-Service Still Searching for a Market Foothold

Policymakers and venture capital firms love the idea of Mobility-as-a-Service. The public hasn't proven as receptive, despite the willingness to download apps by the millions.

August 13 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.