The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Bike Lanes

Bogotá Commits to the Bicycle

Colombia's capital city, the birthplace of the Ciclovía, is devoting public space to bikes during lockdown. To reduce traffic, the city plans to allocate even more public space to bike infrastructure and sustainable mobility moving forward.

August 13 - Bloomberg CityLab

Transitioning from Tourism to Tech: San Diego's Path to Recovery

TPR caught up with San Diego City Councilmember and candidate for mayor Barbara Bry to discuss her Roadmap to Recovery plan, as well as her priorities for housing, density, and economic development post-COVID.

August 13 - The Planning Report

San Francisco

After Decades of Failure, 1,000-Plus Homes Coming to the Balboa Reservoir in San Francisco

Four developers tried, and four developers failed, until the San Francisco Board of Supervisors changed the story in August 2020.

August 13 - San Francisco Chronicle

La City Hall Cycling

Los Angeles City Planning Hires First Chief Equity Officer

Faisal Roble, the newly appointed chief equity officer of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, will be tasked with crafting a Racial Equity Action Plan for the department.

August 13 - MyNewsLA

Campaign Rally

The Two Conflicting Sides of the Federal Approach to the Pandemic

While President Trump is publicly stating the virus "will soon disappear," his task force is releasing detailed, county-level data on how all 50 states are dealing with the coronavirus and making recommendations – but the reports are not public.

August 13 - The New York Times


Cleveland, Ohio

Bus System Redesign Coming to the Cleveland Region

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) revealed a draft system redesign this week.

August 13 - Cleveland.com

Massachusetts State Capitol

'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts

After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.

August 13 - The Boston Globe


Donald Trump

Skepticism for Trump's Executive Orders

President Trump put on a show while signing a batch of executive orders late last week, but on further evaluation, the president's signatures on these orders aren't likely to save anyone from the economic devastation of the coronavirus.

August 12 - The Washington Post

Private Bus Operators

Private Bus Line Connecting New Jersey to New York City Shuts Down Due to COVID-19

A reminder of the consequences of the pandemic on transit operations, in this case with an example of a highly used private bus service in New Jersey.

August 12 - NorthJersey.com

Freeway Interchange

Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Explained and Evaluated

Knowing is half the battle, and most people have a lot to learn about metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and how they maintain the status quo of transportation planning and spending in the United States.

August 12 - DOTs and State Level Steez

Brightline

Brightline and Virgin Trains Splitting After 17-Month Partnership

Among the collateral damage of a quick divorce between Brightline and Virgin Trains USA is the name for the planned high-speed connection from Las Vegas to Southern California.

August 12 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Oregon

The 'Most Pro-Housing Reform in U.S. History' Expected for Approval Today in Portland

The Portland Residential Infill Project is expected for approval by the Portland City Council today, culminating a six year process that became more and more ambitious with every iteration.

August 12 - Sightline Institute

Washington, D.C.

FEATURE

I Have Spent My Career Advocating for Fair Housing. It's Good to See Obama's Rule Go.

The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, as adopted by the Obama administration and scrapped by the Trump administration, didn't include the policy tools necessary to achieve fair housing in the United States, according to this opinion piece.

August 12 - Jonathan Zasloff

Ground Floor Retail

Developers Want to Skip Ground-Floor Retail Requirements

Minneapolis developers are agitating against the requirements of mixed-use zoning, saying that it's impossible to find a good tenant for ground floor retail these days.

August 12 - Star Tribune

Pennsylvania

Developers Rush to Build in Final Days of Philly's Tax Abatement

Neighborhoods that have been stubbornly resistant to investment for decades are suddenly the scene of waves of permitting activity as the city of Philadelphia prepares to tighten its tax abatement program.

August 12 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Houston, Austin, and College Station

Not Just New York: Reports of an Urban Exodus From Houston

A recent article about Houston residents fleeing the city for College Station reads a lot like articles about New Yorkers decamping for less urban climes.

August 11 - Houston Chronicle

Pacific Ocean Beaches

Imagine Honolulu Without its Beaches

Beaches and parks on Oahu are closed to the public once again as the city attempts to control the spread of COVID-19.

August 11 - The Honolulu Star Advertiser

Foreclosure Sign

Protecting Distressed Real Estate From Private Equity

Elizabeth Warren and Carroll Fife warn about the potential for the worst housing market outcomes of the real estate and financial crisis of 2008 to repeat without action from federal and state lawmakers.

August 11 - The Washington Post

San Francisco, California

BLOG POST

Can Planners Advance Environmental Justice When Rebuilding Existing Locally Unwanted Land Uses?

Miriam Solis, of the University of Texas at Austin, writes about a recent article she authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

August 11 - JPER

Maricopa County, Arizona

When Affordable for the County Isn't Affordable for the Neighborhood

A critical question arises in response to an affordable housing project proposed in Phoenix: When measuring a project's affordability, does the larger county's median income matter when some neighborhoods are struggling well beyond that measure?

August 11 - Arizona Republic

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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.