The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Balloons and Straws: Where's the Connection?

Think "The Graduate," but now the emphasis in the future of plastics may be on restrictions. California may become the first state to restrict access to plastic straws, and balloons could be next due to the harm they cause the marine environment.

August 26 - San Francisco Chronicle

London Crowded Street

The Many Benefits of Wandering Through Cities on Foot

Forget the countryside. Urban walking helps people understand their cities while at the same time encouraging urban landscapes where people actually want to walk.

August 26 - The Guardian

New Zealand Bars Foreigners from Buying Residences

Homes are getting more expensive in New Zealand, so they're making it illegal for foreigners to buy homes in the country.

August 26 - The Spaces

Illinois License Plate

Tougher Fines for Phone Use and the Introduction of the Dutch Reach for Illinois Drivers

Illinois gets to new pieces of legislation aimed at slowing the rise in pedestrian deaths and other commuter injuries.

August 26 - Chicago Tribune

Feather River

BLOG POST

The Role of Urban Planners in Flood Preparation

Blogger Kayla Matthews examines the many challenges planners face in preparing for the extreme weather and flooding caused by climate change.

August 26 - Kayla Matthews


Palm Springs

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy

Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.

August 25 - Axios

AAA Study: Auto Ownership More Cost-Effective Than Ride-Hailing

Even after factoring in insurance, parking, depreciation, fuel, repair, maintenance and licensing, urban dwellers would pay half the costs to travel, on average, nearly 11,000 miles annually in their own new car rather than relying on ride-hailing.

August 25 - Smart Cities Dive


Bike Share

Baltimore Municipal Bike Share Ends; Private Bike Share Pilot Begins

Dockless electric scooters and bikes are welcome on the streets of Baltimore, as long as they follow a few rules. In related news, the municipal bike share system Baltimore Bike Share has ceased operations.

August 25 - The Baltimore Sun

Taxis

New App Helps Taxis Compete

The Waave app provides some of the functionality of ride-hailing apps to taxi drivers. The app is the result of a New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission pilot program.

August 25 - Crain's New York Business

New York Subway Station

Report: L Train Closure Finally Impacting the Brooklyn Real Estate Market

The New York MTA is planning to shut down the L Train from Brooklyn to Manhattan in 2019, and renters in the area no longer find the area along the route as attractive.

August 25 - Vice

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Transit Shelter Modernization Plan on the Shelf in Seattle

Transit advocates thought a public-private partnership to modernize transit shelters and enhance the public realm was a done deal.

August 24 - The Urbanist

Bus Rapid Transit Route map

The Feds Finally Come Through for Albuquerque Rapid Transit

The city of Albuquerque has finally received the $75 million it needed to complete an ambitious plan for electric bus rapid transit along Central Avenue.

August 24 - KOB4

Empty Carpool Lane

SUVs Sales Increase in California While Car Sales Drop—Except Those with Plugs

It's a classic paradox, observes David R. Baker for the San Francisco Chronicle: bigger, thirstier vehicles sell better than smaller, more efficient ones, while the market for battery-powered vehicles, especially Teslas, also increases.

August 24 - San Francisco Chronicle

Vacant Property

Shrinking Towns Seek the Right to Dissolve

Small jurisdictions in Pennsylvania are losing population and revenue, and some of them are ready to call it a day.

August 24 - Governing

Trees

The Landscape Architect’s Guide to Sustainable Transportation

How to design a transit system that is safe, green, and beautiful.

August 24 - ASLA The Dirt

Portland Mobile Homes

Zoning Change Protects Mobile Homes as Affordable Housing

The increasingly expensive city of Portland views mobile homes as a critical form of affordable housing.

August 24 - The Oregonian

Gabriel Metcalf Reflects On 20 Years Of Change In Bay Area

For over 20 years, few people have understood or influenced the Bay Area like Gabriel Metcalf, president of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. Metcalf recently announced a move to Sydney, Australia, and reflected the past two decades.

August 24 - California Planning & Development Report

Automated Bus

The Public Can Hail Driverless Rides in Texas, Starting in October

Drive.ai is advancing its autonomous vehicle service a step further—into the public realm.

August 24 - The Dallas Morning News

High Falls, Genesee River

How 'Neighbors for Neighborhoods' Revitalizes Abandoned Buildings

A state program in New York s provides financial support for investors who adaptively reuse abandoned buildings in post-industrial towns.

August 24 - NextCity

Tour et Taxis, Thurn en Taxis

Friday Fun: Ceci N’est Pas une Rue

When allowing a crowd to decide the name of something important, make sure to add a layer of self-control.

August 24 - Quartz

Post News
Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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

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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.