The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A mealy bug is devastating the cane that holds the land on the Louisiana coast in place. Without the cane, many square miles of land may wash away.

May 7 - The Washington Post

Delays and slow financing have kept a Navy Pier flyover grounded, and cyclists are tired of getting hit as they bike around the construction.

May 7 - The Chicago Reader

Palo Alto has become so expensive, plots of land with derelict houses sell for millions of dollars. Mathew Yglesias argues allowing small municipalities to make their own zoning laws is partly to blame.

May 6 - Vox

Parts of Los Angeles erupted in flames 25 years ago this week. The causes were varied, but the results were geographic. Planners and community development efforts tried to help, but their effects have been lost in the wind.

May 6 - California Planning & Development Report

Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature reached a historic agreement to raise the gas tax, but electric vehicle owners will now be required to pay a yearly fee, Will this impact EV sales in the US's best market?

May 6 - The Planning Report

Building over highways is not a particularly new idea, but it has been a rare novelty. Former SPUR director and development consultant Jim Chappell sees a brighter future for highway caps parks and projects.

May 6 - UrbDeZine

Melissa Hege, AICP, shares her thoughts on what every urban enthusiast should know about good streets and great places.

May 6 - Modern Cities

The long-awaited Q-Line opened to the public earlier today.

May 5 - Detroit Free Press

Some local officials in unincorporated Hillsborough County, outside of Tampa, Florida, are trying to take local residents up to the consequences of unmitigated sprawl.

May 5 - Tampa Bay Times

The new book "Detroit: The Dream Is Now" tells a story of revitalization and ambition, in the same city where far too many "ruin porn" photographers have tread.

May 5 - Detroit Free Press

As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.

May 5 - The Mercury News

Bridj's bet that it could, well, bridge ride-hailing and public transit didn't pay off. Lacking new investment, the company is shutting down.

May 5 - CityLab

With so much attention paid to the nation's housing crisis, it's still important to keep an eye on other kinds of uses. The office market is full of surprises, like cheap office build out costs in a city infamous for residential gentrification.

May 5 - Globe St.

Living near vegetation appears to be linked to a longer life and better mental health—for women, at least.

May 5 - CNN

Can a few splashes of water on hot pavement reduce the heat island effect? Researchers find evidence to support a traditional Japanese method of cooling the environment.

May 5 - The Poetry of Science

Research from Brookings identifies metro areas with economies that are not only growing, but growing in an equitable way. The list is short, but may offer some insights.

May 5 - Brookings

The satirical website takes on the darling of community and economic development: the local craft brew industry.

May 5 - The Onion

Philadelphia's green roof law allows developers to build 25 percent more units if they put a green roof on their buildings. Councilmember Squilla wants to exempt his district from that law.

May 4 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials are optimistic that a new BART station, with connections to VTA light rail, will open ahead of schedule.

May 4 - East Bay Times

FEATURE

Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.

May 4 - James Brasuell