The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Washington D.C. Row Houses

Home Ownership Changes, by City and Ethnicity

According to new data released from the real estate website Trulia, Washington, D.C. experienced the largest gain in Black homeownership in the United States over the past 25 years, Chicago had the biggest expansion of Latino homeownership.

April 30 - DCist

Chicago

Eviction Hot Spot: Chicago's South Shore

Rising rents and low income residents have made this South Side neighborhood a locus for evictions and forced moves.

April 30 - Chicago Reader

Detroit Vacant Properties

Using Big Data to Identify Problem Properties

In New York state, municipalities can apply to use a new tool that gathers property data and sifts for red flags. The intent is to identify potential blight before it sets in.

April 29 - NextCity

Crash

DUIDs Surpass DUIs as Cause of Fatal Vehicle Crashes

2015 was the first year that driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) surpassed those killed while driving under the influence of alcohol. Increased legal access to marijuana is correlated with the surge. Amphetamine use is also a factor.

April 29 - The Washington Post

Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

Electronic Vehicle Permit Moratorium in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney neither signed nor vetoed the anti-electric car bill allowing it to become law, but is symbolically not giving it his approval.

April 29 - The Philadelphia Inquirer


Commuter Rail

A Simple Idea to Fix Transit on Chicago's South Side

On Chicago's massive south side, fixing transit means working on more than just CTA trains.

April 29 - South Side Weekly

A Community Benefits Proposal is Ignored. Is Displacement Far Behind?

A tent city occupation in Atlanta is among several recent actions in cities around the country. Residents fearing displacement at the hands of publicly supported private development are organizing, and running for office, against it.

April 29 - Shelterforce/Rooflines


Barbie Store

Friday Funny: Commuter Barbie Rides the Subway, Deals with Manspreading

Millennial Barbie reads literary fiction and wants you to know about it.

April 28 - Gothamist

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Rent Control: Illegal in Seattle Since 1981

For a long time now, rent control hasn't been an option to control housing prices in Washington state. Whether rent control works is another question entirely.

April 28 - KUOW

Litter

Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds

NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.

April 28 - Next City

National Monuments

Antiquities Act Executive Order Calls for Review of Large Designations

The Executive Order does not roll back the Antiquities Act nor rescind any designations made by presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama, but does call for their review if over 100,000 acres. President Trump feels that the act has been misused.

April 28 - The Washington Post

Friday Eye Candy: Winning Images of Urbanization and Migration

The Penn Institute for Urban Research, in collaboration with Perry World House, is pleased to announce the winner of its 2017 photo contest on the theme of urbanization and migration.

April 28 - Penn IUR

Is Placemaking a 'New Environmentalism'?

Like music, environmentalism's tenets evolved from precedent, and Kaid Benfield hopes they are evolving still.

April 28 - PlaceShakers

Step Back For Sunlight in Portland

A growing Portland has seen many arguments about how to accommodate an influx of residents—recommends the "step back" as a way to add density without adding shadows or creating wind tunnels.

April 28 - Livable Portland

 Indiana State House of Representatives

Indiana Legislature Passes 10-Cents Fuel Tax Hike on Final Day of Session

Just past midnight on Saturday morning, the Indiana State Senate passed the transportation plan after the Housed approved it Friday. It also passed a $32 billion, two-year state budget bill, then adjourned for the year, one week ahead of schedule.

April 28 - Eagle Country

Uber Lyft Departure

Lyft Shuttle Test in Chicago and San Francisco Sure Does Resemble a Bus

Lyft's shuttle service runs along a pre-determined route during peak commuting times and you can pay for it with your Lyft app.

April 28 - The Ringer

Washington, D.C.

One Year Later: H Street and the D.C. Streetcar

Intended to spur redevelopment along blighted commercial corridors, the streetcars are the first to run in the District since the 1962 dismantling of the previous early 20th century citywide streetcar network.

April 28 - Modern Cities

King Tides

A Timeline of CEQA-Circumventing Court Rulings

The California Environmental Quality Act is generally considered a major obstacle for development. In a few cases, however, the law's definitions have been used to clear the way for development in environmentally sensitive areas.

April 27 - San Francisco Public Press

Toronto Subway

MTA Ready for Open Gangway Subway Cars

Open gangways are featured on subway trains in Toronto and Montreal. They could also be a welcome addition to the crowded New York Subway by 2023.

April 27 - New York Daily News

From Caracas to Remote Villages, One Family's Search for Venezuela

Like his father and great-uncle before him, 37-year-old Caracas native Guillermo Lares is using Venezuela's rural traditions to help himself and his contemporaries reflect on the country's current reality.

April 27 - Soft City

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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.