The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

New Report Guides Local Regulation of Drones
The National League of Cities is preparing for a future where cities will need to regulate the use of airspace by commercial drones.
Lessons From Manhattan's First 'Shared Streets' Event
New York City has several famous examples of pedestrian-only environments, but last weekend's Shared Streets event was an experiment in co-existence.

How McMansions Fail Basic Architectural Concepts
A "McMansion 101" post for those who wish to arm themselves with studied arguments against this popular style of residential construction.

Legislation Will Increase Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in California
With comprehensive legislation to enable California to continue its powerful agenda of tackling climate change in peril, a Southern California assemblywoman will introduce legislation to tackle the specific issue of sales of electric vehicles.

Los Angeles' Purple Line Moves Past Legal Opposition
A subway extension that would cut across the Los Angeles basin has cleared another legal hurdle, despite the efforts of a coalition of opponents in the city of Beverly Hills.

When the Streets Have No Names, Three Words Will Suffice
Confronting a problem that affects roughly 75 percent of the world's population, a new system will give every place on Earth an address based on three words.

There's No App for Silver Bullets
Two planning researchers, one a professor at Tufts and another independent, make the case against apps as a panacea for urban problems.

Does Place Matter Anymore? Cities and the 2016 Election
Cities have appeared to figure very little into the presidential election up to now. To get a sense of whether this impression is accurate, I spent some time looking at the two party platforms, and the two candidate's websites.

New Levee System Protects New Jersey Residents
New Jersey Chris Christie announced the competition of a $143 million levee system in Somerset County. Gov. Christie now hopes that residents can drop flood insurance.

Coal Export Facilities Achieving Zombie Status in the Pacific Northwest
One of the Pacific Northwest's remaining coal export facility proposals was dealt what could be a final blow in state court last week. Some are describing such projects as zombies "shambling forward unaware that their heart has stopped beating…"

Does Downtown Pensacola Need More Parking? Maybe. Probably Not.
A study funded by the city of Pensacola, Florida found that the city's downtown faces a potential parking deficit in the near future, but recommends that weaning people off their cars could reduce parking demand.

Former Vancouver Mayor: Development Politics Equals 'Generational Warfare'
Former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan put out a call to action, so to speak, in the hopes of energizing younger Canadians to respond to the entrenched interests of older generations.
Rescue Efforts Underway as Southeast Louisiana Faces Historic Flooding
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is describing the flooding in Southeast Louisiana as an "unprecedented and historic flooding event."

Conventional Bike Lanes Left These Cities Wanting More
A case is made in the Orange County, California, city of Garden Grove for protected bike lanes. And a new protected bike lane opens in Southern California's bike infrastructure capital, Long Beach.

Good News, Finally, For Flint, Michigan Residents
There's good but guarded news on drinking water. Lead levels are lower, below the federal action threshold, but residents are advised not to drink it without using filters. A federal state of emergency in effect since January was lifted Sunday.

L.A. Restaurant Charges Based on Neighborhood Income
Meals at a Los Angeles restaurant will priced according to the income of the surrounding neighborhood.
U.S.'s First Mall for the Home to Open in 2019
The home-themed mall, opening outside Washington, D.C., hopes to attract a new generation of customers and investors.

Federal Agencies to Consider Climate Impacts
A new policy from the Obama Administration asks government to calculate, and attempt to lower, their carbon emissions.

Light Rail Ridership Takes Off in Seattle After Expansion
Besting all expectations, ridership numbers have increased 83 percent since Seattle's Sound Transit light rail system added two new stations, connecting downtown to the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood and the University of Washington.
In 2016, Legal Battle Lines Are Drawn in the Back Yard
The legal, and social, challenges to building more second units in Los Angeles.
Pagination
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.