The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Moonshine, Basketball, and the Power of Place

Like a random encounter on the street, sometimes disparate ideas converge in interesting ways. Today, Kentucky Mist Moonshine and the Project for Public Spaces shed some light on municipal branding.

April 13 - PlaceShakers

Mountain Bike

Environmentalists Disagree On Bikes in the Wild

Environmental groups are split over legislation that would remove the nationwide ban on bicycles in the wild.

April 13 - The Oregonian

California House

Starter Homes Are a Non-Starter

As prices rise, especially in desirable urban markets, what used to be called "starter homes" rarely come up for sale. And when they do, they go for more than first time home-buyers can afford.

April 13 - The Washington Post

What Eminent Domain Means in North Philadelphia

A panel discussion convened in Philadelphia recently to discuss the effects of eminent domain, that critical and troubling tool that makes redevelopment possible.

April 13 - Keystone Crossroads

Second Avenue Subway to Bring Boon to Upper East Side Neighborhood

For residents of Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood, life, and property values, will be greatly improved when the Second Avenue Subway opens in December. Until then, construction noise and long slogs to the Lexington Avenue subway continue.

April 13 - The New York Times


beach Parking

FEATURE

Better Parking, Better Cities

Reformed parking regulations will improve the quality of urban environments. They might even allow to once again construct building types we appreciate only in older cities, but could never imagine building with today’s parking requirements.

April 12 - Gerhard Mayer

Empty Subway

BLOG POST

Public Transportation Ridership: Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back?

Recent data showing declining transit ridership is only the latest news to cast doubt on expectations of a public transit renaissance.

April 12 - Steven Polzin


BMW Ready to Launch 'Premium' Car-Sharing Service in Seattle

A new car-sharing service called ReachNow will soon hit the streets of Seattle, offering customers a chance to rent a variety of cars manufactured by BMW by the hour.

April 12 - KUOW

How Bikeshare Replaced Trains on the Day Metrorail Shut Down

Mobility Lab has created a collection of animations and maps that show how Capital Bikesahre filled in some of the gaps for commuters when Metrorail shut down in March.

April 12 - Mobility Lab

Vermont the Latest State to Post Fatality Figures on Roadside Signs

Call it the low-hanging fruit of traffic safety: a number of states around the country post traffic fatality figures on the message boards posted along highways. Questions remain whether such safety campaigns actually work.

April 12 - CityLab

Traffic Light

Slot-Based Design Could Eliminate Traffic Lights

An MIT study determined that traffic lights, and their inefficiencies, could be eliminated if all vehicles were equipped to regulate their speed and "batch" together as they approach intersections.

April 12 - Fast Co. Design

Study: Geography Matters for Life Expectancy of Low Income Residents

A new study, released this week, reveals the connections between geography and life expectancy.

April 12 - The New York Times

Calatrava Bridge, Dallas

City vs. Suburb Battle Reignites

There's a new volley in the long-running battle between cities and suburbs. In his new book "The Human City," urban scholar Joel Kotkin contends that cities and their planners have lost sight of the residents who matter most: families.

April 12 - California Planning & Development Report

Dedicated Bus Lanes Open on Crowded D.C. Corridor

A speedy approval process will have popular buses moving at a speedy pace down Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C.

April 12 - The Washington Post

A Preview of the Cincinnati Streetcar: Expected to Open Sept. 1

The Cincinnati City Council is considering a budget for the eagerly anticipated Cincinnati Streetcar this week, revealing new details about the expected opening and early operations of the system.

April 12 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Meet the Youth Plaintiffs Suing for Climate Change Action

A federal magistrate judge recently allowed a group of 21 youth plaintiffs to proceed with a lawsuit charging the federal government with neglecting their constitutional rights by failing to act on climate change.

April 11 - Grist

City Study Finds Lots of Illegal Airbnb Listings in San Francisco

Despite Airbnb's promises to better regulate the hosts that use their site, and despite legislation approved a little over a year ago by the city, abuse of short-term rentals is rampant in San Francisco.

April 11 - Curbed SF

Four Land Use Features for Better Health

The latest from a growing body of research on the connections between land use and public health identifies four characteristics of land use that produce beneficial public health outcomes.

April 11 - The Huffington Post

Bus Only

Rebecca Solnit: Public Transit Is Greater Than Self-Driving Cars

Rebecca Solnit writes a pointed criticism of the wave of optimism attached to the self-driving car. Her preference: public transit.

April 11 - The Guardian

Coming to Grips With Post-Coal Reality in Wyoming

The state of Wyoming made billions in tax revenues off the coal industry. But after waves of layoffs, those left in the state are asking: What's left of those revenues for workers?

April 11 - WyoFile

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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.

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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.