The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
'The Road Taken' Uncovers the Civil Engineer's Hand in Building America's Roads
Nathan Masters reviews the new book by historian Henry Petroski, "The Road Taken," a historical look at America's roads and the civil engineers who built them.
When Other Transit Modes Won't Do, There's Always Sky Gondolas
One Toronto-area man is hoping that cable cars in the sky will one day complete the metro's transit system, but transportation experts see limited use for the technology.
D.C. Streetcar Began Service Saturday (Seriously!)
Yes, this is the real deal. After years of delay and planning and construction mishaps, the long-awaited $200 million, 2.2 mile line streetcar line down H Street began service Saturday. Not all media were kind to the streetcar, even on opening day.
Gehry Partners Opens Up on Los Angeles River Progress
When Frank Gehry's involvement in the L.A. River restoration was announced in August 2015, the firm had already been conducting research on the project for nearly a year. For some time after that, details were scant and speculation abounded.
Cities Preparing for the Worst as the Emerald Ash Borer Comes to Town
A tiny insect, native to Asia, has been killing trees in huge numbers around the United States since 2002. With the emerald ash borer expected to spread, cities are trying to prepare to combat the worst of the devastation.
How San Antonio Is Working Toward Vision Zero
A post on the Rivard Report details the efforts underway in San Antonio, Texas, to reduce traffic fatalities.
In Chicago: Faster Trains, Faster Trips
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has eliminated 20 miles of slow zones since 2011.
Raleigh Bikeshare Debate Intensifies
Opposition to a bikeshare proposal in Raleigh, North Carolina, centers on whether enough people will use the system to justify its cost.
An App Made for Urban Explorers
The Likeways app offers a "Space Recommender System" that aims to return serendipity to the process of navigating a city.
When a 3-Foot Clearance for Passing a Cyclist Is Not Enough
Sharrows and 3-foot passing laws are meant to make biking safer in streets in the absence of bike lanes. Bike activists in Iowa want to take safety a step further by requiring motorists to move to another lane, just as they would if passing a car.
Op-Ed: Affordability Crisis Dwarfs Affordability Policies
Although the political optics are hard to see, Daniel Hertz argues that policies like inclusionary zoning need to be strengthened by orders of magnitude to have more than a token impact on housing affordability.
A New Design Guide for Affordable Housing Developments
New affordable housing is only one step toward creating livable communities—a quality mix of uses on the ground floor, designed to integrate with the street and public spaces is also vital.
America's Infrastructural Reckoning
Through the lens of Henry Petroski's new book, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why infrastructure, as we have come to define it, is such a fraught topic in American life.
New Tool Accesses Chicago Open Data
OpenGrid gathers together Chicago's open data, letting users specify areas of focus on a map of the city. Users can also overlay different datasets on the same map.
Op-Ed: Facial Recognition on Transit Goes a Step Too Far
Despite its insistence that the technology would only target criminals, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) should reconsider using facial recognition software to address crime. The potential for abuse may be too high.
A Map of the Most Economically Distressed Communities in the United States
The economic recovery of recent years has not reached all corners of the country—it hasn’t even reached all corners of many cities. A new report plots a new map of the nation's distressed communities.
San Francisco Offers to Refund $6 Million in Overpaid Parking Tickets
You might not believe it, but the city of San Francisco is offering refunds after realizing it overcharged on parking tickets.
Details of Chicago's Vista Tower—Soon to Be the Tallest Building Designed by a Woman
The Vista Tower is expected for completion in 2020, when it will become the world's tallest tower designed by a woman.
Op-Ed: San Diego's Draft Downtown Mobility Plan Suffering From Suburban Myopia
San Diego's Draft Downtown Mobility Plan is laudable but consists of basic generalities and vanilla concepts, ignoring how an urban environment functions, writes Jimmy Parker, former president of the city's most urban business district.
New Philadelphia Mayor Pitching $300 Million for Parks and Libraries
Investment in public space is shaping up as a signature initiative for new Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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.
