The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

RIP: Boston Dive Bars (1630-2016)
A recent unofficial tally on Yelp found that 20 of the 70 Boston dive bars listed on the site had recently closed. The Boston Globe examines the trend.
Vancouver and Toronto Lead Big Increases in Canadian Housing Prices
The bloated cost of housing in Vancouver and Toronto has raised concerns among market analysts about a potential correction. Presumably, people in Canada are also worried about the price of housing.
Champion of L.A.'s 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Speaks
A longtime Los Angeles journalist has joined the cause of a sweeping anti-growth initiative that has city leaders on high alert.
America's Coast-to-Coast Toxic Crisis
Flint, Michigan is not an anomaly.
So, About That Anti-Inclusionary 'Study'
Last week, I submitted the following letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times in response to a vicious, and more importantly, extremely misleading op-ed that decried inclusionary housing as a development killer.
Friday Funny: Eminent Domain in the Presidential Campaign
A humorous campaign ad targets Donald Trump on the issue of eminent domain.

Friday Eye Candy: India's Rapid Urbanization
Photographer and architect Lars Mortensen captured the new face of urbanization in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi. The scales involved are unprecedented, and rich and poor live in close proximity.

FEATURE
Op-Ed: Let's Build Homes, Not Ideology
Knee-jerk, ideological reactions to the California housing crisis rest on faulty arguments and threaten to cheat the state out of workable solutions.
Parking Minimums Could Torpedo an Adaptive Reuse Project in Cincinnati
A vote by the city of Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board, of all things, would prioritize parking over historic integrity.
What New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Can Learn From New Jersey
Mayor de Blasio wants to build a $2.5 billion, 17-mile Brooklyn-Queens streetcar (BQX). Emma G. Fitzsimmons of The New York Times suggests he look for tips across the River—not the East but the Hudson, at NJ Transit's Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.

Socially-Blind Urban Planning
In this era of increased inequality, socially-blind urban planning is morally questionable. Specifically, on the issue of homelessness in America, there are three problems to which planners need to pay particular attention.
Program Protects School Diversity in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
The benefits of diverse classroom settings are well established. How then to protect diversity in schools when the surrounding neighborhood is quickly becoming homogenous?
L.A.'s New Planning Director Vince Bertoni Shares His Vision
The new director of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning arrives at a pivotal moment for planning in the city, as countywide investment in public transit is blowing up and the flames of old development debates are being fanned.

Towards a More Equitable Transit Future
"Next Stop Equity" evaluates the fairness of public transit service allocation and pricing in the Toronto, Canada region, and recommends policy reforms to better achieve social equity objectives.

BLOG POST
Justice Scalia and the Takings Clause
Summarizes Justice Scalia's most important Takings Clause decisions.

Oil Bust: Houston's Housing Surplus is Driving Rents Down
With a multitude of new high-end apartment complexes coming online, Houston residents are reaping the rewards of lowered rents as landlords struggle to fill vacancies due to a slowing oil economy.
Is Jersey City the New York Metro Area's Next Brooklyn?
A 10-minute commute to lower Manhattan has made this once dingy city into the fastest growing in the Garden State. Yet from an historic perspective, Jersey City was a "shrinking city," not unlike Detroit or Youngstown, until 25 years ago.

Report Tallies the Damages of California's Drought
Electricity costs in California have risen more than $2 billion from October 2011 to September 2015, according to a new report studying the effects of California's historic drought.
Political Support Coalesces Around Protected Bike Lanes in Philadelphia
Bike advocates have high hopes for the leadership of newly elected Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. Among Mayor Kenney's campaign promises: to add 30 miles of protected bike lanes.
Are State Rebates Necessary for Electric Vehicle Sales?
Campaigners for the Sierra Club's electric vehicle initiative make the case that New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo needs to offer a state rebate of $2,000 to $4,000 to make EVs more attractive to car buyers now that he's phasing out coal power.
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.