The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Ambitious Complete Streets Plan Proposed for Woodward Ave Between Detroit and Pontiac

The Woodward Avenue Action Association recently approved a plan for a complete streets makeover that would connect to the forthcoming M-1 streetcar and cross several city boundaries.

October 17 - Detroit Free Press

Minnesota History Center Exhibit Makes Room for Suburban Romance

"Suburbia," opening today at the new Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, allows a portrait of suburban living that goes well beyond the mundane. By redefining the history suburbia, the exhibit also tracks the contemporary evolution of suburbs.

October 17 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Anchorage Tweaks Land Use Regulations for More Infill Development

The Anchorage Assembly has updated its land use regulations to allow taller apartments and spur redevelopment and infill in neighborhoods near major transit corridors and the employment centers of Downtown and Midtown.

October 16 - Alaska Dispatch News

River map

Today's Cartographers Are Database Engineers

Modern maps are visual representations of millions of points of standardized data.

October 16 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Colorado Expanding Tolling Systems on Two Denver-Area Highways

State transportation officials set new toll rates for two busy highway corridors outside Denver.

October 16 - The Denver Post


Friday Eye Candy: The 'Objective' Architectural Photos of Hilla and Bernd Becher

Hilla Becher passed away earlier this month at the age of 81, leaving behind an influential legacy on the art and practice of architectural photography.

October 16 - CityLab

Seatle Skyline

Lawyer Sees the 'Ghost of Seattle's Future'

This favorable profile of Jack McCullough, a Seattle lawyer representing developers, highlights his role as a deal-maker. Recent agreements between his clients and Mayor Ed Murray may preserve a path forward for affordable housing.

October 16 - The Seattle Times


Venice Canals

Can Los Angeles Regulate Airbnb?

Several Los Angeles neighborhoods, Venice in particular, have become hotbeds of short-term rental activity. Upset by a stream of raucous visitors, residents wonder whether the city can—or will—enforce regulations on platforms like Airbnb.

October 16 - The Los Angeles Times

Complete Streets

Feds May Drop 'Highway-Inspired' Rules for Streets

The Federal Highway Administration may put an end to rules mandating wide lanes and "clear zones," making it easier to implement complete streets.

October 16 - Streetsblog USA

Philadelphia SEPTA Station

Planners Find Support for Rail Transit Connection from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia

MoveLV: Long Range Transportation Plan process is finding support for the rebirth of defunct rail transit corridor between the Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem and the City of Brotherly Love.

October 16 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Capitol Hill

Dispatch from 'Planners' Day' on Capitol Hill

The American Planning Association took to Washington, D.C. recently to seek support for legislative actions that will enable the planning efforts of the next few years.

October 16 - APA Policy News

Dutch Fyra Train

Transit Use Thrives on Destination Density

If jobs, services, and other urban amenities are concentrated downtown, suburbanites can use transit to get there quickly without a car. Job sprawl makes transit useless outside central districts.

October 16 - City Observatory

On the Eventual Energy Efficient Future of 'Solar Suburbs'

Experts say it's only a matter of time until suburbs enter a new era of energy efficiency that redefines the landscape of residential living.

October 15 - Yale Environment 360

Manhattan Institute Presses Policy Innovations for 'The Next Urban Renaissance'

A new book from the Manhattan Institute, available for free download, argues that cities will have to full embrace experimentation and evaluation to be true laboratories of innovation.

October 15 - Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

'Renter Equity' Programs Gain Traction in Cincinnati, Cleveland

After years of operating in Cincinnati, a program that gives residents a stake in the real estate they call home is expanding to Cleveland.

October 15 - Next City

Power Plant

25 Coal Power Plants to Shutter in Michigan in Five Years

Credit EPA emission regulations for the decisions by utilities to close the aging plants. Michigan receives half its power from coal—the most polluting fossil fuel. The new Clean Power Plan rule will cause more remaining plants to close in time.

October 15 - Power Engineering

Energy, Carol Stream, IL

New York's Visionary Model of Utilities Reform

Utilities profit from building more power plants—a flawed model for a diminishing natural monopoly.

October 15 - Vox

Atlanta's Dwindling Supply of Affordable Housing Units

Analysis shows that Atlanta is building a lot of new rental units, but most are priced at luxury levels, while the city's supply of low cost rental units are shrinking in the neighborhoods they're needed most.

October 15 - Creative Loafing

Toyota Targets 2050 to Eliminate Carbon Emissions

Automakers are ramping up the production of fuel-cells vehicles—so much so that Toyota predicts the end of the conventional engine by the year 2050.

October 15 - Reuters

How Planners Are Helping Build Healthy Food Infrastructure in Boise

The Idaho Plan4Health Coalition is exemplifying the role of planning in improving public health outcomes connected to healthy food and nutrition.

October 15 - Plan4Health

Post News

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.