The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sierra Nevada Snowpack at 500-Year Low
Unusually scarce precipitation last winter has left little snow on the mountains, endangering a key California water reserve.

Who Will Pay to Fix San Diego's Broken Sidewalks?
San Diego quest to find solutions to repairing damaged city sidewalks continues, with home and business owners potentially facing liability for trip-and-fall accidents
Audit: Arizona DOT Facing $62.7 Billion Budget Shortfall through 2035
Something needs to change if Arizona is going to be able to pay the bills for maintaining and building new roads, according to the findings of an audit by the state.

Educational Level Linked to Traffic Fatalities
A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has linked an increase in the likelihood of being in a traffic fatality to a person's educational level.
Standards of Scrutiny for Transit Projects Not Extended for Highway Projects
A case study of media coverage in Connecticut finds a double standard between the CTFastrak and Interstate 84 projects.

How to Design a Better Bus Transit Map
Not all transit maps are created equal. The new Portland TriMet map, for instance, does a much better job of illustrating the usefulness of its high-frequency network.
Pope's Visit Converts Car-Free Believers in Philadelphia
The decision to shut down a 4.7-square-mile swath of Philadelphia's Center City on the occasion of the Pope's visit last weekend has converted a lot of new believers to the open streets cause.
King County, Sound Transit Announce $83 Million for Transit Oriented Development
A new regional transit oriented development initiative in Seattle will focus on affordable housing and walkable communities. The Executive's Transit Station Housing and Development Initiative will partner King County and Sound Transit.
EPA's New Ozone Standard Pleases No One
The EPA chose to reduce the current standard of 75 parts per billion, unchanged since 2008, by 5 ppb. Public health and environmental groups insist that a safe standard would be 60 ppb, while businesses point to the high costs to comply with 70 ppb.

Chicago Rule Change Encourages Affordable Housing
This month, changes to Chicago's Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) will go into effect, raising the in-lieu fees developers must pay to opt out of building affordable units downtown.
DUIDs Rival DUIs as Cause of Driver Fatalities
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, be they prescription, illegal, or marijuana, now accounts for 40 percent of driver fatalities, about the same as alcohol-related deaths, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
APA Announces the 2015 'Great Places in America'
The APA's flagship program is back with its 2015 iteration—celebrating the best neighborhoods, public spaces, and streets in the United States.

The Charms of 'Illegal Neighborhoods'
A longtime resident of an old, eclectic neighborhood reflects on what makes the area so desirable and why new places like it are effectively outlawed today.
Friday Eye Candy: Explore Manhattan in 1609
A new online interactive project allows new access to the history of Manhattan before Dutch settlers began taking residence on the island in 1609
Planning for the 'Big One'—In Salt Lake City
Many people outside of Salt Lake City might not realize that the city's proximity to the Wasatch Fault puts it at risk for an earthquake likely in the range of 7.1 on the Richter scale.
Golf Course Plans for 280 Acres of State Park Land Abandoned in Oregon
A controversial and unprecedented deal that would have privatized 280 acres of state-owned Bandon State Natural Area have fizzled out thanks to new requirements from the Bureau of Land Management.
Plan Charlotte Survey Finds 9 Percent of the City Zoned for Mixed-Uses
Surveying the 373 square miles, or 238,720 acres, under jurisdiction of Plan Charlotte to see how much of it is zoned for mixed-use.
Will Public Art Revive the 'Champs-Élysées of Los Angeles'?
Once called the "Champs-Élysées of Los Angeles," MacArthur Park later became known for crime and prostitution. While it has yet to experience a revival like other L.A. parks, an unusual public art project has generated renewed interest in the park.
Protected Bike Lane Setback in Boulder
Boulder, Colorado may be one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S., but that did not stop the City Council on Tuesday night from voting to remove the protected bike lanes on Folsom street and return the road to four lanes of vehicle traffic.
Health by Design: Findings from ULI
A new ULI report finds that innovation in placemaking is about the inter-relatedness of health and the built environment.
Pagination
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.