The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Many people know Milwaukee as the Algonquin translation for “The Good Land.” But unfortunate changes in the water table underneath the city now make Milwaukee the sinking city. Experts disagree why.

March 20 - Urban Milwaukee

The Federal Transit Authority has granted one of the final approvals needed for the Purple Line—a 16-mile light rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton in Maryland.

March 20 - Greater Greater Washington

A recent study claimed that transit ridership had reached the highest levels seen in 57 years. Wendell Cox, however, argues that the narrative about a “fundamental shift” in the transportation paradigm is a misrepresentation of the truth.

March 20 - New Geography

You’re totally forgiven for snickering; most people wouldn’t have guessed that a city in Rhode Island would have made it anywhere near the top of a list of exciting cities.

March 20 - Movoto Blog

Montana state officials are considering a plan to allow wild bison to roam in a larger area outside of Yellowstone National Park. Ranchers oppose the project for fear of disease spreading to area livestock.

March 20 - The Wall Street Journal

Transit users in Troy, located to the north of Detroit, spent the weather standing outside waiting for trains and buses while a $6.3 million (indoor) transit facility sat unused due to a legal dispute.

March 20 - The Detroit News

All but 10% of the CBR went to Southern California refineries, though Bay Area shipments grew by 57% and provoked the largest outcry. The Northern California deliveries are mostly from North Dakota, with 12.5% from Colorado.

March 20 - Contra Costa Times

BLOG POST

The federal government has largely abdicated its responsibility to build affordable housing. Nowhere is that more clear than in the comparison between President Obama's proposed $6 billion to HUD for housing production and $626 billion for defense.

March 20 - Edward Poteat

Based on empirical study, J. Alexander Maxwell and fellow University of Strathclyde researchers, in collaboration with Chuck Wolfe, argue for recalling historic patterns of pedestrian city settings in contemporary urban design and policies.

March 20 - London School of Economics and Political Science - American Politics and Policy Blog

Acknowledging that many neighborhoods in Chicago have seen dramatic improvements in livability and income levels, one writer could still identify two Chicagos: “Global Chicago” and “Rust Belt Chicago.”

March 19 - The Corner Side Yard

The “1,500 New Affordable Housing Units Initiative” would target gentrifying neighborhoods in the hopes of preserving a mix of incomes where housing costs are pricing-out long-term residents.

March 19 - PlanPhilly

Atlanta has placed the Atlanta BeltLine Streetcar System Plan on hold, but the fate of one component of the plan—now occupying low-priority position among the plan’s four phases—reveals a lot about Atlanta’s proposed streetcar network.

March 19 - SaportaReport

The Port Authority is reviewing development proposals for a $2.4 billion project to renovate New York City’s notoriously derelict La Guardia Airport. Renderings from one proposal have also hit the wire.

March 19 - New York Post

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles had been counting on a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods federal grant to help fund a massive makeover for Jordan Downs—one of the most downtrodden sections of Watts in South Los Angeles.

March 19 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle is the first city in the country to limit the number of transportation network drivers allowed on the road at any given moment. The new regulation is a setback for companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar and a major victory for cab companies.

March 19 - The Washington Post

The Bay Area already has express lanes - but these 23 miles in Contra Costa County on I-680 will be the first built and operated by the new Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority, a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

March 19 - Contra Costa Times

FEATURE

Continuing a conversation about the definition of conservation subdivisions, this article examines the inconsistent application of the term by policymakers. Moreover, the auto-dependent realities of rural development require more critical thinking.

March 19 - James LaGro

Unlike the U.S., most passenger vehicles in Europe run on diesel fuel, not gasoline, and from a public health perspective, diesel emissions can severely exacerbate particle pollution during weather inversions like the one Paris is now experiencing.

March 19 - The Atlantic Cities

Many New Jersey residents are waiting for state aid to help them rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. But not everyone is receiving a fair share of recovery funds. How will Governor Chris Christie respond?

March 19 - Rooflines

February data shows a perceptible increase in the number of moving violations enforced in New York City compared to the year prior. The increase is at least partly because of how few traffic tickets were written in 2013.

March 18 - WNYC: Transportation Nation