The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Seattle Train

Riverview Corridor Streetcar Passes Major Hurdle, Still a Long Way Off in the Twin Cities

An oversight committee has approved the Locally Preferred Alternative for the Review Corridor Streetcar project that will connect Downtown St. Paul to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

October 15 - MinnPost

U.S. Census

More Bad News From the U.S. Census: Economic Census Delayed Six Months

A budget shortfall for Census 2020 has already claimed one victim: the timely delivery of the five-year Economic Census.

October 14 - Politico

Washington D.C. Row Houses

'Housing Insights' Mapping Tool Designed to Preserve Subsidized Housing in D.C.

The Housing Insights team of volunteer civic hackers hopes you'll use their software in other cities, too.

October 14 - Greater Greater Washington

8 Tips for Suburban Placemaking

Suburban areas looking to improve public places can try following this advice.

October 14 - Build a Better Burb

Chicago Train Commute

Chicago CTA Expands Hard Back Seat Pilot, Seeking to Avoid Wet Surprises

Chicago trains and buses have long had dark cloth coverings, which can hide liquids and make for unpleasant experiences for riders.

October 14 - Reader


Berkeley Hills Bay Area

The Cost of a Well-Maintained Urban Tree Canopy Is Actually Pretty Cheap

In terms of its public health benefits, a flourishing tree canopy is practically priceless.

October 14 - ASLA The Dirt

Tokyo Blur

Ranking the Safest Cities in the World—Tokyo Leads the List

The Economist's Intelligence Unit has released its 2017 Safe Cities Index.

October 13 - Quartz


Electric Car Charging Station

A Dozen New Laws to Spur Sales of Zero Emission Vehicles in California

Gov. Jerry Brown signed 12 bills on Oct. 10 to facilitate the transition from oil-powered light and heavy duty vehicles to electric power in California, and thus meet his goal of putting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.

October 13 - NGT News

Why a Planner Might Want a Doctorate Degree in Urban Planning That's not a Ph.D.

There are two types of doctorate degrees in urban planning. Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County planner with one of them, explains the difference and why, with no plans to be a professor, he pursued one of these degrees.

October 13 - UrbDeZine

Jackson Park

Obama's Presidential Center Raises Displacement Concerns

As the former president seeks to distinguish the Obama Presidential Center from for-profit development, many locals still want to see a binding community benefits agreement.

October 13 - CityLab

Santana Row

Can Urbanist Islands Make a Difference Where Sprawl Reigns?

The product of a single developer, San Jose's Santana Row is a pocket of urbanism in a sea of sprawl. But can it influence development patterns beyond its bounds, and should it?

October 13 - Public Square

Uptown Oakland

Study: Integrated Neighborhoods More Common Across the U.S.

A Harvard study suggests that since 2000, the number of Americans living in racially integrated neighborhoods has risen. But this may be a temporary effect of gentrification, and integration remains an exception to the rule.

October 13 - Housing Perspectives

Former Planning Director, Landscape Architect Among MacArthur Genius Grants Winners

Professionals and academics of the built environment were recognized for their genius this week by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

October 13 - The Architect's Newspaper

Ivy Covered Green Building

BLOG POST

Comparing the Environmental Impact of Building vs. Buying a Home

Which is better for the environment: buying an existing home, inefficiencies and all, or paying to build a new home with all the bells and whistles of green building technology?

October 13 - Kayla Matthews

Philadelphia Green Bike Lanes

An Architecture Critic Lists 7 Reasons Bike Lanes Benefit All Road Users

People—on bikes, in cars, and on foot—should be able to agree that bike lanes are better for everyone.

October 13 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Friday Eye Candy: A World Full of Beautiful Architecture

Arcaid has collected a shortlist for its 2017 architectural photograph of the year.

October 13 - The Guardian

Metro Los Angeles Has a Trippy New Take on the Transit PSA

Metro Los Angeles new transit etiquette public service announcement is either a dream or a nightmare, depending on your perspective, but the transit agency clearly spared no expense in trying to impart a few lessons on courteous riding.

October 12 - The Source

St. Louis Pride

Interactive Map Locates Queer History of St. Louis

The ongoing project aims to show how LGBT history is embedded throughout the city.

October 12 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

California from Space

Wine Country Wildfires Put Focus on Wildland-Urban Interface

The fires in Northern California have caused at least 21 deaths, with over 500 people missing in Sonoma County. Wired science editor, Adam Rogers, looks at the problems posed when urban development encroaches wildlands.

October 12 - Wired

National Monument

Communities Debate Potential Mine Near Mt. St. Helens

Fishermen, former loggers, and conservationists are just some of the groups with a stake in whether a mining operation takes root in Washington state.

October 12 - Northwest Public Radio

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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.