The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Behind the Popularity of Transportation Tax Increases
Transportation ballot measures are popular this November: over 70 populate ballots across the country. In California and elsewhere, they supplement declining federal and state funds for local infrastructure.

In the U.S., Climate Politics Trump the Pope's Message
The encyclical "Laudato si: On the Care of Our Common Home" might have scored public relations points among environmentalists last year, but according to a new study, it didn't score any points with Catholics or the broader U.S. population.

Garage Construction Continues to Outpace Apartment Construction
New data reveal the U.S. housing industry's preference for garages for cars over apartments for people.

Baltimore's New Zoning Code Almost a Done Deal
The Baltimore City Council granted initial approval for the city's first zoning code overhaul in over 40 years.

50 Steps to Taking the Carbon Emissions Out of Transportation
The new "50 Steps Toward Carbon-Free Transportation" report examines the gulf between the reality of the U.S. transportation system and the innovations that will be necessary to achieve a carbon-free future.

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Top Websites - 2016
The annual list of the best planning, design, and development websites, representing some of the top online resources for news, information, and research on the built environment.

DART Board Splits with Dallas Council on Subway Priority
The DART Board decided to move forward with a financial plan that funds both the Cotton Belt light rail line and the D2 subway.

The Critical Role of Down-Ballot Races in State Transportation Funding
The overwhelming majority of states that increased gas taxes last year were Republican-controlled. In states where the legislature is split, it's more difficult to approve transportation funding legislation. Down-ballot races may prove decisive.

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Are States Too Active or Not Active Enough? Yes.
State governments like to limit local taxing authority but not local zoning—maybe they should do the exact opposite.

Surprisingly Few People Make a Lot of Airport Noise Complaints
A new study has found that just a handful of people are responsible for the majority of noise complaints directed toward airports.

'The World's Urban Planner': UN-Habitat's Joan Clos
The phrase "everything on the street" captures UN-Habitat head Joan Clos's approach to urbanization. In the wake of Habitat III, who is the man behind the conference's "New Urban Agenda"?

A Toolkit for Solving California's Housing Crisis
The McKinsey Global Institute wants to help California build 3.5 million homes by 2025.

Lack of Pedestrian Signals Puts New Orleanians at Risk
A recent report has shed light on the lack of pedestrian signals at intersections around the city of New Orleans, where pedestrians have been injured or killed at greater rates than more populous neighboring parishes.

Mapping Washington, D.C.'s New Zoning Code
After years of planning, Washington, D.C. this year adopted a new zoning code. With new maps from the District Office of Zoning, you can see for yourself what the city's new land use regulation regime looks like.
The City as 'Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities': It’s the People Thing
If even a sliver of a 78-million-strong set of consumers seems willing to hand over cash for something, businesses organize themselves to deliver, whether we’re talking hula hoops or downtown apartments.

Study: 'Global Neighborhoods' Are Proliferating in the United States
While narratives about gentrification and segregation dominate the headlines, one study found evidence of increased integration around the United States.

A Plan to Bike the Length of the Chicago River by 2030
The Chicago River is attracting some of the city's most creative visions for the future. The second plan in recent months proves the potential of the river as an open space asset.
Ground-Breaking Rent Control Project Proposed in San Francisco
California law and a local ordinance prevent new apartment buildings from falling under rent control. But that need not prevent a developer from requesting it, as a developer in San Francisco's Excelsior District has done.

Atlas for the End of the World
In a new brief, Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Richard Weller writes about mapping that recognizes the interdependence of people and conservation.

Why San Diego's Proposed Transportation Sales Tax Is Opposed by a Diverse Coalition
Many cities and counties across the state are proposing transportation sales tax increases, but only San Diego's is opposed by a diverse coalition of environmental and labor groups. Murtaza Baxamusa explains why.
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City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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