The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Study Examines the Effect of 'Holdouts' on the Development Patterns of Los Angeles
After building an argument that land assembly is key to reinventing cities for a new era, a new study identifies the impact of the landowners standing in the way of that progress.

Vancouver Start-Up Wants You to Bid On Your Rent
The founders of Vancouver-based Biddwell are hoping to change the way landlords and potential tenants find each other, but a renters' advocacy body sees the new company as bad news for tenants in an increasingly tight housing market.
Preserving Las Vegas' Midcentury Residential Neighborhoods
In a region infamous for blowing everything up and starting over again, a growing constituency is interested in preserving the residential neighborhoods of yesteryear.

'Rust Belt Chic' Not Enough to Attract Millennials in Some Cities
The city of Toledo, Ohio provides a case study in how the best intentions of attracting degree-holding Millennials can come up short.

Change Coming to the Way New York City Collects its Trash
The de Blasio Administration has recommended that the city of New York is ready to collect its trash in a new way, with a system known as franchising.

Massachusetts to Raise Money for Taxis from Levy on Uber and Lyft
A new levy on transportation networking companies in Massachusetts will raise funds to help level the playing field for taxi businesses.
Suburban Woes Follow After Companies Depart for Cities
It's not bad enough that the Northeast is losing population to the South and West. As companies decamp from the suburbs, pristine communities, many where apartments are outlawed, are seeing a steady decline in housing values.

Omaha Stripped Away Pavement from Residential Streets, Controversy Ensues
Decades ago, developers installed sub-standard asphalt on residential streets in Omaha, with the understanding that residents, not the city, would maintain them.

Homelessness Is Falling Despite Worsening Conditions. Why?
In 2015, compared to 2009, the nation had more people and lower incomes, but higher rents. All things being equal, the number of people who are homeless should have gone up. But it did not. It went down. What changed, and what's next?

The Wind Industry Is Going Gangbusters
A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy shows a wind industry making large, positive strides in the country's energy market.

How Tesla Is Killing California's Electric Car Market
Sometimes market-based systems don't work as intended. This appears to be the case with the California Air Resources Board's program of awarding credits to zero emission and near zero emission vehicles. Tesla's success is bad for the market.
Communities of Faith Backing Indianapolis Transit Funding Referendum
Transit investments in Marion County, Indiana, could be funded through a proposed increase of income taxes. The proposed funding referendum has the backing, and the phone-banking, of a coalition of local church congregations.

Carless Renters Still Get Stuck With a $440 Million Bill
A new study provides evidence of how the incredibly high costs of parking get spread around—even to people who don't have cars.
As Affordability Worsens, State and Local Governments Act on their Own
New data points to the continued worsening of rental housing affordability. Due to a lack of federal response, some state and municipal governments are taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to add to their supply of affordable housing.

New Rules to Make Heavy Trucks Cleaner and More Fuel Efficient
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation jointly issued final standards on Aug. 16 to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy for heavy duty trucks which currently average about six miles per gallon.

Proposal Would Add Another Deck to Dallas' Klyde Warren Park
The Dallas News reviews a proposal that would extend the reach of one of the most successful public spaces in Dallas.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016
Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

Friday Funny: The Serious Side and Long History of Competitive Race Walking
There's only a few more days left of the Olympics, and that's sad, but there's still time to learn about the wonders of the sport of race walking, formerly known as "Pedestrianism."

65-Year-Old Disney Cartoon Perfectly Explains the Craziness of Driving a Car
In 1950 the Walt Disney Company released a cartoon called "Motor Mania". Starring Goofy, the film chronicles the metamorphosis of the mild-mannered "Mr. Walker" into the terror of the streets, "Mr. Wheeler". It was ahead of its time.

How Do We Plan For Cities on Mars?
Planning for the first human occupied martian cities is taking its next big step with three 3D-printed test colonies planned to be erected in the Mojave Desert.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.