The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Pop Up Plaza in Louisville

Six U.S. Cities to Workshop the Methodologies of Tactical Urbanism

Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a recently announced series of tactical urbanism workshops will take place in six U.S. cities.

August 17 - The Architect's Newspaper

Betsy Ross Bridge

New Jersey Gas Tax Standoff Leaves Construction Workers in the Lurch

The plight of laid-off laborers who had been repaving a New Jersey bridge illustrates that people suffer as well as infrastructure and mobility when transportation funding bills fail to pass.

August 17 - The North Jersey Record

Seattle

Reviewing Potential Amendments to the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan

The Seattle City Council is currently considering the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The plan could change significantly from Mayor Ed Murray's proposed draft to the final, approved version.

August 17 - The Urbanist

Gentrification Concerns Sink Inclusionary Housing Development Proposal in Manhattan

Several publications were reporting the expected defeat of a proposed development project in Manhattan this week. The 15-story project was the first private application of the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.

August 17 - Politico New York

Interstates

Last Chance to Comment on U.S. DOT's New Performance Measurement Rule

So far the reviews have not been kind to the proposed changes to the U.S. Department of Transportation performance measurement rule. The public comment for the proposed rule closes August 20.

August 17 - The Hill


Could an Anti-Homelessness Program Stabilize Affordable Housing?

Periodically in the affordable housing world, a few of us acknowledge that the vast majority of low-income people live in unsubsidized rentals in one- to four-unit buildings, and we wonder how to preserve and improve those units. Here is a way.

August 17 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Google Self-Driving Car

The Car-Centric Future of Planning Data

Data collection used for planning purposes has traditionally focused on cars, rather than people. So far, innovative transportation technologies seem unconcerned with changing that pattern.

August 17 - City Observatory


Los Angeles

BLOG POST

The Los Angeles Mystery

A blog post exploring why Los Angeles is more car-dependent than some less dense cities.

August 16 - Michael Lewyn

Drone

New Report Guides Local Regulation of Drones

The National League of Cities is preparing for a future where cities will need to regulate the use of airspace by commercial drones.

August 16 - National League Of Cities

Lessons From Manhattan's First 'Shared Streets' Event

New York City has several famous examples of pedestrian-only environments, but last weekend's Shared Streets event was an experiment in co-existence.

August 16 - StreetsBlog NYC

McMansion

How McMansions Fail Basic Architectural Concepts

A "McMansion 101" post for those who wish to arm themselves with studied arguments against this popular style of residential construction.

August 16 - McMansion Hell

Electric Cars

Legislation Will Increase Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in California

With comprehensive legislation to enable California to continue its powerful agenda of tackling climate change in peril, a Southern California assemblywoman will introduce legislation to tackle the specific issue of sales of electric vehicles.

August 16 - Digital Trends

Los Angeles Subway

Los Angeles' Purple Line Moves Past Legal Opposition

A subway extension that would cut across the Los Angeles basin has cleared another legal hurdle, despite the efforts of a coalition of opponents in the city of Beverly Hills.

August 16 - The Source

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

When the Streets Have No Names, Three Words Will Suffice

Confronting a problem that affects roughly 75 percent of the world's population, a new system will give every place on Earth an address based on three words.

August 16 - Quartz

Boston

There's No App for Silver Bullets

Two planning researchers, one a professor at Tufts and another independent, make the case against apps as a panacea for urban problems.

August 16 - The Boston Globe

Downtown Palmyra

Does Place Matter Anymore? Cities and the 2016 Election

Cities have appeared to figure very little into the presidential election up to now. To get a sense of whether this impression is accurate, I spent some time looking at the two party platforms, and the two candidate's websites.

August 16 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Tropical Storm Floyd

New Levee System Protects New Jersey Residents

New Jersey Chris Christie announced the competition of a $143 million levee system in Somerset County. Gov. Christie now hopes that residents can drop flood insurance.

August 16 - The Record

Port of Morrow

Coal Export Facilities Achieving Zombie Status in the Pacific Northwest

One of the Pacific Northwest's remaining coal export facility proposals was dealt what could be a final blow in state court last week. Some are describing such projects as zombies "shambling forward unaware that their heart has stopped beating…"

August 15 - The Oregonian

Pensacola, Downtown Arts District

Does Downtown Pensacola Need More Parking? Maybe. Probably Not.

A study funded by the city of Pensacola, Florida found that the city's downtown faces a potential parking deficit in the near future, but recommends that weaning people off their cars could reduce parking demand.

August 15 - Pensacola NewsJournal

Vancouver

Former Vancouver Mayor: Development Politics Equals 'Generational Warfare'

Former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan put out a call to action, so to speak, in the hopes of energizing younger Canadians to respond to the entrenched interests of older generations.

August 15 - The Province

Post News

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.