The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Caltrain

$1.25 Billion Approved for Caltrain Electrification; More Funding Needed

At their July 7 meeting, the Caltrain Joint Powers Board, a 3-county body that administers the crowded San Jose-to-San Francisco commuter rail line, unanimously approved $1.25 billion in contracts to rail and infrastructure firms for electrification.

July 18 - Streetsblog SF

Albuquerque, Route 66

Opponents Delay Albuquerque's Bus Rapid Transit with Lawsuits

A well organized opposition to a planned Bus Rapid Transit line in Albuquerque, New Mexico has stalled the beginning of construction on the new transit line with lawsuits.

July 18 - Albuquerque Journal

Parking Sign

Portland Seeks Affordability By Subtracting Parking

Portland's City Council has sided with housing advocates against neighborhood groups who wanted new developments to include parking spaces.

July 18 - Willamette Week

Minneapolis, Park, Bossen Field

Changing Tastes Push Minneapolis' Parks From Baseball to Soccer

In a move to address changing preferences, some Minneapolis' parks are slowly eliminating baseball diamonds and tennis courts in favor of adaptable fields and multi-purpose courts.

July 18 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune

US - Canadian Border at Chief Mountain

Borders From Above Are More Than Just Lines On A Map

International borders viewed from above show how different patterns of political, urban and agricultural development often collide.

July 18 - Medium


Pokémon Go

Planetizen Week in Review: July 18, 2016

The Planetizen Week in Review is back.

July 18 - Planetizen

Coyote

BLOG POST

A Connected, Walkable City: Building for Urban Wildlife

More than any other place, wildlife have impact on human health, quality of life and aesthetics in urban areas. Thinking about city planning at the terrestrial wildlife scale could support mutual objectives of city planning.

July 17 - Steven Snell


Alleys as a Community Asset

Often overlooked, alleys can be transformed into valuable community spaces

July 17 - CityLab

Miami Temperature

A Guide to Cooling the House in Summer Heat

Christopher Ingraham does everyone a favor and produces a how-to guide for cooling your house "like a wonk."

July 17 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Shopping Cart

Dallas to Offers a $3 Million Carrot for Grocery Store Development

Hoping to attract investments in grocery stores in the food desert of southern Dallas, the City Council recently approved a $3 million enticement.

July 17 - The Dallas Morning News

Tangier Island

Should We Stay or Should We Go? Low-Lying Coastal Towns Debate Choices

Two U.S. coastal communities are debating the merits of staying or leaving due to effects from climate change and rising sea levels

July 17 - Public Radio International

Kennedy Center

Big Kennedy Center Expansion Includes Pedestrian Bridges to the Potomac

A missed opportunity, famously criticized by Ada Louise Huxtable, will be rectified when the Kennedy Center's $175 million expansion project is complete.

July 16 - Architect

Bike Parking: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

have you ever found bike parking hidden behind a dumpster?

July 16 - MinnPost

SEPTA Trolley

Families Departing Philadelphia for the Suburbs

That headlining claim is found in a recent research study from Pew Charitable Trust's Philadelphia Research Initiative—more demographic goodies are included.

July 16 - NewsWorks

Uber Car

Uber Creeping Into Transit Territory

One of the great, looming questions of transportation is whether transportation network companies will complement or compete with transit. A recent promotion moves toward the compete end of the spectrum.

July 16 - The Huffington Post

Bollards

Pedestrians Need Protection from Motor Vehicles Used as Deadly Weapons

As of press time on Friday, the death toll from the Nice Bastille Day massacre is 84, injuries exceeding 200, a record for an act of alleged terrorism committed by a single person. It also sets a record for death by the use of a motor vehicle.

July 16 - NBC News

Philadelphia Ben Franklin Bridge

$9.3M Awarded to Affordable Housing Development in Philly

The Pennsylvania Governors Office announced that eight developers were awarded a total $9.3M in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to build 495 affordable housing units in the city of Philadelphia.

July 15 - Curbed Philadelphia

Solar Power Plant

Solar Power Moving Backwards in Texas

A state with many natural advantages for solar power is having a hard time making the business pencil out.

July 15 - Houston Chronicle

Atlanta streetcar

Report Details Georgia's Community Improvement Districts

As more community improvement districts come online in Georgia, some are finding limitations to the reach of the taxes they generate. A new report makes a thorough examination.

July 15 - Saporta Report

Vancouver Skyline

Op-Ed: Upzonings Hurting Affordability More Than Helping in Vancouver

Zoning for new housing supply isn't the answer to Vancouver's housing affordability crisis, according to an editorial in the Vancouver Sun. In fact, it might only be making the problem worse.

July 15 - Vancouver Sun

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Top Books

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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.