The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The Washington Post Gives Transportation Planning Studies a Star Turn

A recent article in the Washington Post does a nice job of describing transportation planning as an exciting field, with important and engaging applications.

March 15 - The Washington Post

Mapping Grocery Store Closures around New York City

Thought eh majority of grocery stores that have closed in New York City recent years were located in Brooklyn, the issue still spreads far and wide through the city's boroughs.

March 15 - Curbed New York

A Chronicle of Inequality—Starting with Memphis and Houston

Places Journal has launched a series titled "The Inequality Chronicles." Expect high-quality longform articles.

March 15 - Places Journal

Mattapan Trolley

Op-Ed: Save Boston's Mattapan Trolley

The MBTA is considering the future of a unique service: the Mattapan high-speed trolley line. Upkeep costs are high, but replacing the track with buses might be a shortsighted move.

March 14 - The Boston Globe

Urban Infill

Finding Middle Ground in the Density Debate

Writer Alex Marshall looks to Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighborhood, for urban infill done right. Skyscrapers and mid-rise developments aren't always necessary to achieve more people per square foot.

March 14 - Governing


The Important Role of Rural Transit

A recent report details how residents of rural areas in Minnesota use transit.

March 14 - MinnPost

More Evidence That Bikeshare Systems Are the Safest Way to Bike

Another study from a reputable think-tank offers evidence that bikeshare is the safest way to bike.

March 14 - Curbed


The E-commerce Revolution

The internet has revolutionized the way people shop. From Amazon's Prime service, to grocery stores offering online ordering and delivery or store pick-up, the retail landscape has changed and so have brick-and-mortar shops and delivery methods.

March 14 - InTransition Magazine

Nighttime Traffic

7 'Smart Cities Challenge' Finalists Announced

The U.S Department of Transportation's Smart Cities Challenge will provide funding for seven finalists to further develop proposals to develop high-tech transportation solutions.

March 14 - Gizmodo

How Process Stops Change in San Francisco

San Francisco loves process and fears change. It's costing residents in more ways than housing, laments David Prowler, former Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown.

March 14 - UrbDeZine

Another California Columnist Rails Against CEQA Abuse by NIMBYs

With the help of housing experts, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson points to abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act by NIMBYs as one of the main reasons for the Bay Area's housing crisis. Ethan Elkind offers an opposing view.

March 14 - San Francisco Chronicle

Angry Man

BLOG POST

What I Learned When an Angry Group Destroyed My Public Meeting

Introducing the Fiasco Files—a lighthearted look at those times when things went sideways in community engagement. This Fiasco File tells the story of an angry and vocal minority group and the havoc the raised at a public meeting.

March 14 - Dave Biggs

Would Bernie Sanders Delay the Obama Climate Initiative?

Watching Wednesday's Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I was startled to hear Clinton claim that Sanders said he would delay Obama's Clean Power Plan rule. PolitiFact investigated, though the result wasn't clear-cut.

March 14 - PolitiFact

High Line Crowds

Hidden in Plain Sight: Re-Appropriated Spaces

The projects depicted here re-use and re-appropriate public space, filling gaps in the built environment with parks, open areas, and pedestrian walkways.

March 13 - Architizer

Denied: Proposed LNG Export and Gas Pipeline in Oregon Rejected by FERC

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied a contentious $7.5 billion Liquefied Natural Gas export facility, pipeline, and power plant in Coos Bay, Ore., which had received environmental clearance.

March 13 - The Oregonian

Social Equity: The Missing Leg of the Three-Legged Stool of Climate Action

Climate action plans cannot succeed without bona fide action on social equity and job creation, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing Murtaza Baxamusa.

March 13 - UrbDeZine

Strike Averted! New Jersey Transit Unions Reach Tentative Agreement

Thirty hours before rail workers would have begun a strike that would have paralyzed commuting between New York and New Jersey, transit agency and rail unions reached a deal, though it must still be ratified by workers.

March 13 - The New York Times

President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau Agree to Reduce Methane Emissions

Climate change was front and center at a Thursday morning joint press conference at the White House, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to several energy, environmental, and Arctic initiatives.

March 13 - Los Angele Times

Lessons From Helsinki's Failed On-Demand Bus Experiment

Kutsuplus—an attempt to "reinvent carpooling for the algorithm age"—has failed in Helsinki. What can new systems, still operating in the United States, learn from its example?

March 12 - Citiscope

Miami-Dade Reports Leaking Wastewater from Turkey Point Nuclear Plant

The bad news for Biscayne Bay is the latest in a string of bad news for the Turkey Point nuclear plant.

March 12 - Miami New Times

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.