The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

BLOG POST
California Cities Could Face a Zoning Reckoning
As the state toughens rules related to its housing allocation process, cities statewide may finally be forced to overhaul their zoning codes to ensure an adequate supply of housing at all affordability levels.

Las Vegas Arts District To Receive Complete Streets Makeover
The city is promising a safer environment for pedestrians in the Las Vegas Arts District to comply with their complete streets goals.

Texas Bullet Train Company Owes Hundreds of Thousands in Property Taxes
The company planning to build a Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line is delinquent on at least $623,000 in property taxes on lots purchased for the project.

Report: Sustainable Transportation Proposals Face Costly, ‘Time-Consuming’ Environmental Studies
In another blow to California’s Environmental Quality Act, a new analysis shows that many green transportation projects are delayed or halted by an expensive, onerous review process and the threat of lawsuits.

A ‘Playbook’ for Better Bus Service, From King County Metro
King County Metro operates one of the nation’s busiest transit systems—without running any trains. The agency recently released a playbook as a guide to transit service.

Austin Now Taking Applications for its ‘Right to Return’ to Gentrifying Neighborhoods
The Texas state capital’s “right to return” law was delayed by the pandemic, but Austin is now taking applications for longtime low-income residents to find housing in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Census Releases New Interactive Dashboard to Identify Underserved Communities
The new "My Community Explorer" interactive dashboard is intended to help drive data-based solutions to inequality in and between communities.

Amazon’s Housing Initiative Does Little for Low-Income Workers
Of the thousands of units Amazon has secured as part of its pledge to create affordable housing near its new headquarters, just over 200 are reserved for the lowest-income renters.

FEATURE
Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion
What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

How Pennsylvania Will Benefit From Federal Transit Funding
Pennsylvania is set to receive over $600 million for public transit and mobility, but state leaders have yet to make decisions about specific projects.

Vision Zero Is Largely a Failure in the United States. Why?
From NIMBYism to entrenched traffic engineering culture, a variety of complex obstacles have prevented Vision Zero advocates from achieving the movement’s goals in the U.S.

How Japanese Cities Enable Toddlers To Roam Independently
A TV show featuring young Japanese children going on errands on their own highlights the differences between Japanese and American urban design that enable even toddlers to safely navigate big cities.

FEATURE
River Scenes: How Rivers Contribute to More Vibrant Urban Communities
The role of rivers in urban areas shifted in recent years from production to consumption. Now, access to a river's waterfront has become a highly valued amenity within cities.

Maryland Proposes $400 Million Redevelopment Around Commanders Stadium
The state is offering to make a massive investment in revitalizing the neighborhood surrounding FedEx Field, but offering no direct incentives to the NFL team.

Protected Bike Lanes Deliver Numerous Benefits, Study Says. But Is it Enough to Change State Law?
Advocates in Philadelphia are pushing state lawmakers to finally pass a law to make it easier to install protected bike lanes on state routes.

Maryland Legislators Override Governor’s Veto to Support Regional Rail Investments
The latest round of Gov. Larry Hogan v. public transit goes to the latter.

Resilience Planning for Suburban Growth
Whether or not the suburban shift accelerated by the pandemic continues, policymakers can implement climate resilience strategies and guide sustainable growth in both cities and exurbs.

Proposed Offshore Wind Project Could Be the West Coast’s Largest
If approved, the plan to build a 2,000-megawatt facility off the coast of Washington State would be a milestone for floating offshore wind production in the United States.

Concerns Mount as Pandemic Eviction Protections Expire
With eviction protections in Virginia set to expire at the end of June, advocates warn that an “eviction tsunami” could still sweep up the state’s renters.

The Net Zero Building Boom Is Ready to Scale
While the cultural and infrastructural changes necessary to eliminate carbon emissions from the transportation sector still seem far-fetched, scaling up a net zero building boom is “eminently possible.”
Pagination
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.