The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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Planning Healthy Communities—Beyond the Hype

Evidence-based research can help planners create truly healthy communities. No junk-science please.

March 25 - Todd Litman

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Frontlines of the Social Distancing Effort Shifts to Parks and Open Space

Too many people have been seeking normalcy on parks and on trails. This isn’t a normal time.

March 25 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Capitol Hill

Updated: $2 Trillion Federal Stimulus Includes Billions for Transit, Housing

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.

March 25 - The New York Times

MLK Drive Philadelphia

MLK Jr. Drive in Philadelphia Closed to Motor Vehicles During Pandemic

The closure will give cyclists and pedestrians a safe roadway to use while maintaining social distancing.

March 25 - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Shelter in Place

Shelter in Place: Working in a Time of Isolation

Need some work-at-home tips from a veteran? Hazel Borys has eight to consider.

March 25 - PlaceShakers


San Francisco City Hall

Local Coronavirus Action Tracker

Broadcasting information about local actions, to share knowledge and information, and to help local leaders calibrate responses.

March 25 - National League Of Cities

Donald Trump

White House Could End 'Slow the Spread' Coronavirus Guidelines

President Trump signaled that he was considering lifting the public health guidelines at the end of the 15-day period on March 30 due to the severe economic impacts caused by containment strategies despite mounting deaths caused by the pandemic.

March 24 - The Washington Post


Multi-Family Housing

Building Better Multi-Family Housing for Less

New research examines ways multifamily housing costs can be reduced through design and construction decisions.

March 24 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Portland Interchange

Oregon Executive Order Targets Greenhouse Gas Emissions

An executive order ramps up the effort to lower emissions in the state, much of which come from transportation.

March 24 - Bike Portland

Los Angeles, California

How Downtown L.A.'s First 'Re:Code' Community Plan Embraces Density and Affordability

Vince Bertoni addresses his city’s efforts to incentivize affordable housing and noted the responsibility shared at the state, regional, and local level for policy & regulatory change to incent provision of affordable housing.

March 24 - The Planning Report

Cleveland Public Square

Delaware, Louisiana, and Ohio Prepare to Shut Down Non-Essential Businesses

As confirmed cases of COVID-19 increase rapidly throughout the nation, governors of Delaware, Louisiana, and Ohio on Sunday issued stay-at-home orders that take effect Monday night or Tuesday to protect residents and hospitals.

March 24 - Bloomberg

Mobility App

Israel to Track Coronavirus Using Cellphone Data

Data from millions of cellphone customers will be used to locate and alert individuals who may have come into contact with people carrying the virus.

March 24 - The New York Times

Single Family Residential Construction

Analyzing the U.S. Housing Market in the Early Days of COVID-19

The lessons of the 2008 housing market crash don't necessarily apply to the current situation.

March 24 - Curbed

Amtrak ACS-64

Passenger Rail to Gulf Coast Closer to Reality

Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, stopped after Hurricane Katrina. But recent efforts point to restored service in the coming years.

March 24 - T4America Blog

New York Subway

New York MTA Seeks Federal Funding Relief as Ridership Plummets

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has seen significant ridership drops due to the coronavirus. The agency is asking Congress for $4 billion to help it through the crisis.

March 23 - The New York Times

Food Carts

The Historical Effect of Pandemics on the Economy and the Housing Market

Research into previous pandemics, like SARS in 2003, the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the early months of COVID-19 in China, offers insight into what to expect for the economy and the housing market during and after the current pandemic.

March 23 - Zillow

JR Shinkansen

PLANOPEDIA

What Is High-Speed Rail?

Beginning with Japan in the 1960s, more and more countries are embracing high-speed trains to streamline domestic travel. Operating at speeds often in excess of 160 mph, high-speed rail networks are now well-developed across Europe and, more recently, in China.

March 23 - Philip Rojc

Accessory Dwelling Unit

6 Zoning Keys for Effective Missing Middle Housing

The inventor of the term missing middle housing has advice on writing zoning codes that effectively deliver on the potential of the tool.

March 23 - CNU Public Square

Empty Street

The Regional Economic Impacts of the Coronavirus

The effects of a nationwide economic recession will likely hit hardest those regions with vulnerable sectors.

March 23 - The Avenue (Brookings)

City Hall

Local Planning Departments Shutting Down in California

The entire state of California is now on a shelter in place order, but planning desks and public hearings on land use issues were already in the process of shutting down.

March 23 - Lay of the Land

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.