The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A new study finds that interim recreational use of underutilized sections of crowded cities can benefit more than just humans.

July 8 - Next City

The Los Angeles Times published a massively ambitious account of the sea-level threat facing California.

July 8 - Los Angeles Times

Texas overhauled its property tax system with two bills in June. The debate about the consequences of that bill continues.

July 8 - The Texas Tribune

Residents of the city of Lakewood have approved a ballot measure that caps annual residential development and requires City Council approval of all developments over 40 units.

July 8 - The Denver Post

A new study suggests planting enough trees to cover a landmass the size of the United States.

July 8 - Associated press via WHYY

The D.C. Office of Planning has been updating its Comprehensive Plan since 2016. Next up is the very first chapter of the comp plan.

July 8 - Greater Greater Washington

Eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are the first works of U.S. modern architecture to be named UNESCO World heritage sites.

July 8 - Chicago Tribune

FEATURE

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger analyzes the evolution of baseball stadiums and celebrates their essential connection to cities in "Ballpark: Baseball in the American City."

July 7 - Josh Stephens

On June 27, the Supreme Court didn't just rule on the Census Bureau's citizenship question. It also decided that it wasn't their business to consider how congressional districts are drawn, which will likely reduce the influence of cities.

July 7 - The New York Times

The short life of the Palace of Auburn Hills, once home to the NBA's Detroit Pistons, is a "colossal waste," according to John Gallagher.

July 7 - Detroit Free Press

Bike advocates have been countering misleading anti-bike lane arguments for months now, but in case you needed a reminder, here's a sample of how opponents to bake lane projects get the realities of riding a bike wrong.

July 7 - The Guardian

The St. Louis Loop Trolley isn't running at full capacity, yet, but it's also falling well short of its projected ridership.

July 7 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has released a draft of the DTLA 2040 plan. In addition to the changes it proposes for the downtown area, it's the first community plan update to roll out the city's new zoning code.

July 6 - Urbanize LA

With so many new mobility options available in cities, mobility as a service (MaaS) platforms have a lot of work to do for a lot of people. Development is still catching up to the scope of the endeavor.

July 6 - Smart Cities Dive

Legislation that would have preempted local laws, and had the support of major scooter companies, is now a two-year bill.

July 6 - San Francisco Examiner

A vacant parcel is located near the city's Graffiti Pier, which is slated to become a public park after closing in June.

July 6 - PlanPhilly

City officials from Quebec's two biggest cities have reached an agreement to try to improve transit across the region.

July 6 - CBC

Europe proves to Americans that when it comes to pedestrian fatalities, it doesn't have to be this way.

July 5 - City Observatory

In an attempt to collectively bargain with their employer, Uber drivers in Canada have joined one of the country’s largest union groups.

July 5 - Gizmodo

On July 1, Illinois and Ohio increased gas taxes by double digits: 19 cents per gallon and 10.5 CPG, respectively, followed by California at 5.6 CPG, all due to legislation passed this year or in 2017. Diesel tax hikes were even higher.

July 5 - Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy