The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Utility Meter

How Much Should Electric Vehicles Be Charged in Lieu of Gas Tax?

Currently, electric vehicles pay a $17.50 annual registration fee in Illinois. A bill to double the 19 cents per gallon gas tax, unchanged in almost 30 years, would also increase the EV fee over 57-fold to $1,000.

May 28 - Chicago Tribune

Thailand

New on Netflix: How Street Vendors Create Vibrant Cities

Street vending has been a contentious issue in many places, but this part of the informal economy is important to the social and economic well-being of cities.

May 28 - CityLab

The Boring Company

Elon Musk and BART Go Toe to Toe (on Twitter)

Transit agencies and advocates are developing a genre of criticism that could be described as calling Elon Musk on his BS. Musk still has plenty of support on social media.

May 28 - SFGate

Las Vegas Sprawl

The Elephant in the Room in Nevada: Property Taxes

Despite an anticipated political showdown over the issues raised by the state's property taxes, the Nevada State Legislature failed to take up the issue this year.

May 28 - The Nevada Independent

Connecticut

How Wealthy Suburbs Block Outsiders From Economic Opportunity

Exclusionary zoning and land use tactics have a long history in the United States, retaining startling relevance in contemporary times. A deep investigation into Connecticut land use politics reveals just how entrenched these practices are.

May 28 - ProPublica


Volkswagen

Report: Many States Spent Volkswagen Settlement Money on More Diesel Vehicles

When Volkswagen funded a $3 billion environmental mitigation trust as the result of a settlement in the cheating scandal three years ago, states could have used that money to fund things like electric buses.

May 28 - Energy News Network

Los Angeles

What Do Cities With Fewer Cars Have in Common?

A new analysis looks at how income and population density are related to car ownership and some ways that the design of cities can help lessen car dependence.

May 28 - Slate


Old Skool

An Urban, Technologically Enabled Era of Retirement

A feature article in Marketwatch describes a future for retirement communities that look more like WeWork than the golf course-adjacent exurban communities of the 20th century.

May 28 - Marketwatch

Cattle Drive

FEATURE

Stampede of New Residents Challenges Fort Worth

An interview with Fort Worth Planning and Development Director Randle Harwood on the planning practices and ideas driving the future of one of the nation's fastest growing cities.

May 27 - Josh Stephens

Hollywood Sign

Report: Ballot Measure Intended to Spur Affordable Development Had the Opposite Effect in L.A.

L.A. voters approved Measure JJJ in 2016 in the hopes of encouraging more affordable housing as a trade-off for discretionary approval. The result has been no development at all.

May 27 - Urbanize LA

Red Light

Mulling the Idea of Ending Right Turns on Red Lights

San Francisco might follow the lead on New York City when it comes to right turns on red lights.

May 27 - San Francisco Examiner

Toronto Construction

Inclusionary Zoning Now a Subject of the Toronto-Ontario Spat

Ontario and Toronto keep finding ways to disagree.

May 27 - The Star

City Hall

State of the Cities 2019

The National League of Cities has released their annual analysis of the top issues mayors are talking about in the United States.

May 27 - CityLab

Turnstiles

New Mobile Platform Will Offer Transit Discounts for Students, Shoppers and More

There's synergy between mobility-as-a-service and mobile ticketing. We're only beginning to see the potential benefits of platform integration in these two tech spaces.

May 26 - moovel

Washington, D.C. Apartment

Eleven Units of Affordable Housing Coming to S.F. Bay Area Suburb

A new apartment building is going up in Danville, California, but the affordable housing it will provide is a drop in the bucket compared to the state’s massive housing needs.

May 26 - San Francisco Chronicle

11th Street and Park Road

D.C. Attempts to Save Local Dog Park

Residents of Columbia Heights in Washington, D.C. have been using property owned by D.C. Metro as a dog park. The District might buy the land to ensure it stays that way.

May 26 - The Washington Post

Blocking the Bike Lane

Volunteers Count Almost 700 Vehicles Blocking D.C. Bike Lanes in One Day

Forget bike counts. The new thing in bike advocacy is cars-blocking-the-bike-lane counts.

May 26 - Greater Greater Washington

Vermin Graffiti

Looking for Gentrification? Follow the Rat Complaints

A surprising number of puns get squeezed into an article rat complaints as a better harbinger of gentrification than...rats.

May 26 - The Concourse

Ivy Covered Green Building

15 Cities Receive Grant Support LEED for Cities and Communities Program

The LEED for Cities and Communities grant program will support the first 15 cities to seek certification under LEED v4.1

May 25 - Smart Cities Dive

Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline

The Federal Agency With Surprising Power to Impact Climate Change Policy

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) flies under the radar, but it makes some of the most consequential decisions about the federal government's approach to climate change.

May 25 - Vox

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.