The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Op-Ed: Seattle Merely 'Inching Forward' on ADUs

They're a good start. But compared to similar policies in cities like Portland and Vancouver, Seattle's new policies around accessory dwelling units may be lackluster.

October 12 - The Urbanist

Dockless Bike Share

Dockless Pedal Bikeshare Loses Traction

Once a darling of investors and urbanists alike, pedal-driven dockless bikeshare is getting eclipsed by e-scooters and e-bikes.

October 12 - Streetsblog USA

Twin Cities Assembly Plant

Plans for Massive St. Paul Mixed-Income Development Revealed

Occupying a site where Ford once manufactured automobiles, the eco-friendly, mixed-income development seeks to add 3,800 units of housing over the next decade.

October 12 - Twin Cities

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

Transit-Oriented Development Spikes as Fort Worth Prepares for New Commuter Rail

TEXRail, a commuter rail line connecting Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to downtown Fort Worth, is scheduled to begin service in several months. With it has come a surge of investment in transit-oriented development.

October 11 - Fort Worth Business Press

Victorian Townhomes

Philadelphia Aims to Create or Preserve 100,000 Units of Housing

The city of Philadelphia released a document detailing its intentions around housing and related policies. The plan, which has been described as "ambitious," places a focus on equity.

October 11 - PlanPhilly


Multi-Modalism

For Tiny Vehicles, Safety Comes With Numbers

Motorists tend to look out for hazards they expect. If tiny vehicles proliferate, including electric scooters, greater safety will follow.

October 11 - Streetsblog USA

FlyawayHomes shipping container apartments

To Reach Goals, L.A. Looks to New Ways to Build Homeless Housing

Los Angeles is grappling with the rising costs of building housing for homeless people. Rethinking the standard process is a way to save time and money.

October 11 - Los Angeles Times


Downtown Detroit

Big Redevelopment Plan for Detroit Neighborhood, But Little Progress

The Detroit project was slated to become a massive sports and entertainment district. After five years, little has changed.

October 11 - The Guardian

Traffic

Op-Ed: Averting Climate Catastrophe Means Rethinking Our Transportation Habits

Given a recent dire report on climate change from the IPCC, Laura Bliss underscores the point that those who have the ability to do so should make changes to how they get around, and pronto.

October 11 - CityLab

Anthony Foxx Announcement

Former Transportation Secretary Joins Lyft, Explains Why

Anthony Foxx, former Secretary of Transportation under President Obama, has accepted a job at Lyft. In a post, he discusses why.

October 11 - Medium

Del Mar Station TOD

Another SB 827? Ambitious California Housing Bill Isn't Quite Dead Yet

It received a lot of press, but ultimately California's Senate Bill 827 went nowhere. Now, the state senator who introduced the bill is working with advocates who opposed it on another version that just might have better chances.

October 11 - Curbed Los Angeles

Alberta Oil Sands

ExxonMobil's $1 Million Gift to Fight Climate Change Through Carbon Pricing

Two days after a Nobel prize was awarded to William Nordhaus for his work on carbon taxes to address climate change, the largest American oil and gas company announced a $1 million contribution to a group promoting a carbon fee and dividend plan.

October 11 - The Washington Post

View from Bayview Park in San Francisco, California

Bay Area Displacement and Gentrification Trends Have Regional Consequences

Displacement in the San Francisco Bay Area has resulted in distinct mobility patterns and significant race and class inequalities.

October 11 - Urban Displacement Project

Seattle, I-5

Visions for Lidding I-5 in Downtown Seattle

The notion of fully capping I-5 as it runs through central Seattle has been gaining steam. The city could stand to gain hundreds of acres of urban land.

October 10 - Crosscut

California

Brown Signs Housing, Transportation, Clean Energy Laws

On his way out the door, California Governor Jerry Brown created plenty of opportunities for the next administration to continue in his footsteps.

October 10 - The Planning Report

Sockeye Salmon

Alaskans to Choose Between Salmon Habitat Protections and Resource Extraction

A contentious initiative on the Alaska ballot next month pits protecting salmon habitat protections against the interests of the oil and gas industry and mining companies.

October 10 - NPR

Tenants' Rights

Proposed D.C. Council Legislation Would Bar Landlords From Sharply Raising Rents

The bills seek to end landlords' ability to offer rent discounts and then calculate increases based on the original price, rather than on what a tenant was actually paying.

October 10 - Greater Greater Washington

Philadelphia Urban Farm

Minnesota Grants May Bolster Urban Farming's Legitimacy

For the first time, the state of Minnesota is offering money specifically for urban agriculture, in a win for urban farmers who want to challenge the notion that agriculture is necessarily a rural enterprise.

October 10 - MinnPost

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

District By District, Maps Trace Neighborhood Opportunity Across the U.S.

Down to the level of individual census tracts, a team of researchers has developed national maps showing where upward mobility is probable, and where it isn't.

October 10 - The New York Times

Bike and Scooter SHare

Lyft Moves Toward 'Full Mobility Package'

In cities around the country, Lyft is launching green, multimodal initiatives aimed at providing "all of the above" transportation options.

October 10 - The Planning Report

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New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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