The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

MTA Bus

Report: NYC Not Doing Enough to Prioritize Buses

According to a bus advocacy coalition's progress report, New York City hasn't yet delivered on promises to get buses moving faster with comprehensive and well-enforced bus lanes.

October 8 - NY Daily News

Seattle APA National Conference

2019 Conferences in Planning and Design

An annual sampling of professional development conferences in the coming year for planning and design professionals, by L.A. County Planner Clement Lau.

October 8 - UrbDeZine

Gas Pumps

California Doubles Carbon Intensity Reduction Requirement for Transportation Fuels

California regulators have found that transportation emissions are the most difficult to reduce, unlike those from electricity generation. The state just took a major step by approving significant changes to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard program.

October 8 - NGT News

Uber Jump bike

Uber Wants to Make Urban Mobility More Sustainable

Uber plans to support sustainable mobility by funding advocacy efforts, sharing data, and offering bike-share service.

October 7 - Curbed

Twin Cities

Keeping Our Cool: Extreme Heat in the Twin Cities Region

A report discusses how rising temperatures affect the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and how those effects can be mitigated.

October 7 - PlanIt - Metropolitan Council


High Speed Rail California

Proposed California Ballot Measure From Gas Tax Opposition Goes After High-Speed Rail

A follow-up initiative to Proposition 6 would put the brakes on high-speed rail in California and funnel gas tax funds to roads.

October 7 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bike Traffic

BLOG POST

Keeping An Open Mind: How Some Cities Are Reducing Emissions While Supporting Economic Vitality

As cities swell and car use soars, U.S. cities should take note of some bold, even radical, emissions-reducing policies being deployed around Europe.

October 7 - Robert Fischer


Fracking

Petrochemical Industry to Drive Major Growth in Oil Demand

A new report from the International Energy Association projects that petrochemicals will be the largest driver of oil consumption, greatly increasing greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting the effect of electric vehicles on oil demand.

October 7 - Reuters

Brooklyn Navy Yard

New Master Plan Envisions Brooklyn Navy Yard as Next-Gen Manufacturing Hub

Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation's master plan for the site is a $2.5 billion bet that high-tech manufacturers can be enticed back to New York, bringing with them the economic heft to transform the whole area.

October 6 - Curbed New York

Lafayette BART

City's Opposition to BART TOD Bill Factors into City Manager's Retirement

Steven Falk, city manager for 22 years of the East Bay enclave of Lafayette, expressed frustration with the city's resistance to infill development, calling it incompatible with addressing "the most significant challenges of our time."

October 6 - SF Gate

Housing Construction

California's Housing Package, One Year Later

It's too early to gauge the long-term effects of California's housing package signed a year ago. But with a $4 billion bond on the ballot this November, some facts (and some dramas) have already made themselves known.

October 6 - CALmatters

Earthquake Damage

Op-Ed: Portland Should Fully Commit to Earthquake Preparedness

An editorial calls for Portland, Oregon to approve a requirement that warning signs be placed on unreinforced historic buildings. An argument is made for further measures, and a greater sense of urgency.

October 6 - The Oregonian

Tiny House Prefab

Closure of Tiny House Village in Seattle Prompts Concern

Meant to serve chronically homeless people, the Licton Springs tiny house village has been controversial from the start. It's uncertain whether enough permanent housing exists to resettle all residents.

October 6 - KUOW

Detroit Vacant Properties

Why Canadian Cities Avoided Detroit's Fate

Simply put, this scholar says, it comes down to race. With far fewer non-white urban residents, Canadian cities didn't fall prey to the redlining, white flight, and incarceration problems that so heavily impacted cities like Detroit.

October 5 - The Detroit Free Press

Affordable housing

Seattle to Use Surplus Public Land for Affordable Housing

New municipal and state laws have made it possible for Seattle to sell excess land to affordable housing developers at below-market rates, or even to give it away.

October 5 - Crosscut

Allston Interchange

Should This Mass Pike Viaduct Come Down?

Public opinion favors an at-grade highway, but the state is still considering retaining the elevated section in Allston.

October 5 - The Boston Globe

MATA Trolley

Memphis Downtown Boom Highlights the Potential of Adaptive Reuse

The city of Memphis, Tennessee is in the middle of an understated boom focused on downtown development and adaptive reuse.

October 5 - Curbed

Las Vegas strip

In Las Vegas, Ridesharing and Transit Complement and Compete

A look at transportation trends in Las Vegas suggests a surprising relationship between ridesharing and transit.

October 5 - The City Fix

Pollution 2

Washington Says Seven-Degree Increase Is Coming, Doesn’t Outline Solutions

A federal evaluation of fuel-efficiency standards says that while drastic climate change is imminent, there is little reason to do anything about it.

October 5 - The Washington Post

Community Meeting

BLOG POST

Community-Based Planning: A Case Study

When neighborhoods are allowed to plan and zone without considering the regionwide interest in increasing housing stock, scarcity results.

October 5 - Michael Lewyn

Post News
Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.