The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sports Utility Vehicle

SUV Boom May Be Tied to Jump in Pedestrian Deaths

The number of fatalities from SUVs is up more than 80 percent in the United States since 2009.

May 15 - Jalopnik

Refueling

Car Manufacturers Worried After Trump Administration Gave More Than Expected

The auto industry lobby is meeting with Trump Administration officials to convince them to ease off the throttle.

May 14 - The New York Times

recycled greywater

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town

Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

May 14 - Harper's

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14 - Houston Chronicle

Chicago Commuter Rail

Chicago's Metra Will Try One-Day Pass

Along with a scheme to simplify fares, Metra will roll out a one-day pass and a set of federally mandated safety updates.

May 14 - The Chicago Tribune


Driving

The Future of the American Auto Industry: Not Cars

The American passenger vehicle fleet is being transformed into bigger, fuel-thirstier, and more dangerous models (for those hit by them). Americans have shown a preference for light trucks, and manufacturers are responding by ditching cars.

May 14 - Car and Driver

Food Trucks

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement

Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

May 14 - CityLab


Elon Musk Gigafactory

Behold: Elon Musk's First Tunnel

Take a first look at the fruits of the Boring Company's labor. According to Elon Musk, the tunnel will be open to the public for free rides later this year.

May 14 - Los Angeles Times

New York City

Rents Falling in New York City; New Supply Gets Credit

New York City is seeing an adjustment in the rental market as landlords struggle to compete for renters in a suddenly crowded market.

May 14 - Bloomberg

Brightline

Brightline Ready to Run the Fast Trains in Florida

The privately funded Brightline "fast-travel" rail system announced an opening day of May 19 for service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.

May 14 - Miami Herald

Oceanside

BLOG POST

The Conscience of a Radical

Why local governments can not always be trusted to run housing policy.

May 14 - Michael Lewyn

School Buses

Campaign Launched to Electrify School Buses

U.S. PIRG wants states to use funding from multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlements to convert the nation's school bus fleet, 95% of which is diesel-powered, to zero-emission buses to reduce children's exposure to toxic air pollution.

May 13 - U.S. Pirg

San Francisco

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration

Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

May 13 - San Francisco Chronicle

Roanoke, Virginia's Evolving Economy Moves Beer-ward

Once, trains dominated the city’s economy, now it's "brains, bikes and beer," according to city officials.

May 13 - Governing

Los Angeles

If You're Ignoring Transportation, You're Not Much of a Climate Mayor

Encouraging compact land use by allowing density, building near transit, and eliminating parking minimums can have a powerful effect on the emissions a city generates.

May 13 - Streetsblog

London Bus

UK's Labour Party Proposes Free Bus Fare for All People Under 25

Young people make less money and spend a greater share of their incomes on transit than their older peers. Labour thinks subsidizing travel for young people could be a boost to young people and the economy.

May 13 - The Guardian

Bird

Cities as ‘Powerhouses of Evolution’

A new book on urban ecology shows how quickly wild species living in cities can adapt to their surroundings.

May 12 - National Geographic

E-Scooters

Plugging in Scooters for a Living

Electric scooters need maintenance and charges, so Bird is using the gig economy to make sure its scooters keep scooting.

May 12 - Curbed

Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Trees Are Worth the Investment

Trees improve cities by controlling temperature, absorbing water and carbon dioxide, and adding beauty.

May 12 - The Conversation

San Francisco Bay

Climate Change Already Obvious in California

We've all seen the maps that show the water rising around the edges of costal and waterfront communities as sea-level rise and climate change take effect. A new report shows the effects that have already changed the state of California.

May 12 - Sacramento Bee

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