The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Chenzen Bus Stop

Shenzen Buses to Switch to 100 Percent Battery Power in a Global First

The city about to set a new standard for battery-powered electric bus transit was a small collection of fishing villages just 40 years ago.

December 8 - The City Fix

PlanIt Podcast: Environmental Justice

The latest episode of the 2017 PlanIt Training Program on Comprehensive Plan Updates by the Metropolitan Council, a regional planning agency in the Twin Cities area.

December 8 - PlanIt - Metropolitan Council

YIMBYs Arrive in Boston

The Boston Globe explores the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement, as debate over a retail project in East Boston gains pro-development interest.

December 8 - The Boston Globe

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland's First Protected Bike Lanes Get $14 Million Boost

[Updated] The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency will provide the funding for two ambitious protected bike lanes in Cleveland.

December 8 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Homelessness

Hepatitis A Outbreak Spurring Cities to New Actions on Homelessness

A series of articles from around the Internet in recent weeks highlights the need for more services and support for the homeless. The location of this story is set in California, but all communities should heed these warnings.

December 8 - Wired


New California Housing Laws Not Well Received Locally

City council members of Burlingame, a small, affluent suburb south of San Francisco, are not happy with new laws that take away their discretion to reject developments that fail to meet "neighborhood character" criteria, but meet zoning requirements.

December 8 - The Daily Journal

NOAA Satellite Fires

View the Smoke from the California Fires From Satellite

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been making the most of its celestial perch to illustrate the scale of the fires currently burning in Southern California.

December 8 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


New Jersey

Mid-Sized Cities Make Car-Free Gains

Several cities located in the Northeast, especially in the New York region, saw a significant increase in the number of car-free households.

December 8 - Governing

Blow-Up Bulwark

Climate change is real, and happening now — but exactly what that means for coastal cities is surprisingly uncertain. Engineers at Princeton’s Form Finding Lab choose flexibility over fortification to protect coastal cities from flooding.

December 8 - Urban Omnibus

Mount Airy Casino Resort in Pocono, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Gambling Expansion Proving Unpopular at the Local Level

The state thought more casinos would be a good way to raise some revenue for the state. So far a lot of local governments want no part of that action.

December 8 - WHYY

Syracuse Tries a New Approach to Code Enforcement

A new code compliance program in Syracuse makes community engagement a priority.

December 7 - Syracuse.com

Little Tokyo

The Final Days of 'Level of Service' in California's Environmental Review Process

A long-awaited draft update of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has finally been released, and Level of Service will finally be a thing of the past in the next two to four years.

December 7 - Streetsblog California

Mt. Rainier

Census: Seattle Quickly Ascending the Ranks of Most Expensive Cities to Rent

New American Community Survey Data reveals the cities where renters are paying the most.

December 7 - The Seattle Times

Washington, D.C.

VA Reverses Course on Cuts to Popular Homeless Veterans Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs prompted outcry when it told advocates and its partners at the Department of Housing and Urban Development that it would cut $460 million for long-term housing for homeless veterans.

December 7 - The Washington Post

Street Traffic in Manhattan

Big Push for Congestion Pricing Expected Early Next Year in New York

Ten years after former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan died on the state Assembly floor, expect to see a similar plan revived by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.). New York Times metro reporter, Winnie Hu, explains why it never died.

December 7 - The New York Times

Atlanta, Georgia

Pedestrian Bridge Dollars Should be Spent on Street Improvements

A $24 million price tag for a "loopy-lop" pedestrian bridge for Atlanta Falcons fans is called in to question.

December 7 - Saporta Report

Suburban Neighborhood

'Infinite Suburbia' Upends Everything We Know About Suburbia

Joel Kotkin and Alan M. Berger discuss their new book, which analyses what the suburbs are and will become, in both the United States and around the world.

December 7 - The Architect's Newspaper

Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma

A 'City Vitality' Metric

Gallup and the city of Tulsa have partnered on the new Gallup-Tulsa CitiVoice Index.

December 7 - Smart Cities Drive

I-66 Virginia

New Tolls on I-66 in Virginia Hit $40 on Day Two

The idea behind congestion pricing is to create at least some disincentive for driving. The new tolls I-66, which reached $34.50 on Monday and $40 on Tuesday, are certainly accomplishing that goal.

December 7 - The Washington Post

Mobile Phones

Editorial: Ditch the Foolish Distracted Walking Tickets

Crossing the street can be dangerous in the best conditions, but a $500 fine for looking at the phone while crossing the street won't help anything, according to this editorial.

December 7 - Chicago Tribune

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.