The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Lax Regulation of Texas Air Polluters
Regular "emissions events" at Texas heavy industrial facilities cause a lot of unauthorized pollution. But few consequences mean the companies responsible don't have to crack down.

Cooling L.A.
Changing the color of L.A. streets and growing out the urban canopy are part of a campaign to fight the heat island in and around Los Angeles.

One Way Washington Could Move Forward on Infrastructure
The WIFIA federal loans program provides start-up capital to local water infrastructure projects. The program is designed to encourage experimentation and cost-effective construction strategies.

Regional Plan Association Hits Reset on Hudson Crossing Crisis
The projects proposed by a new report from the Regional Planning Association offer a preview of the Fourth Regional Plan, expected for public release in November 2017.

Capital Bikeshare Station MIA from the White House
An observant D.C. resident first noticed that a "secret" Capital Bikeshare station is no longer present on the White House grounds.
Car Crash Reporting Guidelines Prepare for Self-Driving Vehicles
The Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria's latest edition has new instructions for reporting the emerging sector of autonomous vehicles.

When Men Control the Debate About the Future of Cities
Essential reading from Alissa Walker.
Design Competition Yields a New Look for the Proposed Triboro Transit Line
The design proposal for the Triboro Corridor is speculative, but meant to inspire the conversation on one of the "4c" ideas at the heart of the Regional Plan Association's Fourth Regional Plan.

Testing New 'High Tech Security Screening' for Transit Users
Union Station in Los Angeles is featuring the latest in surveillance technology, meant to deter terrorists. The concern might also be that such technology is yet another impediment in the transit user experience.

Study Sheds Light on the Effect of Streetlights on Crime
A study of the neighborhood and streets in the city of Houston finds that streetlights aren't always an effective crime deterrent.
County Gas Taxes at Work in Florida
The Jacksonville City Council's decision in 2014 to renew a six-cents county gas tax is paying big dividends for road construction in Duvall County, Florida. Every county in Florida has a gas tax from five cents to a maximum 11.9 cents per gallon.

Trump's Infrastructure Plan Slow to Materialize Despite New Executive Order, Flow Chart
The original purpose of President Trump's press conference were lost as the discussion devolved.

Is Brownfield Development Health Risk Tolerance Out of Whack?
Is the bar for health risks in brownfield development set too high? Environmental attorney Richard Opper thinks so and argues the case in this opinion piece.

Maine Town of Brunswick Completes Zoning Code Rewrite
A town of about 20,000 people, located on the coast of Maine, and home to Bowdoin College has completed a new zoning code.

New Orleans Stormwater Systems Failing Again
In an underreported fact, it has rained every day since April 1 in New Orleans this year. The city is struggling to deploy stormwater infrastructure, however, and flooding overwhelmed drainage again this month, on the cusp of hurricane season.

Corridors Are the Secret to Improving Transit in Small Cities
The future of smaller cities could depend on figuring out a way to improve transit, perhaps not at the neighborhood or level, but at the corridor level.

San Francisco's Muni Has a New $21 Billion, 20-Year Capital Plan
Some surprises and lots of blue-sky thinking are revealed in the new capital plan for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

Charlottesville and the 'War Against Public Space'
A think-piece published by CityLab argues that public space, and the ideals it embodies, are under threat from the racist groups that gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend.

The Bronx Hopes to Tech Boom
"The Bronx is open for business—the tech business," according to an opinion piece in Crain's New York Business.

Global Subsidies for Fossil Fuels: $5 Trillion a Year
A new study from researchers at the International Monetary Fund finds the cost of doing fossil fuel business.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.