The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Automobile Owner

Is Car Ownership Coming to an End?

The Wall Street Journal sees the end for car ownership, it's been predicted before, but they see moves from the industry and predictions from consultants as proof that this time it's for real.

June 29 - The Wall Street Journal

Indoor Grow Room

BLOG POST

As Medical Cannabis Grows, So Does the Space Needed for It

Despite its medicinal benefits, cannabis will negatively impact the environment if we don’t plan accordingly.

June 28 - Kayla Matthews

Wilshire Grand

Los Angeles' New Tower and the Silly Rules That Govern Building Height

Los Angeles' new Wilshire Grand tower is tall and impressive. But, in reality, it's about 100 feet shorter and perhaps less impressive than the arbiters of skyscrapers say it is. Whatever the definition, it might be time to quit venerating height.

June 28 - California Planning & Development Report

Downtown Philadelphia

Union Strike Halts Construction in Philadelphia

Operators of cranes, bulldozers, hoists, and all kinds of other heavy equipment walked off construction sites around the Philadelphia region earlier this week.

June 28 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Floyds Fork Louisville

Louisville's Sprawl Threatens One of its Last Clean-Running Streams

New subdivision planning and construction is expected to expand the footprint of the Louisville metropolitan area. The question is whether those new developments will protect or harm the beloved Floyds Fork.

June 28 - Courier-Journal


New York Subway

Transit's No Good, Very Bad Day

Transit commuters in New York and Washington, D.C. were understandably frustrated yesterday. One wonders when enough will be enough, and what happens then?

June 28 - The Wall Street Journal

Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto

$6 Million: The Cost of Removing the Trump Brand from Toronto Hotel

JCF Capital ULC wanted so badly to reboot the branding at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto, it paid $6 million to start over.

June 28 - Bloomberg Politics


Engineering Civic Action Projects (ENCAP)

With Resources Scarce, Bridge-Builders Cultivate Creativity

Innovation means different things to different people. For Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), a nonprofit that builds footbridges in the developing world, it’s a way to help people thrive despite limited resources.

June 28 - Doggerel

Ballard neighborhood, Seattle

Black Home Ownership Rates in Seattle's King County Continue to Shrink

King County, Washington was once home to a large number of black homeowners, today the county lags far behind the rest of the country.

June 28 - The Seattle Times

Rotterdam Maeslantkering

The Dutch: Ready to Export Their Flood Control Expertise

For those who want it, the Netherlands is willing to share the fruits of its centuries-long relationship with the unruly seas. In Rotterdam, lots of local urban solutions are also on display.

June 28 - The New York Times

Bus Rapid Transit

Public Engagement Helping Pittsburgh-Area Bus Rapid Transit Proposal Take Shape

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is moving forward on a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system that connects Downtown Pittsburgh with Uptown, Oakland, and Wilkinsburg, with branches to Squirrel Hill and Highland Park.

June 28 - The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Yuppies Out

Who's Mapping Gentrification, and Where?

In these cities, data on gentrification has been compiled to build mapping tools documenting the process. The hope is to identify neighborhoods where low-income residents are at risk of displacement.

June 27 - Data-Smart City Solutions

Hosting a City Planning Minecraft Lounge for Kids

Want to engage kids in your summer city planning projects? 12-year-old Roman Borys gives some pointers on how to host a Minecraft lounge in your downtown.

June 27 - PlaceShakers

Levee

Louisiana's Subsidence Problem Looks Dire

According to a new study, the state's coastal lands are sinking at a quicker rate than previously estimated.

June 27 - The Washington Post

Freeway Construction

Public-Private Partnerships: Cost-Effective or Cash Cow?

Public-private partnerships between local governments and private contractors have the Trump Administration's favor. But in a "P3 market in its infancy," can they cut costs or simply line pockets?

June 27 - The New York Times

Bay Delta

Feds Change Course, Approve $15.5 Billion California Water Project

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service gave a crucial green light for the intensely controversial and ambitious California WaterFix project, which would pump water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

June 27 - The Sacramento Bee

Bus Stop

Baltimore's Redesigned Bus System Rolls Out, With Wrinkles to Iron

The reviews were mixed on the first days of service for the highly anticipated BaltimoreLink bus system redesign.

June 27 - The Baltimore Sun

Subsidized Carpool Rides: There's an App for That

Contra Costa County, California, located in the East Bay Area, is looking for new incentives to get commuters to carpool through the congestion region. If only there were an app for that.

June 27 - Government Technology

View of solar panels on roofs

Mapping Rooftop Solar to Make It a Social Norm

Debuted in 2015, Google's Project Sunroof is designed make it easier for homeowners to go solar. Now the tool is harnessing peer pressure to "create a social norm" around solar.

June 27 - CityLab

Suburbia

McMansion Hell Blog in Legal Hot Water with Real Estate Site Zillow

[Updated June 29, 2017] It's been a mixed bag for viral sensation McMansion Hell. The same day as a feature video by The Washington Post, the news broke that the website is facing potential legal charges from real estate site Zillow.

June 27 - The Verge

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.