The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A bill to require Philadelphia residents to get a letter from their district council before putting a bench or planter in front of their homes faces a petition from 5th Square.

February 7 - Fifth Square Blog

Christopher Hawthorne examines the unprecedented protests of the Women's March and the more recent airport protests for lessons in the understanding and appreciation of public space.

February 7 - Los Angeles Times

Pulling in community members and a network of local nonprofits, Phoenix's "Spaces of Opportunity" is an attempt to make urban farming something more than a catchphrase.

February 7 - The Architect's Newspaper

Two environmental groups are suing the nation's largest public power utility for contaminating drinking water through prolonged leaks from coal ash ponds at TVA's coal-burning Gallatin Fossil Plant into the Cumberland River and ground water.

February 7 - The Tennessean

Designed for a different era, Willis Tower's pedestrian-phobic base is in line for a complete overhaul. The goal is to open the immense tower to the street.

February 7 - Chicago Sun-Times

A southern Louisiana company is bringing a mobile, four-sided digital billboard to the streets of New Orleans

February 7 - The Advocate (Louisiana)

BLOG POST

School vouchers might expand educational choice and thus make city life more appealing to middle-class families—but the most appealing versions of a voucher system are also the most costly.

February 7 - Michael Lewyn

Atlanta's quickly growing region means many communities are seeking to incorporate. Several controversial processes, however, have compelled the state to reform the incorporation process.

February 6 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Beijing promises "extraordinary" measures to reduce pollution in the infamously smoggy city.

February 6 - Scientific American

The nation's capital could join other cities around the country in drastically limiting the use of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies.

February 6 - WAMU

Google Maps and other navigation and mapping apps have done a lot to inspire and educate people to make the most of their surroundings. New changes to the Google Maps app will add new functionality for those purposes.

February 6 - Google

No cities are entirely urban, or even similar from one neighborhood to the next. The Corner Side Yard has some fun thinking about which Chicago neighborhoods we "Chicago in Name Only" and which of its suburbs are "Suburbs in Name Only."

February 6 - The Corner Side Yard

The Los Angeles Times uncovers a state with a lot more energy that it needs, which has regulators explaining their decisions residents and businesses opening their wallets.

February 6 - The Los Angeles Times

The city of Akron has lost 93,000 residents since 1960, so it has room to grow. Now it has a draft housing plan that uses a tax abatement program modeled on examples in Cleveland and Cuyahoga Falls.

February 6 - Akron Beacon Journal

A local politician resorted to holding a bake sale to help fund free bus service for students.

February 6 - The Baltimore Sun

Tolls on interstate highways are being pushed in Indiana as a means to increase road funding, no easy task even if a waiver is given. The bill would also increase the gas tax and charge electric vehicle owners a fee for road maintenance.

February 6 - Governing

Oklahoma is among a number of Republican-controlled states considering gas tax legislation, particularly since it faces a budget gap of $900 million. Bills to hike the tax are expected to be proposed this month, but they face formidable challenges.

February 6 - StateImpact Oklahoma

A new report from Freddie Mac predicts rising rents and rising vacancy rates in the national multifamily market. The report also compares submarkets.

February 5 - MultifamilyBiz

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) planned Gold Line extension is now scheduled to finish construction in 2025.

February 5 - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

As Over-the-Rhine becomes a more prosperous neighborhood, some have undertaken efforts to make sure the long-time residents don't get left behind.

February 5 - Next City