The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Grey concrete curb ramp with small bumps for the visually impaired.

Understanding Accessibility in the Public Right-of-Way

A ‘best practices’ manual guides accessibility on streets and sidewalks, but remains legally unenforceable.

March 5 - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of mid-density neighborhod in Newark, New Jersey.

Newark Kicks Off $1 Home Sale Program

The city sold seven properties as part of an effort to revive blighted sites and encourage housing production.

March 5 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of front side of blue and white bus with accessibility sticker and people wearing backpacks waiting outside of bus.

BLOG POST

Responding to Public Transit Criticism

Public transit plays a unique and important role in an efficient and equitable transportation system. Planners must communicate the benefits that public transit provides and respond to ill-informed critics.

March 5 - Todd Litman

Blue and white Pittsburgh bike share bikes lined up at a station with a red city bus on street in background.

Micromobility Operators Call for Better Links to Transit

For shared mobility to succeed, systems must tap into the connectivity and funding potential offered by closer collaboration with public transit.

March 4 - GovTech

New York MTA Bus

Retaining Transit Workers Is About More Than Wages

An analysis of California transit employees found a high rate of burnout among operators who face unpredictable work schedules, high housing costs, and occasional violence.

March 4 - Streetsblog California


Los Angeles County Moves to Open Schoolyards to Public Uses

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors just approved a motion to extend and expand an agreement with the L.A. Unified School District for the use of recreational facilities at Walnut Park Elementary School.

March 4 - Supervisor Janice Hahn

View of Hollywood Reservoir with palm trees in foreground and Los Angeles neighobrhoods in background.

California's Stormwater Potential

A new study reveals that if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.

March 4 - Cal Matters


View of large glass building with glass doors and "To Trains" sign.

BLOG POST

Transit Coordination Leads to Better Transit and More Riders

Regional transit coordination provides the best transit experience in an urban area. It enables better, more affordable transit which in turn improves ridership. After 50 years of experience in Europe, the U.S. should finally embrace the concept.

March 4 - World Transport Policy and Practice

Curbside packed with park cars and cyclist riding on the sidewalk.

FEATURE

Rethinking the Notion of Parking as a Public Good

Parking shapes every element of the urban environment, often to the detriment of a place. Why do we subsidize public parking as a public good, and how can we move forward?

March 4 - David Mepham

Crew in orange safety vests stand on roadway next to orange heavy equipment

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Funds Have ‘Overwhelmingly’ Gone to Highway Projects

A new report says states are creating a “climate time bomb” by spending more than half of federal infrastructure dollars on highway resurfacing and expansion over transit and passenger rail.

March 4 - The Guardian

Black woman speaking at podium with presentation screen in background.

Climate Justice Advocate Named One of TIME's Women of the Year

Jacqueline Patterson has dedicated her career to intersectional approaches to systems change and social and environmental justice.

March 4 - Time Magazine

View from between tall white brick buildings in evening in downtown Los Angeles with modern office building across street.

Federal Office Conversion Program Slow to Start

To date, no loans have closed through a federal program meant to spur office-to-residential conversions.

March 3 - Bloomberg CityLab

Zebra crosswalk with raised curb extensions and bioswale on small street with parked cars and mature trees.

How Capturing Rainwater Can Make Cities Safer, More Resilient

Green infrastructure can help prevent flooding and replenish groundwater supplies, preventing subsidence that makes land sink.

March 3 - Wired

People in hoodies and jackets waiting for oncoming bus at sidewalk bus stop in Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston’s Blue Hill Avenue to Get BRT, Safety Improvements

The key bus corridor serves over 37,000 bus riders daily.

March 3 - WBUR

Elderly man and granddaughter standing on public bus.

Opinion: To Improve Health Outcomes, Invest in Public Transit

A medical student calls for improving public transit to boost the health of people and the environment.

March 3 - The Equation

Ice fishing tents surrounded by fence in Safe Outdoor Space for unhoused people in parking lot in Denver, Colorado.

An Affordable Housing Model for Indigenous Americans

Indigenous people make up a disproportionately high percentage of the unhoused population, but many programs designed to assist them don’t reach those most in need.

March 1 - High Country News

An electric bicycle is shown with the legs of a human who is riding the e-bike.

Oregon Bill Would Ban E-Bikes for Riders Under 16

State lawmakers seek to change Oregon e-bike laws following the death of a 15-year old last summer.

March 1 - Oregon Capital Chronical

Aerial view of canal cut into beach in Charlestow, Rhode Island with boats parked in sand.

Northeastern Waterways More Polluted After Wet Year

Intense rains washed more runoff into local bodies of water, while warmer temperatures contributed to the growth of an invasive bloom.

March 1 - University of Rhode Island

Pedestrian street with colorful patio umbrellas and tall palm trees in Miami, Florida.

BLOG POST

Learning From Miami

Miami is denser than most American cities, but is more car-dependent than some less compact cities. Why?

March 1 - Michael Lewyn

View of 110 freeway with downtown Los Angeles buildings in background.

LA Freeway Ramp ‘Quietly Canceled’

A 2018 lawsuit forced Metro and Caltrans to do full environmental reviews of the project, leading to its cancellation.

February 29 - Streetsblog LA

Post News
Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.