The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Sketch of proposed city with buildings, trees, and people.

Why Brand New Cities Won’t Solve Our Urban Problems

Building cities takes time and resources. Why not spend them on fixing the ones we have?

October 2 - The Atlantic

Historic brick sugar refinery building redeveloped with glass office tower inside and yellow Domino Sugar sign

Former Brooklyn Sugar Refinery Reopens as All-Electric Office Tower

A historic building was reimagined as a 15-story office tower powered by renewable energy.

October 2 - Untapped Cities

Car crash scene with overturned car, emergency vehicles, and firefighter standing at left.

NHTSA: Traffic Fatalities Decline for Fifth Straight Quarter

Traffic deaths were 3.3 percent lower in the first half of 2023 than the same period last year, but not all states saw the same results.

October 2 - ABC News

Yellow electric excavator digging at construction site in Los Angeles, California.

LA Rail Project Testing Electric Excavator

The battery-powered excavator could replace diesel-powered machinery to reduce construction emissions and noise.

October 1 - Skanska

View of Austin, Texas skyline at dusk with Colorado River and bridge in foreground

Austin Releases Equitable TOD Study

The document develops a framework for ensuring that the most vulnerable and low-income residents benefit from investments in public transit and new housing and amenities.

October 1 - CapMetro


Historical plaque describing the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

The Spectre of Shoddy Infrastructure

How a mythical creature is keeping the historical memory of the Silver Bridge collapse alive.

October 1 - Popular Mechanics

Downtown Seattle street with high-rise buildings.

Could an ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ Spur Downtown Revitalization?

In his fifth article for GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe asks whether an onsite “living lab” could spur more entrepreneurship and impact downtown regeneration in Seattle.

October 1 - GeekWire


Traffic on the 405 interstate freeway through the Sepulveda Pass at Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California

Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads

If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.

September 29 - Streetsblog California

Late evening view of downtown Minneapolis skyline with stone bridge in foreground

Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years

The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.

September 29 - Minnesota Public Radio

Close-up of vertical PARK sign on multistory urban parking garage.

NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums

Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.

September 29 - StreetsBlog NYC

Blue picnic table with attached benches and colorful children's playground in background.

A Data-Driven Approach to ‘Playspace Inequity’

Mapping playgrounds and their conditions can reveal how childhood play opportunities are inequitably distributed within cities.

September 29 - Next City

Aerial view of coastal development and bright blue ocean in Kaua'i, Hawai'i.

Kaua’i County Uses Long-Range Models to Mandate Resiliency Standards

The county requires builders to assess potential flood risks using models that account for sea level rise projected as far out as 2100.

September 28 - Smart Cities Dive

Semi truck driving down freeway with twilight sky in background.

California Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban

Gov. Newsom called the new law unnecessary, citing existing efforts by state regulators to develop new rules around autonomous trucking.

September 28 - Wired

Roadside motel with turquoise room doors in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One

Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear that out.

September 28 - Shelterforce Magazine

Worker in orange shirt and white helmet works at top of power line.

Building Resiliency in Rural Power Grids

A National Science Foundation study seeks to understand the impact of climate change and extreme weather on rural electrical grids in diverse geographic areas.

September 28 - The Daily Yonder

Mature trees shading an urban sidewalk.

The Drawback to ‘Cool Pavement’

New research suggests that cooling pavement treatments can actually make pedestrians standing on it feel hotter.

September 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

White two-story abandoned farmhouse in lush green field surrounded by trees in West Virginia.

West Virginia Tackles Vacancy With Tax Reform

The Center for Community Progress made recommendations for tax reform in West Virginia to address vacancy. Guided by CCP's suggestions, the state auditor’s office has passed two laws to change its tax sales process and keep properties in use.

September 28 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of white homes and buildings in Clarksburg, Maryland.

Opinion: After Rent Stabilization, More Action Needed to Make Housing Affordable

Montgomery County just passed a slew of regulatory and legislative changes aimed at improving affordable housing. One writer suggests several more.

September 28 - Greater Greater Washington

Photo of people biking and walking on pedestrianized street with superimposed yellow Atlanta Streets Alive logo in center.

Atlanta Streets Alive Returns

The city’s open streets event is back after a four-year hiatus.

September 28 - Urbanize Atlanta

Close-up of Unalakleet, Alaska on map.

FTA Announces Tribal Transit Program Grants

The agency awarded close to $10 million to 22 communities around the country for transit improvements.

September 27 - Mass Transit

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