The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro's Proposed Service Cuts Would Disproportionately Affect Communities of Color

Planning and urbanism writers in Washington, D.C. agree that a proposal to cut service to 20 stations in the Metrorail system would have harmful effects for minorities in the region.

October 18 - The Washington Post

Chicago

Chicago TOD Strategies: Sum Of Parts Equal, Greater Than the Whole

A successful TOD will be predicated upon three core elements: 1) development; 2) transit; and 3) transit-friendly amenities. While focus tends to be on the first two elements, this article provides insights on the importance of the third element.

October 17 - Renewal & Redevelopment (Association for Redevelopment Initiatives)

Replicas of Mid-Century Towns Built to Aid the Memories of Alzheimer's Patients

The Glenner Town Square development in Chula Vista, California will be one of the first "immersive facilities" in the United States, designed to trigger memories for Alzheimer's patients.

October 17 - CityLab

Texas Suburb

How Far Will Houstonians Drive for Housing They Can Afford?

New research looks into how commuting times in the Houston area effect on housing prices.

October 17 - Houston Business Journal

Denver

BLOG POST

Multimodal Millennials? A Closer Look Using Multifaceted Traveler Types

Kelcie Ralph guest blogs about a new article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

October 17 - JPER


Global Agreement Reached to Limit 'Super Greenhouse Gas Emissions'

An historic agreement reached by 170 global leaders in Kigali, Rwanda on October 15 to limit hydrofluorocarbons could have more of an impact on reducing climate change than the carbon emission agreement reached in Paris ten days earlier.

October 17 - The New York Times

Austin

New Tool for Measuring Progress of Sustainability in Austin

Austin Office of Sustainability upgrades transparency with a new online resource.

October 17 - Next City


San Francisco

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Propose 60-Day Hard Cap on Airbnb Rentals

Tensions between Airbnb and the city of San Francisco continue to mount as the city propose further restrictions on the service, even while the current restrictions are being challenged in court.

October 17 - The San Francisco Examiner

Oslo Creates Ambitious 'Climate Budget'

Oslo sets ambitious goal for carbon emissions with a "Climate Budget." The budget is a sign of climate policies to come as the Paris climate agreement begins to take effect around the world.

October 17 - Next City

Leonardo DiCaprio

Why the Disconnect on Climate Change and Urban Density?

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is also a committed climate change activist. His documentary on the topic airs Oct. 30 on the National Geographic channel. At the U.N., he asked leaders to take bold action. Yet, as an Angeleno, he opposes increased density.

October 17 - Curbed LA

NJ Transit

The Recent Decline of New Jersey Transit's Commuter Rail Operations

The New York Times looks into the decline of New Jersey Transit commuter railroad, rated as outstanding only nine years ago. Much of the decline can be traced to decisions by the Christie administration beginning in 2010.

October 17 - The New York Times

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Launches New Permit and Code Tracking Website

The city of Pittsburgh launched a Buildingeye website to provide new access to the development and approval process in the city.

October 16 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Metro Paris

Comparing Transit Systems and Populations for 13 Worldwide Cities

A new study compares regional population densities to transit systems to find out which transit systems have maximized their reach.

October 16 - CityLab

Link and Bus Seattle

An Argument for Light Rail Over Bus Rapid Transit

Opponents of the ST3 transit funding measure in Seattle have argued that bus rapid transit is a cheaper alternative to light rail. A local write counter argues that point by making the economic case for light rail.

October 16 - The Urbanist

Tracking the Growth of the 'Gig Economy' in U.S. Cities

The Brookings Institute thinks it has found a way to measure the impact of the expanding 'gig economy'—i.e., freelancing work enabled by online platforms like Airbnb and Uber.

October 16 - Brookings

Self-Driving Car

Responding to a Proposed Ban on Self-Driving Cars in Chicago

Gabe Klein thinks a proposed ban on self-driving cars in Chicago is shortsighted.

October 16 - Chi.Streetsblog

Single-Family Homes

Where Are the Latino Home Owners?

In the United States, rates of homeownership among Latino families lag far behind those of white families. A recent article from the Urban Institute digs into the causes and effects of this issue.

October 15 - Urban Institute

Tilikum Crossing

Ridership Numbers Below Target on Portland's One-Year-Old Orange Line

Eliot Njus reports on underwhelming ridership figures for the MAX Orange Line light rail service between Portland and Milwaukie. "Forecasts used to help justify federal funding for the project called for 17,000 average weekday trips in 2016. The

October 15 - The Oregonian

Uber Car

Two Uber Drivers Granted Employment Status in New York

In an unprecedented ruling in New York, the state Department of Labor deemed two Uber drivers employees of the company.

October 15 - Crain's New York Business

An image of a path through sand dunes to ocean in New Jersey

Calling for an End to Federal Support for Beach Nourishment

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, a researcher calls attention to the method behind the federal spending on billions of dollars of investment in unsustainable beaches.

October 15 - The New York Times

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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.