The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

LA Oldest Palm Tree

Study Examines the Effect of 'Holdouts' on the Development Patterns of Los Angeles

After building an argument that land assembly is key to reinventing cities for a new era, a new study identifies the impact of the landowners standing in the way of that progress.

August 22 - American Economic Association

Vancouver Waterfront

Vancouver Start-Up Wants You to Bid On Your Rent

The founders of Vancouver-based Biddwell are hoping to change the way landlords and potential tenants find each other, but a renters' advocacy body sees the new company as bad news for tenants in an increasingly tight housing market.

August 22 - The Globe and Mail

Preserving Las Vegas' Midcentury Residential Neighborhoods

In a region infamous for blowing everything up and starting over again, a growing constituency is interested in preserving the residential neighborhoods of yesteryear.

August 22 - Las Vegas Sun

Toledo

'Rust Belt Chic' Not Enough to Attract Millennials in Some Cities

The city of Toledo, Ohio provides a case study in how the best intentions of attracting degree-holding Millennials can come up short.

August 22 - Toledo Blade

New York Trash

Change Coming to the Way New York City Collects its Trash

The de Blasio Administration has recommended that the city of New York is ready to collect its trash in a new way, with a system known as franchising.

August 22 - Politico New York


Vintage Taxi

Massachusetts to Raise Money for Taxis from Levy on Uber and Lyft

A new levy on transportation networking companies in Massachusetts will raise funds to help level the playing field for taxi businesses.

August 22 - Business Insider

Suburban Woes Follow After Companies Depart for Cities

It's not bad enough that the Northeast is losing population to the South and West. As companies decamp from the suburbs, pristine communities, many where apartments are outlawed, are seeing a steady decline in housing values.

August 22 - The Atlantic


Missouri Pacific Trail

Omaha Stripped Away Pavement from Residential Streets, Controversy Ensues

Decades ago, developers installed sub-standard asphalt on residential streets in Omaha, with the understanding that residents, not the city, would maintain them.

August 21 - The Associated Press via The Denver Post

Helping the homeless

Homelessness Is Falling Despite Worsening Conditions. Why?

In 2015, compared to 2009, the nation had more people and lower incomes, but higher rents. All things being equal, the number of people who are homeless should have gone up. But it did not. It went down. What changed, and what's next?

August 21 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Wind Turbine

The Wind Industry Is Going Gangbusters

A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy shows a wind industry making large, positive strides in the country's energy market.

August 21 - Vox

Tesla

How Tesla Is Killing California's Electric Car Market

Sometimes market-based systems don't work as intended. This appears to be the case with the California Air Resources Board's program of awarding credits to zero emission and near zero emission vehicles. Tesla's success is bad for the market.

August 21 - San Francisco Chronicle

Communities of Faith Backing Indianapolis Transit Funding Referendum

Transit investments in Marion County, Indiana, could be funded through a proposed increase of income taxes. The proposed funding referendum has the backing, and the phone-banking, of a coalition of local church congregations.

August 21 - Indystar

Empty Parking Garage

Carless Renters Still Get Stuck With a $440 Million Bill

A new study provides evidence of how the incredibly high costs of parking get spread around—even to people who don't have cars.

August 20 - Streetsblog USA

As Affordability Worsens, State and Local Governments Act on their Own

New data points to the continued worsening of rental housing affordability. Due to a lack of federal response, some state and municipal governments are taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to add to their supply of affordable housing.

August 20 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Double Trucks

New Rules to Make Heavy Trucks Cleaner and More Fuel Efficient

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation jointly issued final standards on Aug. 16 to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy for heavy duty trucks which currently average about six miles per gallon.

August 20 - New York Times

Klyde Warren Park

Proposal Would Add Another Deck to Dallas' Klyde Warren Park

The Dallas News reviews a proposal that would extend the reach of one of the most successful public spaces in Dallas.

August 20 - Dallas News

Hurricane Katrina

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016

Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

August 20 - Planetizen

Race Walking

Friday Funny: The Serious Side and Long History of Competitive Race Walking

There's only a few more days left of the Olympics, and that's sad, but there's still time to learn about the wonders of the sport of race walking, formerly known as "Pedestrianism."

August 19 - The Washington Post

Traffic Jam

65-Year-Old Disney Cartoon Perfectly Explains the Craziness of Driving a Car

In 1950 the Walt Disney Company released a cartoon called "Motor Mania". Starring Goofy, the film chronicles the metamorphosis of the mild-mannered "Mr. Walker" into the terror of the streets, "Mr. Wheeler". It was ahead of its time.

August 19 - Community Builders

Mars Panorama

How Do We Plan For Cities on Mars?

Planning for the first human occupied martian cities is taking its next big step with three 3D-printed test colonies planned to be erected in the Mojave Desert.

August 19 - Quartz

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.