The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Desert Rain

BLOG POST

Let's Talk Water

Water has been an integral part of the designed landscape for centuries, but is it time to reevaluate its relevance?

January 12 - Mark Hough

Wisconsin Considering Local 'Pothole Tax'

Though the governor's office remains staunchly opposed to new taxes, the Wisconsin State Legislature is searching for politically viable ways to fund transportation infrastructure improvements at the local level.

January 12 - Urban Milwaukee

Struggling Coal Companies Might Stick States With Clean Up Costs

The practice of self-bonding, or allowing coal companies a "pass" on setting aside funding for mine clean up, is coming back to haunt some states as the coal industry struggles.

January 12 - Wyoming Public Radio

Motorcycle No Helmet

The High Cost of 'Motorcycle Freedom'

Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in April 2012. It only took a week for Dr. Carlos Rodriguez to notice an increase in patients not wearing a motorcycle helmet in his trauma unit in Grand Rapids, so he launched a study.

January 12 - Huffpost Healthy Living

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Bandwagon Residents: Does a Winning Football Team Fuel Urban Growth?

Some residents of Tuscaloosa, Alabama believe the University of Alabama football team's success on the field has directly contributed to the region's growth.

January 12 - Forbes


SE 26th Ave Portland

Oregon DOT Plays its Trump Card to Remove Portland Bike Lanes

A bike advocate tells the story of the how the state department of transportation convinced local officials to remove a popular bike lane in Portland.

January 12 - Bike Portland

Step Aside San Francisco: The Tech Industry Still Calls the Silicon Valley Home

You wouldn't be alone if you thought the tech industry had shifted its base of operations from the Silicon Valley to San Francisco. A new study of the tech industry's real estate footprint, however, reveals the South Bay's entrenched dominance.

January 12 - Silicon Valley Business Journal


night time image of active downtown pasadena

What's So Urban About the Suburbs?

A new book makes the case for suburban urbanity.

January 12 - CityLab

Proposed Blight Solution: Shift Subsidies from Rent to Ownership

Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto thinks Section 8 housing subsidies could get two birds with one stone: help low-income households find affordable housing and reduce blight.

January 12 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Study: Cities Gaining Post-Recession Economic Clout

As the dust settles from the Great Recession—evidence is growing to support the growing relevance of urban areas in the overall economic picture of the United States.

January 12 - City Observatory

An Era of Innovation for Park Design

Next City surveys the most ambitious examples of park design from a year of ambitious projects.

January 11 - Next City

Economic Extremes Measured by New York City's Skyscrapers

The Washington Post performs a sort of reverse archaeology: looking skyward to the heights of building for a record of the country's economic fortunes.

January 11 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Wise Use Movement Galvanizes Oregon Wildlife Refuge Occupation

In an news analysis for The New York Times Sunday Review, Alan Feuer sees the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon as another struggle between the Wise Use movement, which began is the 1980s, and the mainstream.

January 11 - The New York Times

Bridge, Kennewick, Washington

Washington Port City Seeks To Attract Visitors With Wine Village

The Port of Kennewick, Washington, along the Columbia River, is hoping to combine some underutilized waterfront property and nearby wineries into a new attraction for wine lovers.

January 11 - Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce

SEPTA Token

Philly Transit Riders Need To Keep Those Tokens Handy, For Now

While most big city transit systems have moved on to electronic passes or paper tickets, Philadelphia's riders are left to deal with tokens and transfer slips until SEPTA's plans for a system upgrade come to fruition.

January 11 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Wheelchair Ramp

Finding Homes Harder For Those With Disabilities

A new study finds that the number of units available to those with a disability is insufficient to meet the growing needs of an aging population.

January 11 - CityLab

Guess What 'Empire Station' Replaces

An earlier post on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's big capital project proposal this week gave barely a mention of his new plans for the renovation, or rebirth, of Penn Station, America's busiest rail station.

January 11 - The New York Times

A New Jersey Town Comes Undone Over Affordable Housing

Faced with a court ordered requirement to provide its fair share of affordable housing, one New Jersey town's residents have lashed out with some anti-Semitic overtones against plans for a new development.

January 11 - The Atlantic

aerial view of identical suburban homes

A Brief Explainer of the Urban vs Suburban Migration Inflow/Outflow Argument

Has the renaissance of our urban cores petered out or will the movement of suburban refugees to denser metro neighborhoods continue? Let's see what demographics and economics tell us.

January 11 - Medium

Cars in the snow

BLOG POST

It's Snowing—There's An App for Tracking That

A snow storm came through overnight, your street hasn't been cleared. When can you expect to have your street cleared? Cities are increasingly providing snowplow tracking information to residents.

January 11 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

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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.