The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Krugman Argues the Supply Side to Combat Urban Inequality
Paul Krugman, one of the most influential voices of liberal policy in the United States, has identified a culprit in the U.S. affordability crisis: over-regulation.
Two Regional Transit Planning Efforts Underway in Portland
With a light rail network now reaching 60 miles, the Portland region is ready to explore its next regional transit options.
A Quick Guide to the COP21 Climate Talks
World leaders are meeting in Paris this week for the United Nation's COP21 talks. But what exactly are the main topics of discussion?
President Obama Stakes His Legacy at the Paris Climate Conference
President Obama left for Paris on Sunday to partake in the climate talks known as COP21. Coral Davenport of The New York Times looks at the legacy implications for the president stemming from his commitment to fighting climate change.

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We Are Transport! We Have Solutions!
Smart policies can provide significant greenhouse gas emission reductions in ways that help achieve other planning objectives, including economic development, social equity, and public health. Who will implement these policies? We will!

Philadelphia Pushes Ahead with Changes to Zoning Code
Updates to Philadelphia’s zoning code are designed to "clean-up" the code, adopted in 2011.
Tel Aviv Expands its Smart City Leadership Role
This month, during the Smart City Congress, Hila Oren, CEO of Tel Aviv Global, announced an agreement with Tel Aviv to mentor, train, consult, and escort Indian city officials in their processes to become Smart Cities.
Report: China Clean Energy Investments Beat U.S., U.K, and France Combined
When climate change initially became a powerful political talking point, the dirty economies of developing countries might have made U.S. efforts seem inconsequential. Now the roles of reversed, and the U.S. has some catching up to do.
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Ready for Traffic Safety Solutions
A string of fatalities has residents and commuters alike ready to explore new options, such as a complete streets plan, to improve the safety of the neighborhood's streets.
Competing Visions for East Village—San Diego's SOMA
Downtown San Diego's East Village neighborhood shares traits with San Francisco's SOMA, circa 1990s. However, there are competing visions for the area: academic and high tech vs. stadium and convention center expansion.

Urban Revitalization Through Highway Teardowns
Alana Semuels, staff writer for The Atlantic, examines highway teardowns beginning with the San Francisco Embarcadero in 1989 to see how they have worked in terms of revitalizing poorer areas or restoring the urban fabric that they destroyed.
Where Climate Change Means Diminished Snowpacks, Water Supplies
A new study by researchers at Columbia University estimates how predicted changes in the levels and locations of snowfall will affect water supplies.
Somerville, MA, an Urban Lab for Mobility
In Somerville, Massachusetts, Audi is working in partnership with the city and the Federal Realty Investment Trust, a developer, to build the infrastructure to test two new technologies, Car-to-X technologies and automated parking.
Deputy Mayor of London: Diesel Not the Right Thing for Cities
Matthew Pencharz, Deputy Mayor for Environment & Energy for the Greater London Authority, does not see diesel as the right technology for driving in the city. Also blames the European Commission for for being too lenient with emission standards
Possible Competition for Bay Area Bike Share
With Bay Area Bike Share serving nearby Redwood City in San Mateo County, it might seem odd that the city of San Mateo would look elsewhere for starting a bike share program. However, the city of almost 103,000 did not want a "hub-based" model.
Lending Inequalities Undercut Baltimore's Potential
Baltimore's housing stock is relatively accessible compared to many other cities on the East Coast, yet deeply ingrained issues of inequality still plague the potential for homeownership to assist in the city's recovery.

Costs Soar for the Suburban Lifestyle in the Toronto Area
Famous for its focus on dense, infill development and quickly ascending skyline, the Toronto housing market is still plagued by rising housing costs at the single-family detached homes end of the spectrum.
High-Speed Rail to Stop Short of Downtown Houston
The latest plan for the Texas Central high-speed rail line would stop trains well short of downtown Houston. Transit advocates are displeased with the change of plans.
HOT Lanes Do Not a Toll Road Make
A look back at a controversy from this month's Virginia State Senate election, which produced some seriously misleading rhetoric about "toll roads" (i.e., the proposal was for HOT lanes, not a toll road).

Iowa DOT Chief Takes Novel Approach to Transportation Infrastructure
The strategy of Iowa's Department of Transportation chief, Paul Trombino III, for maintaining the state's "25,000 bridges, 114,000 miles of roadway, and more than 4,000 miles of rail" is not to do so. In a word, "shrinkage" is part of the solution.
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City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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.