The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Vancouver Votes to Remove Downtown Viaducts; Obstacles Remain
The Vancouver City Council took a major step forward this week with an idea that it's been mulling for years: to tear down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts located in the city's downtown.
Will Electric Utilities Disrupt the Oil Industry in California?
A key bill had language allowing public utilities to enter into the electric vehicle charging industry—overlooked by the oil industry and a game-changer for EVs as it tackles one of their most formidable challenges.
Report: The Price of Driving Doesn't Match the Cost of Driving
The true cost of vehicle and road use is not reflected in the price drivers pay.
Op-Ed Calls Density the 'Mortal Enemy of Trees'—Debate Ensues
A surprising argument from an article in Seattle publication Crosscut this week: density is the mortal enemy of trees.
New Orleans Holding Out Hope HOME Program is Spared in Budget Fights
With Congressional budget negotiations ongoing in Washington, New Orleans home builders, policy makers, and low-income residents are hoping that the HOME Investment Partnership program comes out unscathed.
House Transportation Bill Misses Mark on Transit
Transit advocates have little good to say about the recently-passed Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. While it doesn't cut transit funding, it does nothing to expedite transit-based solutions.
FEATURE
Raleigh, NC Shows Planners How to Plan for Growth
The annual conference of the North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Conference brought together over 500 planners looking for lessons in planning for growth. The conference site of Raleigh provided a case study for a flourishing region.
BLOG POST
Technologies for Understanding Cities
Researchers are examining technologies that can aid in understanding many aspects of our cities, from how citizens interact in plan making, where residents use social media, and how to understand our changing communities.
Op-Ed: Why Cities Need the 'Poor Door'
Drawing on a distinction between equality and equity, Rick Jacobus argues that so-called 'poor doors' are a necessary compromise to promote affordable housing and neighborhood integration.
Editorial: Chicago's Lakefront Deserves Better than the Lucas Museum
To say that the Chicago Tribune editorial board is not a fan of George Lucas's proposal to build a museum along Lake Michigan would be putting it mildly.
Re-Evaluating Houston's Downtown Living Initiative
Like many other cities, Houston was looking for ways to bring more residents to Downtown. The Downtown Living Initiative has worked well—but will it leave some populations behind?
Happy 50th Birthday to the St. Louis Gateway Arch
One of the country's most recognizable and beloved architectural flourishes has many sordid stories to tell. Today is also its 50th birthday.
Port Authority Clears Major Hurdle for Bus Terminal Redesign
An expensive, contentious project to redesign and possibly relocate the Port Authority Terminal finally has a way forward: an international design competition to be concluded a year from now.
Humans Faulted in Autonomous Vehicle Accidents
Reports from the California DMV blame human drivers for minor collisions involving Google's self-driving cars. Drive carefully in Mountain View.
Report: Cost Overruns and Deadline Constraints Plague California High-Speed Rail
At the heart of the financial and deadline challenges facing the $68 billion high-speed rail project are 36 miles of tunneling north of Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles Times analysis that includes interviews with experts on mega-projects.
What Does the Connected Home Mean for Energy Policy?
As cities look to the Internet of Things to reimagine urban infrastructure, one hope is that real-time data collection will help increase energy efficiency at the regional level. Where do homes outfitted with a network of smart devices fit in?
Can a Single Regional Planning Agency Fix What Ails the Bay Area?
The potential to address the housing and transportation issues of the Bay Area by a single regional agency will be addressed this week.
London's Housing Market Now Swallowing-Up Commercial Uses
A proposed extension of a 2013 law allowing commercial conversion to residential uses is threatening to "accelerate the hollowing out" of London.
BLOG POST
So the Chief Doc Says 'Take a Walk'
Though the role for planners in making it easier to walk was clear even before the U.S. Surgeon General urged communities to design and plan for walking, more information is needed to understand why and where people choose to travel on foot.
BLOG POST
Why Do People Hate Cyclists?
At the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning conference, several researchers shared their work examining why people hate bicyclists and what can be done about that animosity.
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.
