The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Aerial view of homes and businesses destroyed by Altadena wildfire.

Tenant Advocates: Rent Gouging Rampant After LA Wildfires

The Rent Brigade says it's found evidence of thousands of likely instances of rent gouging. In some cases, the landlords accused of exploiting the fires had made campaign donations to those responsible for enforcement.

May 29 - Shelterforce Magazine

View of downtown Seattle with construction cranes and cloudy sky as seen from top of Space Needle.

Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details

The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.

May 29 - The Urbanist

Woman and man in orange safety vests and hard hats doing surveying work at road construction site.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.

May 29 - The Washington Post

Aerial view of Springfield, Missouri small town USA.

A Missouri Tenant Union’s Fight Against Millennia Housing

In Springfield, Missouri, senior and disabled tenants at one Millennia affordable housing building say they’ve gone about a year without a working elevator, but their organizing has gotten the city to threaten receivership if it's not fixed soon.

May 29 - Shelterforce Magazine

Chicago Transit

Time Running Out for Illinois Transit Bill

Chicago-area transit agencies face a daunting budget gap if lawmakers fail to agree on a funding bill by the end of the current legislative session.

May 29 - Streetsblog Chicago


Cyclist rides in protected bike lane in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Adding New Bike Racks

The city will add dozens of new bike racks over the coming months to prevent bike theft and reduce sidewalk clutter.

May 29 - WOKV

Mid-rise brick buildings with retail and restaurants on ground floor on sunny day in Soho, Manhattan, New York City.

In Dense NYC, What Does ‘Human Scale’ Mean?

Advocates reject the NIMBY label, arguing that they seek a more sustainable, incremental pace of growth modeled on mid-rise neighborhoods.

May 29 - Next City


Photo of man looking at large painting.

FEATURE

Meet Our New AI Columnist!

In a new monthly column for Planetizen, planner and artificial intelligence expert Tom Sanchez invites a conversation about how AI will shape urban planning — and how urban planners can (and should) shape AI.

May 28 - Planetizen

Nevada State Senate building.

Nevada Legislature Unanimously Passes Regional Rail Bill

If signed by the governor, the bill will create a task force aimed at developing a regional passenger rail system.

May 28 - KRNV News 4

Blue sidewalk curb cut painted with white accessibility symbol.

How Infrastructure Shapes Public Trust

A city engineer argues that planners must go beyond code compliance to ensure public infrastructure is truly accessible to all users.

May 28 - Governing

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

Photos: In Over a Dozen Cities, Housing Activists Connect HUD Cuts and Local Issues

We share images from six of the cities around the country where members of three national organizing networks took action on May 20 to protest cuts to federal housing funding and lift up local solutions.

May 28 - Shelterforce Magazine

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28 - Mass Transit

Traffic in front of Trump Hotel in Manhattan, New York City.

Judge Extends NYC Congestion Pricing Through at Least June 9

A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s effort to kill the program, which remains in limbo as a lawsuit filed by the MTA moves forward.

May 28 - Associated Press via KCRA

AI-generated image of high-speed rail trail in elevated track in green hilly farmland.

FEATURE

Four Reasons Urban Planners Can’t Ignore AI

It’s no longer a question of whether AI will shape planning, but how. That how is up to us.

May 28 - Tom W. Sanchez

View from hilltop residential neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, California on a cloudy day.

LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals

Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

May 27 - LAist

Canada geese and ducks on the shore of a lake with red brick boathouse in background across the lake in Lincoln Park, Los Angeles.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home

Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

May 27 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

Children inside large slide at water park.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade

To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.

May 27 - Antelope Valley Press

Close-up of black and yellow oak borer beetle.

Help Stop the Beetle Killing Southern California’s Oak Trees

Claifornia residents can join a volunteer “blitz” this June to help detect and map infestations of an invasive beetle that is killing thousands of oak trees across Southern California.

May 27 - University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

A subdivision of large suburban homes, some with bright blue pools, sits atop a low hill in Hays County, Texas.

Bill to Allow Smaller Homes on Smaller Lots Resurrected in Texas House

A top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the legislation would make it easier to construct homes on smaller lots. A House Democrat briefly killed the bill.

May 27 - The Texas Tribune

Cyclists riding on green painted bike lane protected by flexible post delineators in Chicago, Illinois.

Growing up Car-Free in Chicago

One Chicago youth recounts their experience growing up in a car-free household.

May 27 - Streetsblog Chicago

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