The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Dam Removal Movement Gains Ground in Wisconsin
More cities are reclaiming a natural, free flowing river as a resource for quality of life and economic development.

Injecting Racial Equity into an Election Cycle in St. Louis
Ten St. Louis organizations worked together to pin down mayoral candidates on concrete questions about racial equity—but first they had come to consensus on what issues to focus on.

Regulators Scold Utility for Proposing Natural Gas to Replace Coal
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is concerned about the lack of renewable options for replacing a coal plant in Wabash County.

State Audit Calls into Question the Use of Gas Tax Dollars to Fund State Police
The state with the highest fuel taxes has the second most structurally deficient bridges. According to the Pennsylvania state auditor's new report, diversion of $4.2 billion to fund the state police during the last six years is to blame.

Infrastructure Funding Deal for New Orleans Requires Major Politicking
Infrastructure funding has been the subject of major negotiations between politicians at the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.

Community Solar, an Alternative Energy Win-Win
Across the country, community solar is taking off and making the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy more accessible.

The Regional Planning Agency Wanted to Evolve on Transportation. The County Said No.
A kerfuffle in San Diego, as San Diego County and the San Diego Association of Governments find themselves at odds over the future of transportation in the region.

When a Few Neighbors Speak for the Entire Neighborhood
This probably sounds familiar in more places than one: just a few stakeholders accounts for a clearly disproportionate number of the appeals made to the Planning Department in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood.

Unequal Distribution of Shade Is Environmental Injustice
A longread, written by Sam Boch and published by Places Journal, has been creating a stir online and is highly recommended for those with an interest in intersections between social justice and urban design.

An Ambitious Bike Plan for Kansas City Prioritizes Safety
The City Council of Kansas City is preparing to vote on the Bike KC Master Plan, which would set the city on a course to build a large network of high-quality bike infrastructure.

New York Hasn't Been the Same Since the Avengers
A satirical take on the "Leaving New York" genre of confessional makes believe Marvel Comics style. No spoilers included here.

The New Trend in Transit: $0 Transfer Fees
After Detroit eliminated its fee to transfer between DDOT and SMART buses. Advocates in Pennsylvania want Philadelphia to be next.

Commute Frustrations Boil Over in Massachusetts Poll
A recent poll of Massachusetts voters was able to connect the realities of the housing market to the frustrations of the daily commute.

Denver to Restructure Homeless Services After Audit
The city will commit new funding and potentially a new department to better manage its homeless services.
On-Demand Shuttle Expands Service Area in Chicago
Via will now operate in a much larger portion of Chicago.

Thinking Outside of the Transit Box in L.A.
Metro is analyzing new geolocational data to look beyond conventional understandings of travel behavior.

One Less Protected Bike Lane in Baltimore
A bike lane on Roland Avenue in Baltimore had been separated from vehicle traffic by vehicle parking, but no longer.

BLOG POST
Do You Believe in 'Ghost Apartments'?
"Ghost apartments" (empty apartments owned by rich foreign investors) have gotten a great deal of media coverage. But how common are they?

How Not to Do Growth
The state of Florida is moving forward with the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-Cores) plan to build several new toll expressways in rural parts of the state.

When Does a Public Space Plan Rely Too Much on Pavement?
The debate leading up to the recent approval of the Arlington County, Virginia Public Spaces Master Plan reveals the competing pressures on park planning in 2019.
Pagination
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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.