The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Which Ambitious Renovation Plan for the BQE?
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway needs work, but the various proposals have very different visions about how to tackle the project and what the final outcome will be.

What Do Cities in Fortnite Look Like?
Fornite is one of the fastest growing multiplayer games in the history of games, with over 125 million players in one year. A teenager Fortnite player publishes a collection of images from the major cities in the game.

‘Flintstone House’ Irks S.F. Bay Area Town
The quirky hilltop home is visible from the freeway, and commuters love it. The city, however, does not.
Seattle Cancels Bike Lane Plans
Bike advocates are starting to worry about Mayor Jenny Durkan's lack of a track record in building new bike infrastructure.

Cincinnati Ponders Short-Term Rental Regulations
Controversies short-circuited similar legislation in 2018, but the Cincinnati City Council is taking up the issues surrounding short-term rentals again this year.

Breaking News: Feds Sue Facebook Over Discriminatory Housing Advertisement System
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development escalated its actions against Facebook, even after the social media giant had settled a lawsuit with civil rights organizations and taken steps to reform its advertising system.

Polluting Cars Will Have to Pay to Drive Into London, Starting in April
London's 'Ultra Low Emission Zone' is taking effect in April. Here are the details on the ambitious clean air plans.

Oakland A's Propose 6,000 New Homes
On top of plans to build a new ballpark, the Oakland Athletics have proposed developing 6,000 units of housing. Half would be located at the new site near Jack London Square, and the other half at the current Oakland Coliseum site.

Review: 'The Handbook of Gentrification Studies'
A book by Loretta Lees and Martin Phillips, published in 2018, is reviewed and recommended to "graduates studying anthropology of cities, urbanism, geography, and new urban identities."

Hammering Out the Details of New Accessory Dwelling Unit Regulations
As Montgomery County, Maryland considers a new law to allow more development of accessory dwelling units. The devil is in the details.

First Open Streets Event Coming to D.C.
The nation's capital could soon join the 122 U.S. municipalities with open streets events.

Lessons for the Reform of State DOTs
The world is changing, and some state departments of transportation are still stuck in the 20th century. New research provides guidance for DOTs looking to break old habits of car dependency and obsessions with level of service.

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Order Without Design: Pro-Housing, Pro-Infrastructure
In Order Without Design, Alain Bertaud takes a middle position between consistent supporters of suburbia and sprawl critics.

Crisis Response Afforded Aviation Fatalities But Neglected for Automobile Tragedies
The Globe and Mail editorial board points out the obvious hypocrisies of the global response to an aviation tragedy relative to the ongoing tragedies that occur every day as a result of the world's reliance on automobiles.

Boston Reconsidering its Inclusionary Zoning Formula
Boston has set the same inclusionary zoning requirements for 19 years, and after a busy 2018, the city could be set to require even more affordable housing with each new development.

Judge Rules Tolls Are Taxes to Dismiss Truckers' Lawsuit Against Rhode Island
The nation's sole truck-only tolling program survived its first lawsuit after a federal judge dismissed litigation brought by the American Trucking Associations, ruling that the proper venue was state court. ATA believes it is unconstitutional.
Opinion: Promising Complete Streets Project Now a 'Monument to Half-Baked Efforts'
A protected bike lane project in Downtown Los Angeles has ceded too much ground to cars, according to this opinion piece. If only it were the only example to choose from.

What Will the Future of Homeownership Look Like?
Homeownership rates declined precipitously in the United States up until 2016. While that trend has reversed in more recent years, it's still hard to tell what the future of homeownership will be.

Google's New 'Visual Position System' Takes Pedestrian Navigation to the Next Level
In case you've ever felt like Google Maps isn't as helpful on foot as it is in a car, there's a new technology just for you.
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
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.