The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Harvard Housing Report: Housing Market Still Short-Changing Renters, Young Americans
It's the 30th annual edition of the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University's "State of the Nation's Housing" report.

Interactive Maps Explore Barriers to Opportunity
A pair of interactive maps and a report compare access to opportunity in two very different neighborhoods. In both places, residents confront "friction of distance" and feel their input on public decision-making is limited.

Op-Ed: Downtown Denver's Homogenous Renaissance
There's a lot to like about the resurgence of downtown cores. But as is the case elsewhere, Denver's core has only attracted a small subset of the wider city's population. Most people still call the suburbs home.

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The Ancient Roots of New Urbanism
The planning values and principles of New Urbanism are deeply rooted in human history. What does this look like, and what can we learn from it? The archaeology of an ancient Mayan city sheds some light.

Expansion of Maryland Toll Lane Project Increases Cost Five-Fold to $1.1 Billion
A $210 million project to add a single, 7-mile express toll lane on Interstate 95 north of Baltimore was just expanded to two lanes for 10 miles. Financing will rely on toll revenue. Unlike HOT lanes, every motorist will pay to use the lanes.

The Happy Jail
Where do the street trees come from, and where does the compost go? Rikers Island was New York City's growing outpost for years. But does “greening” the jail always improve things for prisoners?

Portland Installing 200 Sensors in the Name of Traffic Safety
Portland is hoping better vehicle and pedestrian counts, produced by high-tech sensors place on street light poles, can help deliver on Vision Zero promises.
26-Year-Old Civil Rights Complaint Finally Ends
The legal controversy over the Genesee Power Plant in Flint, Michigan has finally ended, with a court forcing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to better investigate and resolve complaints of environmental discrimination.

Industry Report: Regulations Add 30 Percent to Multi-Family Development Costs
Two organizations representing the development industry have released a report to highlight the costs of doing business.

The Uses Of Urban Theory
Eminent urban scholar Richard Sennett populates Building and Dwelling with rich discussions of history, philosophy, and theory—as well as strolls through contemporary cities.

A Famous Former Planning Director and the 'War on Cars'
Former Toronto Planning Director Jennifer Keesmaat is responding to rising pedestrian and bike fatalities in the "Vision Zero" city with a series of calls for action.

'Smart' Parking Meters Issue Tickets From Afar
More tickets, fewer meter maids.

Vancouver Transit Ridership Surges to a New High
The regional transit authority for metropolitan Vancouver is crediting high gas prices, growing employment, and system improvements for a new record in transit ridership.

New Law in Hawaii Makes Developers Consider Sea-Level Rise
Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill that requires developers to consider rising seas in all environmental impact studies.

Sued for Gentrification
A lawsuit against the District of Columbia claims deliberate actions to attract "creative" workers discriminates against low-income and African American residents.

Facebook Could Partner With Local Transit Authorities to Repair Defunct Rail Bridge
The Dunbarton Rail Bridge has been out of service since the 1980s. In a potentially groundbreaking development, Facebook is interested in repairing the bridge to serve multi-modal commuters.

Sidewalk Labs Opens House for its Toronto 'Smart City' Project
Sidewalk Labs has officially set up shop as Sidewalk Toronto, with a home base in Quayside, the waterfront district that the company is tasked with transforming in the image of a "smart city."

San Francisco's Next Mayor a Self-Described 'Pro-Housing' Politician With Support From YIMBYs
London Breed is the first African American female elected mayor of San Francisco, and she brings high hopes that a pro-development approach can help mitigate the city's housing affordability crisis.

A Trip to the New Cornell Tech Campus on NYC's Roosevelt Island
Urban environment author Carol Berens visits the new Cornell Tech campus on New York City’s Roosevelt Island.

Trump Rebuffed by Federal Energy Commissioners on Coal and Nuclear Power Bailout
Last month the Trump administration directed Energy Secretary Rick Perry to require grid operators to purchase power from aging coal and nuclear power plants, enabling them to keep operating as a matter of "national security." Regulators disagree.
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Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
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