The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Four Ways L.A. Metro Is Increasing Affordable Housing
A median-income family in the L.A. metro area spends 73 percent of their income on housing and transportation alone. L.A. Metro explains why and how they're taking huge steps to get affordable housing on land they own—where it will do the most good.
About City Gates and Gateways, With a Political Gloss
A year of political obsession with walls along national borders has Chuck Wolfe contemplating city gates of the past and present. Using the foil of proposed border walls, he examines the historic role of city gates, modern gateways, and more.

FEATURE
Theme Park Urbanism
An op-ed rejects a notion of urbanism that would find a home in Disneyland, for a version of urbanism that deploys the best efficiencies and benefits of the built environment.

The Makings of Healthy Places
What makes for a healthy place? Kaid Benfield points to density of dwellings, intersections and public transport, plus access to parks.

State Law Paves the Way for More Granny Flats in California
The state of California stepped into to make it easier for local governments to approve permissive regulations of accessory dwelling units.
A New Era for Drone Aviation
New rules for commercial drone aviation went into effect on August 29, clearing the way for rapid adoption of the technology.
How U.S Road Safety Compares to Other Countries
That is, not very well.

Developments Surrounding Houston's Distressed Dams
The Houston Chronicle continues a series of feature articles about the persistent flooding of the region. The latest installment examines the tenuous position of the Addicks and Barker dams.
Over $14 Million Awarded to Eight Projects to Find Alternatives to Gas Taxes
The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding ways to transition from the gas tax to other user-based revenue mechanisms to fund transportation infrastructure. The federal gas tax hasn't keep pace with transportation expenditures since 2008.

Anti-Fracking Initiatives Fail Before Getting to the Ballot in Colorado
An initiative to prohibit fracking within 2,500 feet of an occupied building and another that would have allowed local governments to ban fracking will no longer be on the ballot in Colorado.

A Story of Success: Manhattan, Kansas
The story of a revitalized economy in Manhattan, Kansas is a story of thorough partnership with Kansas State University.

The Market Rate of a Shorter Commute
Analysis by FiveThirtyEight offers a lesson in trade-offs. In this case: how much more New Yorkers are willing to pay for less time spent commuting.

BLOG POST
Urban Sanity: Understanding Urban Mental Health Impacts and How to Create Saner, Happier Cities
Some experts claim that city living causes mental illness and unhappiness, but a new study indicates that urban environments provide many mental health benefits. Better planning can help make sane and happy cities.

London's Cascading Displacement Effects Start at the Top of the Income Ladder
New research from the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics finds evidence of the displacement of elites from affluent neighborhoods in London.

White Flight Continues From Ethnoburbs Around the Country
As affluent whites have returned to more urban areas, some might think that white flight is a relic of the 20th century, but overwhelming evidence shows that white flight continues, just in a different place and time.
Cap-and-Trade Bill Boosts California's Struggling Biomass Facilities
California's new rigorous renewable portfolio standard of 50 percent by 2030 will support a renewable energy source that serves the dual purpose of reducing forest fire hazards.
Chicago's South Side Gains New Bus Service
New and improved bus service launched on the South Side of Chicago over Labor Day weekend.

'A Taco Truck on Every Corner' Offers a Teachable Moment
The lessons to be learned when considering the idea of a taco truck on every corner include definitions of components of the built environment like corners, intersections, and taco trucks, as well as examples of concepts like supply and demand.

Demographic Changes and Environmental Leadership in Sacramento
It has been a good year for environmentalists, but it hasn't come easily, as seen in the much-celebrated but delayed passage of SB 32 that continues the landmark emissions reductions first set in 2006. Joe Mathews explains the transitions underway.

Meet Canada's 'Great Trail'—20,770 Kilometers of Car-Free Trail
It doesn't matter what country you're from, if you like to ride your bike in beautiful places away from cars, you'll be envious of Canada's Great Trail.
Pagination
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
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.