The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The 3,000-Year-Old Document That Planned Beijing
The Guardian Cities details how the Kaogong Ji brought an ancient order to the sprawling city of Beijing.
New Jersey Considering Fines for Distracted Pedestrians
Having launched a pedestrian safety campaign focused on education, legislators may go a step further to tackle another 'E'—enforcement. But rather than drivers, pedestrians looking down at their smart phones will be the targets.
Critic Sees 'Dallas Logic' in Latest Trinity River Plans
Mark Lamster has eviscerated the city of Dallas for its plans to build the Trinity Toll Road before—and he'll probably do it again.
Friday Funny: Nation in Rapture Over Construction Project
Reading The Onion's latest satire of the built environment is a bit like the experience it describes: watching as a crane moves a large object on a construction site, otherwise known as being easily distracted by harmless fun.
Detroit Streetcar: Dan Gilbert Dubs Thee 'QLINE'
After purchasing the naming rights of the streetcar line formerly known as M-1 for $5 million, Dan Gilbert made a big reveal Thursday in Detroit.
How Not To Measure Traffic Congestion, Redux Again
TomTom's annual traffic congestion rankings predictably generated horrified, self-pitying headlines about awful congestion in top-ranked cities. But there are big problems with their methodology.
Chicago Mayor Emanuel Announces Park Plans to a Skeptical Audience
In a much-hyped address earlier this week. Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose the title "Building on Burnham" to describe his survey of the Chicago's ongoing and future plans to develop parks and open space.
State Legislation Would Dramatically Reform Tolling in New York City
It remains to be seen if the ambitious changes in toll pricing around New York City proposed by AO9633 has the support it needs for approval, but at least the tolling agenda proposed by Move NY is now up for consideration by the State Legislature.
Population Growth Trends Return to Pre-Recession Norms
It's almost like the Great Recession and the Great Urban Renaissance never happened, as Americans are moving to the suburbs and the Sunbelt than to the nation's urban areas.

On Atlanta's BeltLine and 21st-Century Infrastructure
In an interview, Atlanta BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel discusses the ongoing project and how it fits an emerging, multidisciplinary understanding of what good infrastructure can be.

Cape Canaveral in Flux
Caught between the end of the space shuttle and the potential rise of private sector spaceflight, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center present a unique land use challenge.

Backers Still Optimistic on Detroit Placemaking
After three years, an ambitious placemaking plan for downtown Detroit has delivered results, but not as quickly as its architects hoped.

Reports of 'Mega-Commutes' Greatly Exaggerated
No one is denying that many Americans endure long, arduous commutes. But the data does not verify reports that "mega-commutes" are on the rise.
U.S. DOT Announces First Year of Grant Funding for State VMT Fee Pilot Programs
$15 million in a U.S. Department of Transportation grant program is now available for states to implement pilot projects based on a "user-based alternative revenue mechanism," aka vehicle-miles-traveled fee.
Four Cities to Explore the Frontiers of Infrastructure Finance
City Accelerator selected four cities to test new options for financing the infrastructure investments of the 21st century and beyond.

Chicago's Never Built Skyscraper—Now a Hole in the Ground and a Pile of Dirt
The high-water marks showing where the last boom broke under the pressure of the Great Recession are still visible in cities all over the country. The Chicago Tribune recently checked on a particularly poignant example in Chicago.
Albuquerque Approves 10-Mile Bus Rapid Transit Project
Now that the Albuquerque City Council has approved a plan to create bus-only lanes on Central Avenue, the city will seek federal funding for the project.
Visualizing Parking in the City of Brotherly Love: Parkadelphia
An intrepid city employee created Philadelphia's first mapping tool for visualizing the layers of regulation and management that govern when, when, and how people park in Philadelphia.
New York City Council Approves Sweeping Zoning Changes
Politico New York reports all the important details on a big day for planning in New York City—as the City Council overwhelmingly approved two controversial zoning changes to help spur the construction of affordable housing.

What's In a Name? Not Robert Moses
Local officials in the area of Niagara Falls in New York say the name Robert Moses is a detriment to the local tourism industry—so they're removing his name from a local parkway.
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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.