The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

If the Seine rises to historic levels, Paris officials want to be ready. Earlier this month, an 11-day drill sought to prepare the city for what would happen if the Seine and Marne Rivers rose above their banks.

March 21 - The Independent (UK)

NHTSA's announcement that automatic emergency braking will become standard on almost all new vehicles by 2022 will have dramatic safety implications for drivers and passengers, but will it prevent crashes with pedestrians and cyclists?

March 21 - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Expect EPA to be radically downsized and stripped of much of its authority should a Republican become the next president. Democrats haven't stepped up to their defense as one might expect after the mishandling of the Flint water crisis.

March 21 - The New York Times

San Diego's diverse urban North Park Community, once a victim of suburban flight, is now dealing with urban remigration. Urban planner Howard Blackson and community activist Don Leichtling collaborate on community plan update recommendations.

March 21 - UrbDeZine

As Los Angeles weighs the merits of more major funding for Metro Rail projects, the current slate of new routes is already coming online. This graphic depicts median household incomes along existing and future rail lines.

March 21 - Los Angeles Times

The concept is no different from trains travelling along a charged track. While any real-world implementation is a long way off, the TEV team is building a trial road for a lower estimated cost per mile than traditional highway.

March 21 - Bloomberg Business

Don't tell that to the 18,000 residents of Shafter. However, the Legislative Analyst's Office made clear in its March 17 report that it questioned having the southern end of the first operating segment located "in an unpopulated agricultural area."

March 21 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

Fed up with all the extra space parked cars occupy, residents of Munich have turned to affordable housing built over already-existing parking lots. The wood-frame structures will be prefabricated and assembled quickly.

March 21 - CityLab

It's a term that gets bandied about by the "creative class" to describe an endless array of projects, from whimsical pop-up art to new uses for century-old buildings. But what does placemaking really mean?

March 21 - Comstock's Magazine

BLOG POST

Sprawl lowers real estate values in cheap, declining cities—but it may also have social costs that aren't as relevant elsewhere.

March 20 - Michael Lewyn

California's Road Charge Pilot Program is set to start this July. Applications for the 5,000 volunteers are being collected. Three companies hope to entice participants to select their programs by offering them 'high-tech perks.'

March 20 - FutureStructure

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is working toward new levels of transparency in the municipal bond market.

March 20 - At Lincoln House

Autonomous cars are making headlines, but what about using automated platooning technology for truck fleets or the military? The technology may be able to cut fuel costs and allow for the driverless transport of goods through dangerous areas.

March 20 - InTransition Magazine

Austin is pushing its economic development policy to go beyond chasing the big deal.

March 20 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

As cars become more and more technologically advanced, a trio of federal agencies this week put out a public service announcement about the dangers of car hacking.

March 19 - Christian Science Monitor

One of the largest, most influential regional governments in the state has asked for exemptions from changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that will measure Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) instead of Level of Service (LOS).

March 19 - Streetsblog California

Google's Popular Times can contribute toward better car parking and street planning, but it also has the potential to radically change how we plan.

March 19 - Medium

Black residents of Chicago are leaving for cities like Atlanta in massive numbers—away from the waves of crime tearing apart their hometown.

March 19 - Chicago Tribune

A speculative development proposal inspired a show of community solidarity in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

March 19 - MLive

Less funding has led to a decline in the number of community development corporations in the St. Louis area, despite a persistent need for their services.

March 18 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch