The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Finding Middle Ground in the Density Debate
Writer Alex Marshall looks to Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighborhood, for urban infill done right. Skyscrapers and mid-rise developments aren't always necessary to achieve more people per square foot.
The Important Role of Rural Transit
A recent report details how residents of rural areas in Minnesota use transit.
More Evidence That Bikeshare Systems Are the Safest Way to Bike
Another study from a reputable think-tank offers evidence that bikeshare is the safest way to bike.
The E-commerce Revolution
The internet has revolutionized the way people shop. From Amazon's Prime service, to grocery stores offering online ordering and delivery or store pick-up, the retail landscape has changed and so have brick-and-mortar shops and delivery methods.

7 'Smart Cities Challenge' Finalists Announced
The U.S Department of Transportation's Smart Cities Challenge will provide funding for seven finalists to further develop proposals to develop high-tech transportation solutions.
How Process Stops Change in San Francisco
San Francisco loves process and fears change. It's costing residents in more ways than housing, laments David Prowler, former Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown.
Another California Columnist Rails Against CEQA Abuse by NIMBYs
With the help of housing experts, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson points to abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act by NIMBYs as one of the main reasons for the Bay Area's housing crisis. Ethan Elkind offers an opposing view.

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What I Learned When an Angry Group Destroyed My Public Meeting
Introducing the Fiasco Files—a lighthearted look at those times when things went sideways in community engagement. This Fiasco File tells the story of an angry and vocal minority group and the havoc the raised at a public meeting.
Would Bernie Sanders Delay the Obama Climate Initiative?
Watching Wednesday's Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I was startled to hear Clinton claim that Sanders said he would delay Obama's Clean Power Plan rule. PolitiFact investigated, though the result wasn't clear-cut.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Re-Appropriated Spaces
The projects depicted here re-use and re-appropriate public space, filling gaps in the built environment with parks, open areas, and pedestrian walkways.
Denied: Proposed LNG Export and Gas Pipeline in Oregon Rejected by FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied a contentious $7.5 billion Liquefied Natural Gas export facility, pipeline, and power plant in Coos Bay, Ore., which had received environmental clearance.
Social Equity: The Missing Leg of the Three-Legged Stool of Climate Action
Climate action plans cannot succeed without bona fide action on social equity and job creation, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing Murtaza Baxamusa.
Strike Averted! New Jersey Transit Unions Reach Tentative Agreement
Thirty hours before rail workers would have begun a strike that would have paralyzed commuting between New York and New Jersey, transit agency and rail unions reached a deal, though it must still be ratified by workers.
President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau Agree to Reduce Methane Emissions
Climate change was front and center at a Thursday morning joint press conference at the White House, where U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to several energy, environmental, and Arctic initiatives.
Lessons From Helsinki's Failed On-Demand Bus Experiment
Kutsuplus—an attempt to "reinvent carpooling for the algorithm age"—has failed in Helsinki. What can new systems, still operating in the United States, learn from its example?
Miami-Dade Reports Leaking Wastewater from Turkey Point Nuclear Plant
The bad news for Biscayne Bay is the latest in a string of bad news for the Turkey Point nuclear plant.
Another Coal Project Bites the Dust
Arch Coal's plans to develop a mine in Otter Creek Valley, east of Billings, is the latest casualty in the death throes of the coal industry.

Manhattan's Glut of Condos Now a Glut of Apartments
Despite concerns than foreign investors would snatch up expensive condo properties around Manhattan, keeping the supply our of reach of local renters, analysts report rental prices are dropping as new supply enters the market.
Accounting for Seasonal Variations in Transportation Mode
People use different transportation systems depending on the time of year, yet transportation planning rarely accounts for this seasonal variation.
San Francisco Leading CEQA Reform Process—Scraps Level of Service
The San Francisco Planning Commission took historic action earlier this month, voting to end the use of Level of Service in environmental review.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.