The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Hackney Empire

How the Built Environment Shapes Music

From Motown to grunge, techno to hip hop, modern music came to life in garages, living rooms, churches, and warehouses. Urban design has been instrumental to what we listen to every day.

February 15 - The Guardian Cities

Carpool Lane

Study: High Occupancy Toll Lanes Slow Traffic in Adjacent Free Lanes

HOT lanes are supposed to not only speed traffic flow for paying solo motorists in the carpool lane, but improve traffic flow in the adjacent free lanes, according to theory. A new study on express toll lanes in Seattle disproved that last part.

February 15 - Seattle PI

Boris Bikes, London

Londoners Taking to Bicycles in Record Numbers

The number of commuters taking to bicycle in the city have tripled since 2000, while commuting by car has been cut in half.

February 15 - The Architect's Newspaper

Dallas Has Two New Long-Term Plans for Parks

The city of Dallas recently approved a new Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan and the city's first Recreation Master Plan. The comp plan updated the previous Renaissance Plan.

February 14 - Next City

Virtual Reality a Game Changer for Real Estate

The New York Times details how virtual reality is expected to change the game of real estate. The possibilities for planners and architects are endless as well.

February 14 - The New York Times


Metro Transit Minneapolis

The Twin Cities To Get a First Test of Bus Rapid Transit in June

Metro Transit officials announced the opening date for the A Line—the first of potentially many more rapid bus routes featuring platform level boarding and signal priority.

February 14 - MinnPost

Young Driver

Study Finds More Age Groups Ditching the Driver's License

It's not just millennials anymore. A new study finds more people are going without driver's licenses than in previous decades.

February 14 - NPR


Inside the Plans to Build a Domed City in Dubai

Plans are underway to build the world's first domed city.

February 14 - Tech Insider

Newport, Rhode Island

Rhode Island's Unique Funding Option to Repair Roads and Bridges Approved

After an eight-hour debate, the Rhode Island House of Representatives approved controversial truck-only toll legislation that will make Rhode Island the only state to apply tolls to large trucks but not other motor vehicles.

February 13 - NBC 10 News

Rainbow Crosswalk

Re-Examining the Safety of Colorful Crosswalks

There has been no shortage of responses to the story about St. Louis letting decorated sidewalks fade away after encountering federal policy that recommends more subdued colors.

February 13 - Streetsblog USA

Stockton Foreclosure

How Many Homeowners Became Renters During the Great Recession?

Trulia has undertaken an in-depth analysis of American Community Survey data to reveal some of the impacts of the recession on the housing market.

February 13 - Trulia

Record Numbers of Riders Took to Rail in Chicago in 2015

The Chicago Transit Authority has something to celebrate as it tries to dig itself out of a budgetary hole.

February 13 - Chicago Tribune

Massachusetts Considers Raising Its $1 Jaywalking Fine

There are a few reasons one should exercise caution while crossing the street illegally. In Massachusetts, fear of a fine is not one of them.

February 13 - CBS Boston

Villa Savoye Legos

Friday Funny: Video Game Allows Players to Deface an Icon of Modernism

An online video game has the perfect remedy for anyone who hates modernism—and Le Corbusier more specifically.

February 12 - The Architect's Newspaper

A Drill Not Named Bertha Got Stuck in Seattle

A drill named Pamela, tasked with digging the tunnel for the Sound Transit light rail extension from Husky Stadium to Northgate, was stuck in the dirt under Seattle for several months.

February 12 - The Seattle Times

Los Angeles Passes Sweeping Homeless Plans—Funding Still Needed

The easy part for politicians at both the city and the county of Los Angeles is over. Funding their plans to improve services for the homeless will be the hard part.

February 12 - Los Angeles Times

Concerns Raised About the Brooklyn-to-Queens Streetcar Proposal

We've gathered a sample of the responses to Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposal for a $2.2 billion streetcar to connect Brooklyn to Queens.

February 12 - The New York Times

Drive Through

Controversy Over Drive-Throughs in Minneapolis Gains National Attention

A proposal in Minneapolis would restrict the development of drive-throughs, in pedestrian-friendly parts of the city, as a safety measure for all non-car users of the street.

February 12 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

After Almost Four Months, Monster Methane Leak is Capped

It's a temporary cap, but it means that thousands of Porter Ranch, Los Angeles residents can return home. SoCalGas has begun the process of permanently capping the leak of the huge natural gas storage field first detected on Oct. 23.

February 12 - KTLA5

Oregon Considering Payroll Tax for Transit

Traditionally pro-transit organizations have come out against a proposal to create a new payroll tax to fund bus transit improvements.

February 12 - The Oregonian

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.