The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Head-On Commuter Train Collision Leaves 10 Dead in Germany
The two trains were traveling on a single track in Bavaria, each going around a bend at about 62 mph so they were not visible to the engineers. The trains were equipped with automatic braking systems reported to have been deactivated.
$25 Billion Paris Métro Extension—Grand Ambitions Included
The scale of the Line 14 subway extension is enough to impress any American transit advocate.

Friday Eye Candy: London From Above
A new book, "London Rising," collects photos taken in not-quite-legal fashion from the tops of London's tallest buildings and structures.
Land Trusts Holding Ground for Affordable Housing in Pittsburgh
Community land trusts are facing an uphill battle as waves of gentrification reach new neighborhoods around Pittsburgh.
Transportation Secretary Foxx Wants to Go Out With a Bang
Governing profiles Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx's ambitious goals to change the way the country thinks about transportation.
5 Ways to Improve Life in Homeless Encampments
As cities struggle to deal with the persistent challenges of homelessness, one writer suggest there's a better way to address the problem than by simply clearing out homeless encampments and tent cities.
A Detailed History of Atlanta's 'War on Density'
The Atlanta Studies website takes a deep dive into the history that produced the city of Atlanta as we know it today—and provides some suggestions on how to "correct some of its most atrocious attacks on the urban built environment."
Compromise Struck: Virginia Will Widen I-66 Inside the Beltway
Some local advocates and officials had hoped that tolls and transit could salve the congestion on I-66. Now it will be tolls, transit, and an extra lane.
Lenders, Landlords Prepare for Market Correction in Manhattan
Multiple reports about the priciest real estate in New York City say a glut of supply is leading to high vacancies and lower rent.
'Smart Cities Challenge' Attracts a Crowd
A competition with $50 million at stake, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently completed its submission deadline. The U.S. DOT reported shock at the level of interest in the competition.

Google's Self-Driving Car Had a Big Week
Breaking news came in a pair this week for Google's self-driving car technology.
Report: New Market-Rate Housing Affects Low-Income Housing Supply
A new report from California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office may dispel assumptions that construction of market-rate housing displaces low-income Californians.

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The Bicycle as a Tool of Social Justice
Philosopher Ivan Illich believed that the bicycle could connect users back to the pace of community-oriented life, that the right of free movement does not lapse just because cities have strapped themselves into ideological seat belts.
Big Expansion Approved for Austin-Area Highway
The Transportation Policy Board of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approved a big spending increase for a project to widen U.S. Highway 183.
The Political Battle Over a Half-Built Nuclear Plant in South Carolina
Included among a budget proposal that likely won't go anywhere, the Obama Administration is recommending the end of a project that would create nuclear power by dismantling nuclear weapons.
Breaking Down D.C.'s Bike Commuter Map
A map of bike commuters also maps the political conflicts in a changing Washington, D.C.
Fortunately, Unfortunately: A Children's Primer on Urban Evolution
Scott Doyon rewrote a classic children's book as a history of US cities since World War II. Fortunately, it's a quick read. Unfortunately, it's up to all of us how it ends.
Supreme Court Puts Obama's Key Climate Initiative on 'Hold'
In an unusual move that doesn't portend well for the EPA initiative, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Power Plan Rule that reduces emissions from existing power plants be suspended while it is heard by the Court of Appeals this summer.

Reinventing Des Moines
Fairly or unfairly, Des Moines has a solid reputation as one of the nation's least interesting cities. But unbeknownst to the rest of us, this quiet working town might become the Midwest's answer to Austin, Texas.

Whole Foods Parking Lot to Replace Wetlands
Sarasota County, Florida, has approved a plan to pave over forested wetlands and build parking for a Whole Foods Market. To compensate, the developer is donating another plot of wetlands to the public.
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.