The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

January marked an unprecedented contraction for Walmart, which closed 269 stores, including all 105 of its small format Walmart Express stores.

January 31 - The Dallas Morning News

While blame squarely lays with Michigan state officials, agencies, and possibly Gov. Rick Snyder himself, the EPA also played a role by both detecting the cause of the problem but not acting on the reports of improper treatment of river water.

January 31 - Huffington Post

The big news about GE moving to Boston is more than just a story about a large company moving from the suburbs to the big city—it's also about how far cities will go to attract new jobs, and at what cost.

January 31 - The Boston Globe

Take a tour of the changes coming the to the Transbay District in San Francisco.

January 31 - San Francisco Chronicle

A case is emerging from data shared by Citibike that the system gets the most use by commuters. Federal legislation is in the works that would make bikeshare-as-transit official.

January 31 - Next City

Newly released data from the Weldon Cooper Center's Demographics Research Group shows a state shifting in population growth northward—toward Washington D.C. and inner ring suburbs.

January 30 - StatChat

The California Road Charge Pilot will be the nation's second road usage charge program. Unlike OReGO, which launched last July, it is a pilot program that will last nine months, but like the Oregon program, it is restricted to 5,000 volunteers.

January 30 - Streetsblog California

Bad news for transit advocates in Los Angeles this week, as the Los Angeles Time reported data that makes the region's transit investments look like something less than money well spent.

January 30 - Los Angeles Times

The critically lauded Plan El Paso hasn’t yet spurred the kind of urban revitalization it was designed to achieve. Some say its evidence that people still want sprawl, other say changes are still coming.

January 30 - The Atlantic

Gov. Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) announced on Wednesday that the state is working to ensuring safe tap water for Flint residents. While there is no schedule to replace the corroded lead pipes, they are being treated to prevent further lead leaching.

January 30 - Detroit Free Press

Local officials accused of being "gullible" as they mull a proposed development deal that would redevelop an iconic downtown theater and knock down a derelict hotel in Midtown Anchorage, Alaska.

January 29 - Anchorage Dispatch News

New research reveals more of the details of how trees provide therapeutic effects for humans.

January 29 - The New Yorker

A new book published by the Pew Research Center details the demographic changes that will shape the politics—beyond presidential elections—of the future.

January 29 - Pew Research Center

Nashville residents are being asked to choose their preference among a menu of transit planning options. The most expensive version of the plan would cost $5.4 billion, the least $800 million.

January 29 - The Tennessean

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is using a new ad against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, based on his use of eminent domain against an elderly woman in Atlantic City. Trump strongly defended using the controversial tool.

January 29 - Vanity Fair

Aurora, Colorado recently approved a large, transit-adjacent project designed to appeal to a younger set than is currently living in the city. Some entrenched interests were not happy with the decision.

January 29 - The Denver Post

It makes sense that the transit agency serving the Silicon Valley would be one of the first to adopt a formal open data policy.

January 29 - Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

A map-making effort by The Washington Post's Wonkblog puts the Western United States' population, or lack thereof, in perspective.

January 29 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

A new scorecard, called "Freeing the Grid," evaluates states on the incentives they offer homeowners and businesses to install rooftop solar.

January 29 - CityLab

A satirical New Yorker article nails the perpetual debate between New York and Los Angeles.

January 29 - The New Yorker