The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Comparing How People in 12 Global Cities Ride Their Bikes
The workout-tracking app Strava provided generous access to its data to allow a compare and contrast exercise in how people ride bikes in 12 of the most famous cities in the world.
The Law in New York: Close the Door When Running Air Conditioners
It's now illegal for businesses to use air conditioners on the sidewalks of New York City. Some see government overreach—some see common sense energy efficiency measures.

Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City Awarded ULI's Urban Open Space Award
Oklahoma City has earned a big recognition. Myriad Botanical Gardens executive director Maureen Heffernan says know her team knows what it feels like to win a World Series.

Friday Funny: The Instagram Account of Saddest Place Names Is Actually Kind of Sad
Did you know there's a place called Point No Point, in Hansville, Washington? It's quite pretty, actually, but is that reason enough to go there?

Friday Funny: South Park Gentrification Spoof Could Be Anytown, USA
The most shocking thing about the recent episode of South Park, "The City Part of Town," was that it took Cartman and company so long to poke fun at the effects of gentrification.

How to Reimagine the Skyscraper (and Why)
An essay identifies imperatives for a new theory of tall, dense construction, and begins to sketch out a theory that will reconcile the skyscraper with contemporary business ideals.

D.C. Metro's Mea Culpa: Bad Service Responsible for Declining Ridership
While cities like New York and San Francisco's transit systems are bursting at the seams, D.C. Metro's rail system lost 5 percent of its ridership between 2010 and 2015. This week Metro acknowledged some of its fault in that trend.
Glut of New Supply Shaking Up the Apartment Market
An industry report finds rising vacancies rates and lots of new supply coming down the pipeline. Could the nation's renters finally be in the market for some relief on the cost of housing?
Fayetteville Ends Minimum Parking Requirements for Commercial Uses
Fayetteville, Arkansas, home to the University of Arkansas and neighbor to Bentonville, home of Walmart, has taken a national leadership role in parking policy by ending minimum parking requirements for non-residential uses.
Ambitious Subway Agenda Endorsed by Transportation Secretary Foxx
When San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener proclaimed last month that his city "should always have a subway under construction," there were many doubters due to the funds required and unlikelihood of federal support. "Aggressive" is good, says Foxx.

On the Perpetual Crisis of American Cities
A long and ranging article in the New Yorker surveys non-fiction, art, and other manifestations of intellectualism for insight into the plight of the city—to always be cast in some manner of morality tale.
From Taxi Industry Disrupter to Auto Industry Disrupter
Car ownership is far from "a thing of the past," as Uber's CEO plans on making it, but a new survey shows that a substantial number of people who have tried transportation network companies are forgoing the purchase of a car.
City Action on Climate Change
Can cities be at the forefront of tackling climate change? According to forthcoming research by Arup and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, cities play a crucial role in addressing this pressing issue.

Pushing Back Against the Idea that Cities Can Become Full
The perception that a city has reached its maximum population and nobody else should be allowed in, or nothing should be allowed to change, is limiting the potential of our cities and increasing housing inequality.

BLOG POST
The Water Wars Are Here, Sort of
Ambiguity in a mid-century water compact has Texas and New Mexico before the Supreme Court.
A Flood Zone Real Estate Boom in Post-Sandy New York
Has New York done enough to continue to build new high-end buildings in flood zones around the city?
When Too Many Farmers' Markets Are Too Much of a Good Thing
Few locations are such a natural fit for farmers' markets as Orange County—but the number of certified farmers' markets in the county are shrinking and others are struggling.
The 'Energy Atlas' of Los Angeles County Lets Planners and Citizens Track Energy Use
"Not knowing which kinds of buildings consume what is like not being able to gauge differences between a diesel truck and a hybrid car."
The Salt Lake City Recipe: Remove Parking, Add Bike Lanes, Watch Sales Increase
A new study of the benefits of a bike lane project in Salt Lake City adds to the body of work suggesting that complete streets overhauls are a good investment for both the public and the private sectors.
Seattle Bikeshare Going Public
The city of Seattle is considering a significant public investment in its bikeshare system, treading where some cities have feared to tread.
Pagination
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul 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.