The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

As abstract as the study of philosophy may seem, it has to take place somewhere. Philosophy professor David Kishik posits that cities have influenced the development of philosophical ideas, from Socrates' Athens to William James' New York.

July 21 - New York Times

BLOG POST

This post discusses the argument that even if Airbnb affects an extremely small portion of the rental market, it still matters because of the low vacancy rates of some cities.

July 21 - Michael Lewyn

The Denver Post reports on a growing backlash against urban renewal authority in Colorado.

July 21 - The Denver Post

The origin story of one of the definitively American typologies—the shopping mall—is one of unintended consequences run amok. Could the next chapter of this story come closer to the author's intention?

July 21 - Quartz

An estimated 35,000 gallons of crude spilled from four of 22 toppled tank cars of a 106-car oil train near Culbertson in northeast Montana on July 16. Unlike other oil train derailments, no fiery explosions occurred.

July 21 - Common Dreams

How much do the challenges of the built environment require a thoughtful and informed media? What is the role of traditional architecture criticism in the world of aggregators, snark, and armchair urbanists?

July 21 - Neiman Reports

FEATURE

Planners will be presented with new challenges and opportunities in a new era of data-enhanced government.

July 20 - Kendra L. Smith and Kevin C. Desouza

The recovery of Las Vegas, hit hard by the Great Recession, resembles the recovery of the rest of the country—uneven and innovative.

July 20 - The Economist

An op-ed by Mayor Bill de Blasio declares that the time has come to regulate transportation companies like Uber.

July 20 - New York Daily News

With backing from Mayor Greg Ballard, Indianapolis' new zoning ordinance has been "tweaked" to allow developers to lower parking minimums if options to reduce driving are provided. Also, EV rift between charging stations and parking spaces reported.

July 20 - The Indianapolis Star

The House passed their patch bill on July 15—it's now the Senate's turn at bat on highway funding. Both houses are controlled by Republicans but they appear to be pitching for different teams. A bill must pass by July 31 or road funding ceases.

July 20 - New York Times

Insightful designers continue to seek a better future for Los Angeles architecture by way of L.A. urbanism.

July 20 - Places Journal

New York City's bike share program, Citi Bike, enjoys a greater percentage of female cyclists that the city as a whole, but still only reaches 25 percent. The problem is typical of bike share programs in the United States.

July 20 - The New York Times N.Y. / Region

BLOG POST

Reid Ewing and Amir Hajrasouliha guest blog about their new article investigating the impact of street micro environments on pedestrian activity.

July 20 - JPER

The "Imagining Livability Design Collection" by the AARP Livable Communities and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute provides a visual portfolio of placemaking solutions that can be implemented quickly, for not too much money.

July 20 - AARP

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, will host a 204-megawatt wind energy facility—the first in a region known for steady coastal breezes. The project is a collaboration of European-based Iberdrola Renewables, LLC, and Seattle-based Amazon.

July 20 - WRAL

Columbus is surprisingly suburban, given that the city is the largest in population in the state of Ohio. Maybe that perception comes from the fact that it’s also the largest in size in the state?

July 19 - The Columbus Dispatch

The city of Portland has allocated funding for the purchase of land reported to be under consideration as the new location of a large homeless camp called Right 2 Dream Too.

July 19 - The Oregonian

California’s drought has the State Water Resources Control Board in "hyperdrive"—rushing to fill the gaps of a historic water-rights system, settle disputes over water use, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable future.

July 19 - The Planning Report

As Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez of the San Francisco Examiner explains, the 'E' Line has only been over three decades in the making. Credit goes greatly to former mayor, now U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, and the tireless work of committed advocates.

July 19 - San Francisco Examiner