The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Bold Plans Unveiled for Converting Durham's Historic Downtown Loop
The city of Durham hosted a public workshop this week to discuss urban design plans for converting a circuitous couplet to a two-way street grid.

Does Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Have a Bicycle Vendetta?
Walker wants to do away with Wisconsin's 2009 "complete streets" law and add a $25 retail tax to anyone purchasing a bike. Could this be because his re-election opponent was a former Trek Bicycle executive, or is he just anti-bike?
The Massive Redevelopment Plans for North St. Louis Failed—What Next?
Detroit has Dan Gilbert, and for a few years, it looked like St. Louis had Paul McKee. Now that McKee's massive plans for the redevelopment of North St. Louis have failed expectations, what has been lost and what, potentially, can still be gained?
Happy Hour Anyone? Mapping Liquor Licenses and Crime in Dallas
Questions of how to regulate the sale of alcohol, how to enforce public intoxication, and whether or not alcohol leads to crime can quickly divide communities into factions. So what evidence exists to help cities answer these questions?
Portland Streetcar Considers Fare Hike, Expanded Service
Long one of the rosiest of transit services in the country, thanks to low fares and its status as progenitor of a streetcar renaissance of sorts, changes are coming to the Portland Streetcar.
Montgomery County, Maryland Rolling Out a Bike Master Plan Update
Just to the north of Washington D.C., Montgomery County will soon begin an update to its Bicycle Master Plan in the hopes of taking advantage of the evolving world of alternative transportation.
Study Finds a New Narrative About Racial Segregation
New analysis of U.S. Census data dating back to 1880 reveals more about the breadth and depth of patterns of racial segregation.
House Passes Two-Month Transportation Funding Patch; Senate Likely to Follow
The House voted 387-35 on Tuesday to extend transportation funding for two months—using the remaining funds in the Highway Trust Fund.
Friday Eye Candy: 'Time-Lapse Mining' Reveals a Changing Planet
Someone's done the hard work of finding, sorting, and stitching together millions of photos from the Internet to create animated portraits of the evolution of places.
Grant Funding Rewards Innovation in Community Engagement
The Citi Foundation and Living Cities announced $3 million in grant funding to help cities adopt innovative practices in community engagement. Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Seattle will have 18 months to empower citizens.

What the New Census Data Reveals About the Urban Suburban Divide
Newly released population data provides entre for a discussion about the nature of cities.

China's Inland Cities Hit Their Stride
China has added to the ranks of the world's megacities at a ridiculous clip. Even so, inland cities have tended to languish in anonymity. With new policies and economic orientations, the Chonquings are starting to compete with the Shanghais.

Glut of Luxury Buildings Blamed for Rising Rents
A Wall Street Journal trend piece argues that a shift toward luxury apartments in cities across the United States is driving up the cost of rent throughout the market.
Questioning the Wisdom of Crowd Funding
After a splashy project recently hit its crowdfunding goals, one write dares to suggest that such fund raising methods might not be the best idea.
Winter's Discontent Found in Architectural Billings Index
The Architecture Billings Index fell for the second time this year, but so far it seems the rough winter is more responsible for the downturn that a potential double dip of the Great Recession.
Fracking Permits Temporarily Halted in North Carolina
Natural gas drilling was recently approved in North Carolina, but new operations are now on hold until the state Supreme Court resolves an issue about the process for appointing environmental review positions.

U.S. Census Releases 2014 Population Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 population estimates shows persistent trends of growth in the Sun Belt along with a few other noteworthy data points.
Omaha Redefines Transit with High Frequency Bus Service
Omaha sets out to prove that strong transit isn't just "a Portland thing or a New York thing."
San Francisco's Luxury Bus Service Shut Down
Leap, one of three luxury commute services competing with public transit in San Francisco's Marina District, has run afoul with the state regulatory system and was forced to shut down until it obtains an operating license.
Environmental Review Backs Flyover Plans for El Tracks on Chicago's Northside
After an initial proposal a year ago, prompting immediate and strong criticism, the Chicago Transit Authority has completed its environmental assessment of a proposal designed to improve service capacity at the infamous bottleneck of Clark Junction.
Pagination
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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