The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
'General Welfare' for the Next Generation
The "health, safety, and general welfare" of our communities are poorly served by the outcomes of the status quo.
San Francisco Rebooting its Airbnb Regulation Efforts
Despite approving legislation to regulate short-term rentals in October 2014, San Francisco must go back to the drawing board to find legislation that works. Stay tuned.
On the Creative Neighborhood's Two Basic Forms
Richard Florida discusses a study comparing the neighborhoods that house "creative" industries. Science and tech tends to favor low-density office parks, while arts and cultural industries prefer mixed-use urban districts.
Amtrak Resumes Full Service on Northeast Corridor Today
Six days after one of Amtrak's worst derailments that resulted in the deaths of 8 passengers, service will resume on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest train route in the U.S. Amtrak #188 had accelerated to 106 mph as it entered a curve on May 12.
Nebraska Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto to Hike Gas Tax
Thirty votes were needed on May 14 to overturn Gov. Pete Ricketts veto of the six cents per gallon gas tax hike approved by the state legislature, and that's just how many Sen. Jim Smith received. South Carolina may be next.
Stiff Opposition to San Diego Mixed-Use Mega-Project
In February, the city council approved One Paseo, a 1.4 million-square-foot mix of offices, residences, retail, and entertainment. The project's detractors have forced a referendum, putting a kink in San Diego's urbanist planning ambitions.
Silicon Valley Cities' Complex Relationship with Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley isn't just an industry. It's also a place. Actually, a series of places. The dozen or so cities that make up the valley are increasingly wary of the corporate behemoths that are constantly expanding within their city limits.
Mayoral Op-Ed: U.S. Needs to Play Catch-Up on Transportation
Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York and Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City say federal dollars are the only way to restore crumbling infrastructure. China and Europe are investing heavily, while U.S. rates are at a 20-year low.
7 Lessons in Park Planning from the APA National Conference
What’s new in environmental planning, the value of multi-functional urban parks, and the importance of providing open spaces for an aging population discussed at a recent conference stood out to planner Clement Lau.
Op-Ed: Charge Drivers by the Gallon, Not by the Mile
Ben Adler of Grist makes a convincing case of why we should stick with gas taxes and not switch to a road usage charge, as Oregon will do July 1 in a limited program. Tax what you burn, not by how much you drive, he argues, to get the best results.
How Urban Diversity Equals Neighborhood Segregation
Statistics sage Nate Silver crunches the numbers illustrating the relationship between U.S. cities' overall diversity and their neighborhood diversity. His conclusion: the greater diversity, the greater the segregation.
USGS Map Archive Now Easily Accessible
The U.S. Geological Survey has introduced topoView, an intuitive map-based tool making it far simpler to search and access its archive of 178,000 topographical maps dating from 1880 to 2010.
Montreal Debates Tolls or Mileage Charges to Finance Bridge Construction
A powerful realty group fears tolls will 'marginalize' downtown Montreal, so they propose a regional kilometer-traveled-fee to finance the new Champlain Bridge.
154 Cities Earn Marks in Updated Bike Score Rankings
Walk Score released an updated ranking of the best cities for biking—including Bike Scores for a total of 154 U.S. cities—in time for Bike to Work Week and National Bike Month.
Controversial Wyoming Law Prohibits Data Collection on Open Lands
It might take a law degree to separate fact and fiction about the law, but Wyoming has gone to new lengths to limit the access of researchers, including Jane and John Q Public, to data found in open spaces.
Los Angeles Searches for Improvements to the Much-Maligned Pershing Square
A series of public outreach events are being held in Pershing Square to determine how to make the park more engaging. Live music and fewer physical barriers to entry are among the ideas suggested.
California Transportation Spending Gets Boost from Budget Revision
A short term increase in spending hides California's annual structural deficit of almost $6 billion—money needed to maintain the state's roads and bridges.
A New Approach to Flood Control Makes 'Room for the River'
A radical approach to flood control in the Netherlands will expand the flood plain of the River Waal while also creating new neighborhoods where people can live and work.
Will Young Families Stay in Cities?
With their reputation for decent schools, lower crime, and affordable housing, suburbs can be an attractive prospect for young families. Can cities retain that demographic? Should they?
Demolitions Increased After Vancouver's 'Heritage Action Plan' Took Effect
Vancouver, British Columbia's Heritage Action Plan went into effect in January of this year. According to an article in the Vancouver Courier, the policy has failed to achieve its intended goals.
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
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.
