The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Halfway between public transit and private cars, new and varying forms of 'microtransit' threaten to out-compete traditional public services. Concerns about equity, inclusion, and employee compensation follow.

May 14 - Human Transit

Evidence is building up that the Brazil's extravagant spending on the World Cup soccer championships last year won’t have the last positive impacts promised by government officials. Next up for Brazil: the Olympics.

May 13 - NPR

Whether driveways are anti-urban or 'anti-pedestrian' depends on how we segregate street uses. As shared spaces where they cross sidewalks, driveways inform the wider question: what makes for a good street?

May 13 - Urban Kchoze

When water policy and land use planning operate in separate spheres, it's more difficult to design for efficient resource use. Better communication is needed in the drought-stricken southwest.

May 13 - Next City

In commemoration of Infrastructure Week, Bookings provides a three-step program to changing the direction on America's bad habits when it comes to infrastructure investment.

May 13 - Brookings Institution

A northbound Amtrak Northeast Regional train derailed after leaving the Philadelphia Amtrak station around 9:30 p.m, on May 12. The scene was called a disaster, with the first of the seven cars that derailed severely crushed. No cause was given.

May 13 - The Washington Times

Amid concerns about lackluster growth, Oregon's Clackamas County plans to create 10,000 new family wage jobs by 2019. But the county lacks the zoned land it needs to accomplish its goals.

May 13 - OregonLive

A well-informed, social media savvy observer is shedding light on a seemingly small change with big impacts on the quality of life available to pedestrians along Oakland's streets.

May 13 - Gejl Accident Attorneys

As Seattle considers a $900 million levy proposed by Mayor Ed Murray, locals are already wondering if new transit investments are precursor of unwanted gentrification.

May 13 - Seattle Weekly

The $100 million investment by Medpace CEO Dr. August Troendle will add a new hotel in addition to office and commercial space to the neighborhood of Madisonville. The deal that enables the project involves a lot of moving parts.

May 13 - Cincinnati Enquirer

After breaking down the reasons why left turns are so dangerous, it's also obvious how difficult a problem they are to solve.

May 13 - WNYC

Yes, there was a conspiracy led by General Motors to replace streetcars with their buses in the 1930s. But streetcars were dying well before then, due to competition with the automobile and other reasons apart from nefarious corporate collusions.

May 12 - Vox

Local port and tourism officials are pushing dual plans to add waterborne transit to Detroit—one proposed ferry route would even connect to Canada.

May 12 - Detroit Free Press

A favorite in Europe but rare in the United States, urban growth boundaries are intended to keep cities compact and hinterlands green. The few American cities with UGB's are trying to figuring out how to use them effectively.

May 12 - ASLA The Dirt

Hartford, Connecticut is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to undo the mistakes of its forebears—in the form of an elevated urban freeway.

May 12 - The Hartford Courant

A new study calculates the national consequences of restrictive housing regulations in three cities: San Francisco, New York, and San Jose.

May 12 - New York Magazine

Expanded use of tax increment financing is on the table in Chicago—a city that invests less than its peers on building and running transit.

May 12 - Chi.Streetsblog

With the recently released America in 2015 report, the Urban Land Institute undertakes a broad survey to discover what Americans are looking for in their communities.

May 12 - Next City

San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, who represents the popular Mission District, has proposed a 45-day moratorium on market-rate, multifamily residential development. A ballot measure is possible.

May 12 - San Francisco Examiner

With the support of its executive leadership, Adelaide, Australia's experimentalist city council has encouraged ephemeral projects to enliven streets. "Splash Adelaide" projects can even override council policy.

May 12 - Citiscope