The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Analysis of incremental tax revenues and public service costs of various development patterns in Madison, Wisconsin indicates significant economic savings from more compact land use. Modest increases in density can provide large fiscal benefits.

April 7 - The Fiscal Implications of Development Patterns

The city of New York is still working to support property owners in their recovery from Hurricane Sandy—as well as their preparation for the next extreme weather event. The zoning code is one area in need of improvement.

April 7 - New York Department of City Planning

The Tampa Bay Times dives into New Urbanism with an interview of Jeff Speck and Dvid Dixon about their work on the $1 billion transformation of Tampa's downtown waterfront.

April 6 - Tampa Bay Times

A U.S.EPA list ranks the cities leading the nation with the most energy efficient commercial buildings.

April 6 - U.S. EPA

Public support of people-friendly infrastructure is not automatic. Get your streets right by getting the conversation right. (Includes lots of great shareable graphics.)

April 6 - PlaceShakers

Farmers Markets have exploded over the past decade. This phenomenon has not only brought more vegetables to cities but revitalization in the public.

April 6 - Common Place

BLOG POST

How to generate ideas in planning is a question that many planning students ask. This can seem a mysterious and difficult process. Unfortunately, planning education has not always done a great job of helping students unpack this apparent mystery.

April 6 - Ann Forsyth

The legislature passed a bill on April 2 that bans local governments from banning single-use plastic bags as well as other disposable containers under the premise that it's bad for the state economy, though only one city in the state has such a law.

April 6 - The New York Times

As Los Angeles continues the five-year process of re-writing its zoning code for clarity, one Zoning Advisory Committee member considers who should really care.

April 6 - The Planning Report

The parking-protected bike lane on Reseda Boulevard in the Northridge neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles opened to bicycles on April 2. Also, Detroit broke ground on its first protected bike lanes—with or without the parking protection.

April 6 - Streetsblog LA

Congress just got one or two months of extra breathing room to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent. Heretofore the patch bill was said to exhaust its funding on May 31, but the new word from Transportation Secretary Foxx is that it will be later.

April 6 - The Hill

Of the many reasons why the suburban lifestyle is falling out of favor with young Americans, reliance on automobiles is near the top of the list. Some suburbs are now figuring out that, to attract Millennials, they must also invest in better transit.

April 6 - The Washington Post

A writer for a national environmental publication searches for middle ground in the climate change policy debate.

April 5 - Grist

A new subterranean turbine technology is now generating enough electricity to power 150 homes in the city of Portland.

April 5 - Citymetric

A recent study by the Council of Community Housing Organizations and the Mission Economic Development Agency puts some hard numbers to the displacement forces weeping through a historically Latino neighborhood in San Francisco.

April 5 - San Francisco Examiner

Michigan—the state that spends less per capita on its roads than every other state—just got bad news about the state of its roads. Will it be enough to convince voters to pass a sales tax initiative to generate $1.2 billion in funding for roads?

April 5 - Detroit Free Press

The French Parliament has approved legislation requiring commercial buildings to partially cover their rooftops in either plants or solar panels.

April 5 - Architizer

What follows is a cautionary tale of how quickly downtown investment can go astray.

April 4 - Winnipeg Free Press

Greg Aamot explores case studies from Minnesota of a conundrum that troubles many rural communities: how to house daytime workforces near their jobs, with the benefits in sales and property tax revenue that results.

April 4 - MinnPost

Rent control's heyday came and went decades ago, as free-market advocates won out over long-term renters. With housing prices skyrocketing in many U.S. metros, the benefits of rent control may outweigh the harms.

April 4 - Pacific Standard