The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Visualizing the Spread of the OpenStreetMap Project

OpenStreetMap has released an animated map to illustrate the impressive growth of the project over the first ten years of its existence.

March 3 - Maps Mania

Expiring Leases Causing Headaches for EV Manufacturers

The Nissan Leaf, the world's best selling electric vehicle (EV), has a major depreciation problem: leasing contracts are so favorable that when the lease expires, dealers return many of them to the manufacturer because of low demand.

March 3 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

1954 Report Explains a lot About Parking Requirements, Shopping Centers

Historic planning documents, like those found in the APA's Planning Advisory Service, are full of lessons about how past planning doctrines failed their intentions, and it's always a good time for planners to re-evaluate their antecedents.

March 3 - Strong Towns

Photo Exhibit Focuses on How Communities Adapt to Climate Change

An exhibit at LA’s Annenberg Space for Photography looks at how different communities are adapting in order to become resilient to the threats of climate change - a review by LA County planner Clement Lau.

March 3 - UrbDeZine

Boise Finding Infill Solutions

An article by Sven Borg for the Idaho Statesmen introduces the concept of infill while also detailing some of the challenges facing a wave of development in Downtown Boise.

March 3 - Idaho Statesman


Another California First: the End of the Carbon Externality for Motorists

California's cap-and-trade market saw its largest carbon sale, $1.02 billion, thanks to millions of motorists now paying about a dime a gallon for the right to emit carbon for the first time since the program began in November 2012.

March 3 - The Sacramento Bee

Crosswalk no daylight

Anatomy of an Unsafe Crosswalk

Streetsblog NYC analyses one of the street design standards in place in New York City that will make it impossible to achieve zero pedestrian fatalities under Vision Zero.

March 3 - StreetsBlog NYC


New Mobile App Alerts Drivers to People on Bikes

A free app, still very nascent in its adoption, alerts drivers to the presence of bikers.

March 3 - The Chicago Bicycle Advocate

Building Material of the Future: Wood

A proposed development in in the North Loop section of Minneapolis would be the first of its kind. According to the architect behind the design, the "T3" project, as its known, could be a harbinger of buildings to come.

March 3 - MinnPost

Downtown Phoenix

Where the United States Is Diversifying the Fastest

The Brookings Institution has been using new media formats to illustrate the striking demographic changes sweeping the country.

March 3 - Brookings

Spain Wants to Crack Down on Drunk Walkers

Officials in the country of Spain have proposed a crackdown on drunk walking. The effect of the law would be to equate the pedestrian's use of the road with the drivers of automobiles.

March 2 - Guardian Cities

Denver Union STation TOD

How Form-Based Ideas Could Transform Community Planning

Let's discuss how community planning could be fundamentally reorganized to improve both efficiency and placemaking.

March 2 - Better Cities & Towns

Los Angeles Releases 20-Year Plan for Mobility

One of the largest ongoing planning efforts in the city of Los Angeles is an update to the Mobility Element of the city's General Plan. A revised version of the draft "Mobility Plan 2035" was released in February.

March 2 - Curbed LA

Norfolk Southern's $2.4 Billion Capital Improvement Plan for 2015

A railroad that spans 22 states on the East Coast as well as in the South and Midwest plans to spend a record $2.4 billion on capital improvements this year.

March 2 - Norfolk Southern

Google Reveals Designs for New Headquarters in Mountain View

The design reveal is more than just a showcase for architects Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Heatherwick. The project also raises tough questions about how far suburban cities in the South Bay Area are willing to go to support the current tech boom.

March 2 - New York Times

Texas Legislators Eye Motor Vehicle Sales Tax For Road Money Grab

Once again, rather than increasing the state's 20-cent gas tax (29 percent below the national average of 28-cents), policy makers seek to divert revenue to the state's ailing highway fund at the expense of the state's general fund.

March 2 - The Dallas Morning News

New Development

ULI Launches Online Housing Resource

The Urban Land Institute just rolled out How Housing Matters, an online portal for news, research, infographics, and multimedia examining how housing affects community health.

March 2 - Architect Magazine

Yuppies are home

Too Much Obsessing over Gentrification?

The recent glut of luxury development, gentrification, and high rents has been frequently condemned. But what factors affecting affordability might that discussion miss?

March 2 - New York YIMBY

Foreclosure Sign

BLOG POST

What Property Professors Are Writing About

A recent property professors' conference discussed a variety of issues of possible interest to planners including tightened home lending standards, municipal policies affecting the homeless, the Fair Housing Act, and inclusionary zoning.

March 2 - Michael Lewyn

McMansions

Does America Still Want Sprawl?

Increased awareness of sprawl’s negative effects has not led to a drop-off in its construction. Developers say they only build what the market demands.

March 2 - The Atlantic

Post News
Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

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.