The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Renters Predominate in Low-Cost and High-Cost Cities
A report by New York University’s Furman Center found that renters made up the majority of households in nine of the 11 largest cities in the U.S. in 2013, up from five in 2006. The demand is straining the supply of rental housing.
A $3 Billion Proposal to Engineer New Jersey's Passaic River
The Passaic River, upriver from Newark, is a chronic flood threat to the communities along its banks. But a new plan to build a permanent solution could also block access to the river.
Salt Lake City Launches '5,000 Doors' Initiative for Affordable Housing
Over a quarter of families in Salt Lake City pay half their income on rent, and between 2000 and 2011, median home values increased by 47 percent.
Better Bridges: Good for People and for Birds
In a California town, birds are dying, something Daniel Ebuehi attributes in large part to faulty design.
Is California's High Speed Rail the Transcontinental Railroad of its Time?
Journalist Kathleen Sharp, whose great-grandfather worked on the transcontinental railroad, draws comparisons between that epic achievement and the construction of California's high speed rail in this New York Times op-ed.
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Celebrating the Best Complete Streets Policies of 2014
The nationwide trend of cities, counties, and regions adopting complete streets policies continued its momentum in 2014. A new report from the National Complete Streets Coalition surveys the field and decides which is the best of the best.
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Advice for Students: When to Contact Faculty at a Different Institution
With social media and the internet generally making it easy to contact faculty across the globe students are tempted to do so. But when is it appropriate? The short answer is contact them if they request it.
Transitmix Finds Professional Applications, Municipal Partners
Transitmix, an online tool for sketching out and testing fantasy transit routes, has evolved beyond its original mass appeal to become a trusted tool for transportation planners around the country.
How 'Awful Transit Policy' Led a Man to Commute 21 Miles by Foot
Stephen Henderson pens a strongly worded response to the story of James Robertson, who commutes by foot up to 21 miles a day between Detroit and Rochester Hills. Robertson is a source of pride—the transit system that neglects the region, a disgrace.
Midwest Earthquakes Are Redrawing the Risk Map
Setting aside the debate about fracking's responsibility for swarms of earthquakes in states like Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, seismic experts are recognizing a need to rethink building safety.
Phoenix's $30 Billion Wish List for Transportation Spending
Phoenix's transit tax, Transit 2000, will expire in 2020. City leaders have prepared a 30-year plan for transportation to sell the idea of a renewed sales tax. Now taxpayers will have to decide if it’s the right kind of list for the city's future.
Proposed Dallas High Speed Rail Station Hopes to Attract Game-Changing TOD
The Dallas Business Journal provides in depth coverage on the current planning efforts behind two proposed high-speed rail station locations in Dallas.
Albuquerque Set to Update Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code
The city of Albuquerque joins the ranks of the cities around the country overhauling their zoning and planning mechanisms.
Proposal would Lower New York's Gas Prices by Cutting the Gas Tax
Call it $2 gas price envy. Though New York gas prices have dropped $1.20 from a year ago, they are also 25-cents above the national average. State Sen. Jim Seward hopes to spark a statewide movement to reduce prices by reducing state gas taxes.
Asian Cities are the World's Safest
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its Safe Cities Index 2015, finding that Asian cities lead the world in several measures of security.
How New York's Luxury Housing Market Stashes Anonymous Foreign Wealth
The New York Times ran a massive feature documenting the rise of foreign real estate investment in New York City, enabled by the anonymity of limited liability corporations.
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Cities and the Hasselhoff Effect
All of a sudden, the viability of driverless cars seems to be on the rise. It's a worrying notion for anyone skeptical about technology. And yet, this advancement may help cities regain the charm and vibrancy they lost in the automobile age.
5 Ways to Add Density (High Rises Not Included)
In some cities the idea of adding a high rise is always dead on arrival, even if the city desperately needs to add density. For those communities facing similar challenges, a post on Blooming Rock offers five ways to think outside the high-rise box.
Black History Month—a Good Time for Planners to Reflect
Planners have good reason to be thoughtful on the occasion of Black History Month. One blogger offers reflections and insight that should inspire thoughtfulness the rest of the year, too.
Measuring Brainwaves to Map the Stress Level of Bike Routes
Anyone who uses a bike to navigate their city knows that every ride has stretches that are much more stressful than others. A new project collects data from brainwaves to map the stress levels of bikers in New York City.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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.
