The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Child-sized pedestrian crash test dummy in front of car being tested

National Crash Testing Standards Could Start Including Pedestrian Safety

The NHTSA is proposing new guidance that would, after years of demands from safety advocates, include pedestrian safety assessments in crash test requirements.

May 24 - Jalopnik

Aerial view of Missoula, Montana

Montana Governor Signs Zoning Reform Bills

Four bills that target housing production promise to streamline permitting processes, reform ADU regulations, and loosen zoning restrictions in commercially zoned areas.

May 24 - The Missoulian

"Bathtub ring" showing low water level on red rocks at Lake Powell, Arizona

States Reach Consensus on Colorado River Deal

The seven states along the Colorado River basin are in agreement over proposed water cuts over the next three years to preserve dangerously low reservoirs.

May 24 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of homes west of downtown Chicago, Illinois

Assessing the Racial Home Valuation Gap

Research shows that homes in communities of color are consistently undervalued by, in some cases, over $1 million.

May 24 - Bloomberg CityLab

Striped crosswalk with yellow pedestrian crossing signs and grassy pedestrian island in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Launches ‘Safety Surge’ Traffic Calming Initiative

The new program targets neighborhood streets for safety improvements such as speed humps and intersection redesigns.

May 24 - Streetsblog Mass


Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24 - GeekWire

Blurred red San Francisco streetcar speeding past tall downtown buildings

Editorial: Newsom Should Fund Ailing Transit Systems

With many of California’s low-income workers dependent on public transit to get to work and run daily errands, the San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board calls on the state’s governor to support faltering transit systems.

May 23 - San Francisco Chronicle


Road sign with EXTREME HEAT ALERT surrounded by orange traffic cones

How Hot is Too Hot?

While they may not sound extreme, temperatures over 90 degrees can easily pose fatal risks and could have long-term impacts on public health.

May 23 - High Country News

View of renovated Greek Revival Carrollton Courthouse at golden hour with new construction building next to it

A Historic Courthouse Becomes Senior Housing

A New Orleans courthouse will now provide assisted living facilities, along with street-facing balconies and a bar.

May 23 - Bloomberg CityLab

rendering of red light rail tran at crowded station platform

Texas Attorney General Calls Project Connect Funding Scheme Illegal

The massive transit project’s unique funding scheme could run afoul of state law.

May 23 - Austin American-Statesman

Orange big rig truck turning on a city street

St. Paul Proposal Would Prohibit Large Trucks From Parking on City Streets

Residents and businesses are calling for a ban on trucks, which are increasingly taking up curbside parking in the city after neighboring Minneapolis instituted a similar rule.

May 23 - Star Tribune

Old single-story home with porch in run-down condition

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses”

HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

May 23 - Shelterforce Magazine

Google street view of multistory brick public housing building in Gilpin Court complex, Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Banks on Private Redevelopment for Aging Public Housing Complex

The city hopes to see a mixed-use,mixed-income project replace the aging, “physically obsolete” Gilpin Court complex.

May 23 - Next City

Google street view of vacant lot used for parking and surrounded by chain link fence and shrubbery in East New York

New Yorkers Need Land. NYPD is Sitting on Nearly 150 Lots.

A new map reveals how much land in New York City is being wasted by city police—often sitting vacant, rather than serving the public good.

May 23 - Shelterforce Magazine

Bird's eye view of parking lot with solar panel canopies

Editorial: California’s Solar Potential Lies in Roadways, Parking Lots

Environmentalists are raising the alarm about massive solar farms in the unspoiled desert. Why not install more solar panels along state-owned highways and in parking lots instead?

May 22 - Los Angeles Times

Makeshift shelter built by unhoused person against a tree using pallets, blue tarps, fabric, and other debris in wooded area in Seattle, Washington

New Federal Program To Support Services for Unhoused Residents

The ‘ALL INside’ initiative selected five cities and one state—California—for its inaugural efforts to offer assistance to homelessness services and help local agencies access federal funding and resources.

May 22 - Smart Cities Dive

View of Colorado River winding through canyon in red rock cliffs against lightly cloudy blue sky

Lower Basin States Closer to Agreement on Colorado River

After a year of contentious negotiations, Western states dependent on the river’s water supply are nearing a deal that would reduce water use significantly over the next three years.

May 22 - The Washington Post

Two-story split lot housing in Houston, Texas with two-car garages

Houston Debates Shared Driveway Requirement

A proposed rule would require developers to build shared driveways for narrow lot projects.

May 22 - Houston Chronicle

View of large empty parking garage

The Softer Side Of Shoupism

Journalist Harry Grabar takes Prof. Don Shoup's economic theories about parking (and over-parking) and illustrates them with compelling—and terrifying—stories about the role parking plays in America's cities.

May 22 - California Planning & Development Report

People on bikes in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

FHWA Issues New Pedestrian, Bike, Micromobility Guidance

The updated federal guidelines incorporate new policies created in the 2021 infrastructure law.

May 22 - Smart Cities Dive

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