The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A view of the Cross Bronx Expressway, an elevated highway that allows cars to drive past apartment buildings.

The Case for Urban Highway Removal

Instead of removing urban freeways, which have proven to be destructive to communities and economies—in some cases deliberately so—many cities are expanding freeways in and around cities.

September 12 - The New York Times

Power lines and towers at a substation against a red sunset backdrop

Disaster Averted!

The California power grid withstood its biggest test ever on Tuesday and passed—barely. The only rolling blackouts that occurred during the Stage Three Energy Emergency alert were results of miscommunication.

September 11 - Los Angeles Times

Wyoming

Measuring the Urban Exodus

New data reveals truths about one of the biggest questions to emerge from the pandemic: Did the public health risks and economic disruptions of 2020 and 2021 spur an urban exodus away from the urban cores of large metropolitan areas?

September 11 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Self-Driving Cars

Skepticism for an Auto-Dependent Future

A new book makes the case that the promises of the transportation technology industry will fall short of the needs of cities and the planet.

September 11 - Vox

Dense, run-down apartment buildings in New York City

Can We Prevent Slumlords From Buying More Buildings?

Why should owners of buildings in illegally poor repair be able to buy more rentals? As Washington, D.C. found, it can be a difficult thing to prevent.

September 11 - Shelterforce Magazine


Foggy rural road with power lines and haystacks along the side

Nearly Half of U.S. Traffic Deaths Occur on Rural Roads

A lack of access to public transit, scarcer law enforcement, and reduced access to nearby medical care contribute to more risky behavior and more deadly crashes on rural roads.

September 9 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gray houses under construction

How to Retrofit the Housing Economy

Are policy changes enough to address the housing problems we face?

September 9 - Shelterforce Magazine


Aerial view of elevated Buffalo Skyway freeway in Buffalo, New York

‘Freeways Without Futures’ Spotlights Freeway Removal Efforts

Around the country, cities and states are starting to listen to decades-old demands to remove freeways that have displaced and fractured communities.

September 9 - CNU Public Square

Row Houses at 48th between Walton and Cedar, West Philadelphia

Hands Off the Houses: Can We Stop Speculative Land Grabs?

From the macro scale to the micro scale, there are many ways in which the housing market playing field is tilted toward financial firms—and many proposals for how to start tilting it back.

September 9 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of watewater treatment plant

Where Are American Rescue Plan Funds Going?

Two digital tools track local spending of American Rescue Plan dollars.

September 8 - Brookings

The Ambassador Hotel in San Francisco, California

Evictions on the Rise Among San Francisco Supportive Housing Residents

With COVID-19 assistance programs expiring, tenants of the city’s single-room occupancy hotels face growing eviction rates. Many of them have nowhere to go but back on the street.

September 8 - San Francisco Chronicle

Asphalt parking lot at night with bright lights

California Poised To Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit

A state bill awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature would prohibit parking mandates in neighborhoods within half a mile of transit.

September 8 - CBS 8 San Diego

"QUIET Please be considerate of our neighbors" sign on outside of building with dim light

Houston Doubles Noise Violation Fine

In response to a spike in complaints from people living near bars and clubs, Houston has updated its noise ordinance to raise fines and require additional permits for amplified sound.

September 8 - Houston Chronicle

"Apartment for Rent" sign installed perpendicularly on a while building wall

Single-Family Home Prices Cool, Rents Continue to Rise

Despite a slowdown in the single-family market, record-high rents show no signs of dropping.

September 8 - Globe St.

Automated enforcement sign for dedicated bus lane in Manhattan, New York.

New York To Crack Down on Bus Lane Blocking Violations

The city hopes to improve the speed of its notoriously slow buses by using traffic cameras to ticket drivers who drive or park in dedicated bus lanes.

September 8 - Politico

Rendering of proposed express lanes on I-285 in Atlanta, Georgia highlighted in bright purple.

Atlanta Toll Lane Project Gains Support From Cobb County

The Georgia Department of Transportation is continuing work on an expansion of I-285, claiming the new express lanes could cut travel times by as much as 39 percent.

September 8 - Urbanize Atlanta

Governors Island - South Island Rezoning

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Zoning Amendments?

Zoning amendments change the existing zoning code by either of two methods: changing the text of the zoning code or changing the zoning map.

September 8 - James Brasuell

Apartment buildings under construction with crane.

A Menu of Proposed Housing Policy Reforms

The Mercatus Center published a list of 16 policy recommendations designed to help states clear local obstacles for housing construction.

September 7 - Mercatus Center

Electric Cars

Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?

Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.

September 7 - The Associated Press

A sign held above the crowd at a protest reads "No Pipelines" and "Stop RCMP Invasion on Indigenous Lands"

The Land Back Movement, Explained

A 500-year struggle has gained momentum in the days of social media.

September 7 - High Country News

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.