The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

A conceptual rendering of a large bus and transit hub in Clearwater, Florida.

Site Location Snafu Puts Clearwater’s RAISE Grant Funding at Risk

Wires were crossed between the city manager and the city council in Clearwater, Florida, though the city is now back on track with a plan that won $20 million in grant funding from the federal government in August.

August 31 - Tampa Bay Times

Protected Bike Lane Los Angeles

Los Angeles to Put Mobility Plan to Voters

The city has made almost no progress on the mobility plan it adopted in 2015. Now, voters will decide whether, and how, L.A. will have to follow through.

August 30 - LAist

United States Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington, D.C.

Could This Supreme Court Ruling Affect Fair Housing?

Experts on housing law discuss the potential repercussions of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the EPA’s authority in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Could conservative judges apply the same rationale to limit HUD's authority?

August 30 - Shelterforce Magazine

The Pearl River floods with brown near downtown Jackson, Mississippi.

Water Supply Failure in Jackson, Mississippi

A catastrophic failure of the water supply in Jackson is leaving state and local officials scrambling to deliver clean water to some 180,000 residents of the state’s capital.

August 30 - Mississippi Free Press

View of houses against backdrop of snowy mountains from across a lake at sunset or sunrise

Utah’s Daybreak Shows a Way Forward for American Suburbs

Suburban dwellers are increasingly calling for more mixed-use development, walkability, and access to transit.

August 30 - Deseret News


Highway Interchange

BLOG POST

Do Highways Frustrate Mobility?

One common argument for highways is that even if they fail to reduce congestion, they allow people to go more places. This claim overlooks the effects of highways on development patterns.

August 30 - Michael Lewyn

One of the "Guardians of Traffic" in Cleveland, a scuplture of a large figure adorning a bridge in Cleveland. Downtown Cleveland is in the background.

Cleveland Ready for Vision Zero

Cleveland is working to become the latest U.S. city to set a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.

August 30 - The Plain Dealer


Passengers line up to board a bus at a bus rapid transit station in Indianapolis.

Bus Rapid Transit Costs More Than Double in Indianapolis

IndyGo is planning changes to the Blue Line. The city’s third bus rapid transit route is turning out to be much more expensive than originally expected.

August 30 - Indianapolis Star

Vacant storefront on a New York City street with For Lease sign

The Future of Ground-Floor Retail

With demand for housing growing and for physical storefronts waning, do the restrictions imposed by ground-floor retail zoning still make sense?

August 30 - American Planning Association

SLOW painted on asphalt street

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Traffic Calming?

Traffic calming is a set of design interventions aimed at slowing or diverting car traffic to reduce the chance of crashes and improve safety for all road users.

August 29 - Diana Ionescu

Car Graveyard

The Beginning of the End of the Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle?

The California Air Resources Board voted unanimously on August 25 to begin a phased ban on the sale of passenger vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel beginning in 2026 when over a third of new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emissions.

August 29 - The New York Times

Texas Sprawl

San Antonio Considering Major Development Code Overhaul

Neighborhood registration and accessory dwelling units are among the hot button items included in a package of 193 proposed amendments to the San Antonio Unified Development Code.

August 29 - San Antonio Report

Victorian homes in Oakland, California

Closing the Homeownership Knowledge Gap

An Oakland program geared at Black homeowners wants to empower households to understand the opportunities in building and renting accessory dwelling units.

August 29 - Next City

Busy restaurant seating on New York City sidewalk during COVID-19 pandemic

Americans Have Fallen in Love With Outdoor Dining

Started as a response to pandemic restrictions, al fresco dining has taken off as customers, restaurant owners, and city officials realize the social and economic benefits of outdoor dining spaces.

August 29 - Boston Globe

Cars on a New York City street

New Yorkers Weigh in on Congestion Pricing

Hundreds of people signed up to speak at the city’s first public meeting on the long-delayed plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan’s Central Business District.

August 29 - Gothamist

A conceptual rendering of a cable-stayed bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Sheboygan River in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

BLOG POST

How Locals Are Planning to Spend $2.2 Billion in RAISE Transportation Grants, Part Two

Part two of a series of post providing specific information for 164 of the 166 projects recently awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE grant funding program.

August 29 - James Brasuell

Cars driving on the American Legion Bridge in Maryland

Maryland Toll Lane Plan Gains Federal Approval

In a victory for Governor Larry Hogan, who has championed the project, the Federal Highway Administration is allowing the Beltway expansion project to move ahead.

August 29 - The Washington Post

Orange Line Bus

Funding for Two Transit Projects Approved for the Valley in Los Angeles

Local funding for a new light rail line and upgrades to the G Line (née Orange Line) bus rapid transit route have been approved for the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

August 28 - Los Angeles Daily News

Chicago Commuter Rail

Alternative Railroad Electrification

Rather than building costly overhead electrification infrastructure to convert a Chicago-area commuter rail line from polluting diesel power to emission-free electricity, the Metra Board of Directors chose a far less expensive and quicker route.

August 28 - Metra

Close-up from ground level of green lawn with colonial house in background

The Declining Appeal of Lawns

Long held as a symbol of middle-class success and the American Dream, homogenous, monocultural lawns are quickly falling out of favor as people opt for more ecologically friendly gardens that conserve water and increase biodiversity.

August 28 - The Washington Post

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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.