The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Gowanus Rezoning Clears Post-Approval Legal Hurdle
The saga of the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study, approved by New York City at the end of 2021, continues into the summer of 2022. Opponents claimed the Gowanus rezoning ran afoul of the state’s environment law. A county judge dismissed the case.
Opinion: Beware ‘Gatlinburginazation’
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, located at the western gateway of Great Smokey Mountains National Park, serves as a cautionary tale in the debate about a proposed resort near Slade in Eastern Kentucky.
Surveying the Rising Trend of Office-to-Residential Conversions
With office vacancies climbing and a stubborn supply crunch driving up the cost of housing, some downtowns have emerged at the forefront of a new wave of adaptive reuse.
The Local Causes of Inflation
Although it is widely seen as a national issue, decisions made at the local level often have a stronger impact on inflation than federal policies.
This Street Treatment Fights Extreme Heat
Applied to streets, parking lots, and other asphalt surfaces, a reflective epoxy coating can lower temperatures by as much as 10 degrees and cool neighborhoods vulnerable to extreme heat.
Philadelphia Wants To Address Racial Bias in Home Appraisals
The city convened a task force to assess the state of appraisal bias and recommend ways to improve equity in real estate appraisal.
How Sharrows Became Cycling’s Most Hated Symbol
Originally designed as a low-cost way to encourage safer road sharing between bikes and cars, the sharrow has become a symbol of the lack of commitment to protected bike infrastructure in many cities.
Amazon Plans for More Massive Warehouses
The company is building its biggest-ever distribution centers in New York, Colorado, and California.
D.C. Could Legalize ‘Idaho Stop,’ Ban Right Turns on Red
Proposed legislation would allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and eliminate right turns on red in an effort to reduce cyclist and pedestrian fatalities.
Virginia Using Variable Speed Limits To Reduce Congestion
Experts say reducing speed limits based on traffic volumes can relieve congestion and improve the flow of traffic.
The Benefits of Fare Capping
Fare capping—putting a ceiling on the amount a transit passenger pays in a day or a month regardless of the number of trips—is becoming a popular policy option for transit agencies seeking to increase equity and bring back riders.
BLOG POST
Short-Term Renters Matter Too
Government hostility towards short-term renters rests on the assumption that if you aren't a long-term renter, you must a tourist. But permanent residents of a city might need short-term housing as well.
Advancing Parks and Recreation Through Storytelling
July is Park and Recreation Month and this year’s theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” One way for park and recreation professionals to rise up is for them tell their stories.
Massive, Vacant L.A. Hospital To Become Affordable Housing
The historic building will be redeveloped with over 500 housing units and supportive services on site.
FEATURE
'Inflation Reduction Act' a Mixed Bag for Climate Action, Planning Innovation
A roundup of all the emerging news and commentary regarding the Inflation Reduction Act, which last week broke through a Congressional roadblock to resuscitate some, but not nearly all, of the Build Back Better legislation that failed in 2021.
Report: Milwaukee Racial Homeownership Gap Increasing
The inequality in the city’s housing market is growing at a rate surpassing other peer cities.
Playgrounds as an Essential Amenity
A London organization is working to bring ‘adventure playgrounds’ to park-poor neighborhoods, arguing that outdoor play is a key factor in child development.
In Battery Park City, Public Infrastructure Meets Climate Resilience
A massive project underway in Lower Manhattan seeks to protect the shoreline from future flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.
PLANOPEDIA
What Is GIS?
GIS software, which combines location information with data about a range of other attributes, has become an indispensable tool for mapping and spatial analysis in urban planning and dozens of other fields.
Louisiana Road Safety Plan Highlights Impaired Driving, Reckless Behavior
The plan focuses traffic safety efforts on distracted and impaired driving, seatbelt wearing, and speeding, with a small nod to infrastructural factors.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
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.
