The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Yellow electric Blue Bird school bus

Electric School Buses Put Power Back Into Grid

A “vehicle to grid” pilot program in a Southern California school district has school buses doing double-duty as electricity storage.

July 31 - Governing

Trailer Parks

Destigmatizing Manufactured Housing

It’s time to rethink the negative stereotypes and acknowledge the key role mobile home parks can play in solving the affordable housing crisis.

July 31 - The Conversation

Brooklyn, New York City

PLANOPEDIA

What Is Redevelopment?

Redevelopment includes all development projects that build new structures and land uses on a previously developed site. Understanding the nuances of redevelopment is critical for understanding the ways cities and communities change.

July 29 - James Brasuell

Portland

Portland Releases 43-Step Climate Action Plan

A draft plan outlines suggested actions to build resilience, minimize carbon emissions, and protect vulnerable residents from extreme weather events.

July 29 - Smart Cities Dive

Wooden duplex home with two driveways in Arlington, Virginia

Missing Middle Housing as an Antidote to Redlining

New research suggests that missing middle housing could help make more affordable housing available to Arlington residents, particularly Black households historically blocked from homeownership in many neighborhoods.

July 29 - ARLnow


Aerial view of suburban single-family homes

Reimagining the Suburbs

With more people moving away from central cities, we have the chance to avoid past mistakes and redesign the American suburb to be less car-centric and more diverse.

July 29 - Vox

Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles

Mike Davis on Life, Politics, and Mortality

The celebrated City of Quartz author speaks with the Los Angeles Times about activism, climate change, and his decision to stop cancer treatment.

July 28 - Los Angeles Times


Group of children dressed warmly and wearing COVID-19 masks

Families With Young Children Left Cities At Higher Rates During Pandemic

New Census data reveal that families with children under five led the migration out of major U.S. cities between 2019 and 2021.

July 28 - Economic Innovation Group

Civic Center bus terminal in Denver

Major Redesign Planned for Denver-Area Bus System

The Regional Transportation District will make significant changes to bus frequency and routes in an effort to make transit accessible to more Colorado residents.

July 28 - Colorado Public Radio

Color-coded map showing wildfire risk in Oregon

Oregon Issues Wildfire Risk Map

After homeowners received letters assessing their property’s fire risk, questions remain about the next steps in building fire resilience.

July 28 - KTVL

Pedestrian Safety

4 Proven Steps for Improved Pedestrian Safety

Experts from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) present four steps for reducing the number of pedestrians killed by drivers.

July 28 - Smart Growth America

Henan

Clean Air Programs Increase Property Values, Study Says

What’s good for the planet is good for the economy, according to a recent study published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

July 28 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Zoning Code Rendering

Minneapolis 2040 Implementation Allowed to Proceed … For Now

The same judge that blocked implementation of the landmark Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan in June 2022 has allowed a temporary reprieve for planning work in the city to proceed.

July 28 - Star Tribune

Gas Pumps

Is $7 a Gallon for Gas on the Horizon?

Global oil prices may skyrocket when the European Union, which receives about one third of its oil from Russia, enacts a partial ban on importing Russian oil at the end of the year to stop financing Russia's war in Ukraine.

July 28 - The New York Times

Parking Sign

FEATURE

Updated: The Perils of Central Planning for Parking

The California State Legislature is once again considering statewide parking reforms. Planetizen dusted off a Donald Shoup op-ed published last year to once again explain the stakes. While the name of the bill has changed, the terms still apply.

July 27 - Donald Shoup

Dried-up marina at Lake Mead

Report Sounds the Alarm for Western Reservoirs

Without more immediate, long-term reductions in water demand, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the West’s most important reservoirs, face imminent collapse.

July 27 - Salt Lake Tribune

Window air conditioner units on a brick building

Oregon Law Requires Cooling, but Could Leave Many Renters Out

A state bill requiring landlords to allow tenants to install portable air conditioners comes with a raft of exemptions that could restrict the most affordable options.

July 27 - KPTV

Single-family homes in a suburb of Dallas, Texas

North Texas HOA Effectively Bans Section 8 Recipients

Housing and civil rights advocates warn that the community’s rule instituting fines on landlords who rent to housing voucher recipients will disproportionately affect Black families.

July 27 - Texas Tribune

Sprawl

Connecting Land Use and Transportation Planning to Save the Climate

The United States will have to make major changes to long-standing land use and transportation paradigms to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change. How to make those changes was the subject of a recent podcast.

July 27 - The Sustainable City Podcast

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Has No Plans To End Parking Minimums

The city’s latest revisions to its Unified Development Ordinance call for expanded parking requirements near residential neighborhoods.

July 27 - WBTV

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.