The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
Stopping Climate Change Requires Doing, Not Studying
A $1.1 billion donation to Stanford seeks to mitigate climate change. As impressive as that gesture is, the real solutions to climate change lie in hearts and minds around the world—and not in Palo Alto, California.
Offshore Wind Gaining Support in More States
States traditionally resistant to renewable energy are passing legislation to ease the way for offshore wind production as lawmakers realize the potential economic benefits to their states.
Infrastructure Must Catch Up With Climate Change
The worsening effects of extreme weather events are accelerating the deterioration of critical infrastructure, leaving communities more vulnerable.
$7.3 Billion Federal Resilience Funding Program Announced
The Biden administration announced guidance for $7.3 billion in funding under the PROTECT Formula Program at the end of July.
San Francisco Housing Construction Far Slower Than Other Tech Hubs
Experts blame high land and construction costs and restrictive regulations for San Francisco’s dismal rate of housing construction, which lags behind other fast-growing cities like Austin and Seattle.
Reckless Driving and Illegal Activity Shut Down L.A.’s Newest Bridge
Could the chaos that has plagued the 6th Street Viaduct’s first few weeks signal an opportunity to reimagine its intended uses?
Why Counting Bikes Matters
While many American cities rely on vehicle counts to make transportation planning decisions, most haven’t prioritized counting bikes, leading to underinvestment in bike infrastructure.
Editorial: Why Houston’s University Line BRT Is a ‘Crucial’ Project
The Houston Chronicle editorial board comes out in support of a proposed 25-mile bus rapid transit line, arguing it would provide essential service to transit-dependent residents.
Denver Struggling to Unlock the Potential of Accessory Dwelling Units
Why doesn’t Denver build more ADUs? It’s complicated.
Urbanist TikTok Takes Aim at the Suburbs
Planners are using the popular video platform to explain how car dependence and single-family zoning deepen suburban isolation and affect affordability and sustainability.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie
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.
