The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Uphill Battle Facing Section 8 Recipients

Housing voucher recipients face a gauntlet of challenges when trying to find housing. Nonprofits are doing their best to streamline the process.

February 28 - LAist

 Building in Washington Avenue Historic District

Why a Complete Streets Makeover Went Awry in Philadelphia

The city pulled the plug on a proposed street redesign after community groups criticized the public engagement process for not listening to all local voices.

February 28 - Bloomberg CityLab

View south along Interstate 45 (North Freeway) from the ramp between westbound Interstate 10 and southbound Interstate 45 in Houston, Harris County, Texas

Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities

The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.

February 28 - CBS News

Denver Regional Transit

Underwhelming FasTracks Plan Inspires Transit History Lesson in Denver

FasTracks, one of the most ambitious long-term transit plans in the U.S., has been underway for over 15 years. With the finish line in sight, some locals wonder how useful the new hub-and-spoke system (regional routes connecting to downtown) will be.

February 28 - Denverite

Screengrabs from the Morpholio Trace showing the drawing and annotation tools of the CAD app.

FEATURE

Best Apps for Urban Planning in 2022

Mobile apps continue to redefine the practices of planning—urban planning, regional planning, transportation planning, community planning, and rural planning included.

February 28 - James Brasuell


Mobility App

How One Ride-Hailing Company Is Encouraging a Shift to Micromobility

A small change in the design of ride-hailing apps can make users more likely to choose walking or biking for short trips.

February 27 - Fast Company

Berkeley Hills Bay Area

State Bill Seeks CEQA Exemption for California Universities

A bill introduced in the California legislature would allow public universities to bypass environmental review regulations for student housing projects.

February 27 - Los Angeles Times


COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

'Just Cause' Eviction Laws Gaining Traction Around the U.S.

The Maryland General Assembly is the latest state legislature to consider a new "just cause" eviction law.

February 27 - Maryland Matters

New York Subway Stairs

Subways as Shelters

Subways in Kyiv and Kharkiv are performing as bomb shelters, including the world's deepest station, after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Wednesday night.

February 27 - Quartz

Central Los Angeles

L.A.'s Housing Element, Considered Among California's Most Ambitious, Rejected by State Regulators

The California Housing Department gave credit to Los Angeles for targeting so much growth before telling the city it needed to do more.

February 25 - Los Angeles Times

OCTA Bus

Free Student Transit Now Permanent in Orange County

After a successful pilot program, the OCTA will permanently offer free bus rides to youth ages 6 to 18.

February 25 - Orange County Transportation Authority

Rendering of Proposed Confluence Parkway at Wenatchee River

Rural Washington's Infrastructure Wishlist

Rural Washington communities want to see federal infrastructure funding allocated to projects in the historically neglected eastern parts of the state.

February 25 - Investigate West

Traffic Lights

How 'Liberty Politics' Cripples Road Safety Projects

Some states and cities are citing personal liberty and constitutional rights to oppose automated traffic enforcement and other road safety measures.

February 25 - The Deseret News

Washington

Housing Affordability Crisis Spreading to More Cities

Cities like Spokane, Washington courted new residents and businesses during the pandemic. Now, they're starting to wonder if it was worth it.

February 24 - The New York Times

Seattle Downtown

Seattle Rule Change Makes it Easier to Add Crosswalks

Rather than looking at current pedestrian counts, the city will use a newly developed set of 'pedestrian generators' to evaluate the need for new painted crosswalks.

February 24 - The Urbanist

Intercity Buses

The Road Forward: Cost-Effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport

This new 165-page book, available free, is a resource for identifying practical, cost-effective policies for reducing passenger transport emissions on land, and especially in urban areas.

February 24 - The Road Forward: Cost-effective Policy Measures To Decrease Emissions From Passenger Land Transport

Manhattan Bus

Fair Fares Program Criticized for Eligibility Threshold

Critics of the city's transit assistance program say limiting eligibility to people living at or below the federal poverty line excludes many low-income New Yorkers who depend on public transit.

February 24 - NY City Lens

Maumee River

Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration

An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.

February 24 - Wyoming News Now

New York City Subway Platform

New York Subway Will Pilot Platform Barriers To Improve Rider Safety

After a shocking death and an overall rise in violent crime at its stations, New York City's transit authority will install platform barriers to prevent intentional or accidental falls onto tracks.

February 24 - The New York Times

Hyperloop

Virgin Hyperloop Shifts to Cargo Transport, Lays Off Staff

The company sees cargo as a more promising and cost-efficient use of its technology.

February 24 - The Verge

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.