The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

People boarding bus at LA Metro Bus Stop, Alvarado Street, Los Angeles

Can L.A. Metro Fund its Fareless Transit Pilot?

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a program that would eliminate fares for students and low-income riders, but the program's future rests on finding sustainable funding sources.

June 6 - LAist

Oakley, Utah Townhall

Water Supply Concerns Prompt Development Moratorium in Utah Town

Oakley, a small town in Summit County, Utah, has paused new development while it redraws its land use map and brings new water supply online.

June 6 - Park Record

Town Homes

Texas Metros Lead Residential Building Permit Activity in 2020; Atlanta, Phoenix Also in the Top 5

A new report quantifies the number of housing units in the development pipelines in metropolitan areas around the United States.

June 6 - Urbanize Atlanta

Raleigh

Planners Working on Parking Reform Legislation in Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina is the latest in a series of cities pursuing a significant departure from the 20th century planning status quo.

June 4 - The News & Observer

Home For Sale Signs

A Key Housing Market Metric Hits Uncharted Territory

The nationwide house price-to-rent ratio has hit its highest level since 1975.

June 4 - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis


Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4 - The Seattle Times

Al Fresco Streets

Outdoor Dining Debate Heats Up as New York City Opens Up

A study, a debate, and an awards show—all included in the wild west politics of parking in the Big Apple.

June 4 - New York Post


Building Heights and Step-Backs

PLANOPEDIA

What Are Height Limits?

Height limits are a critical component of almost every zoning code in the United States.

June 3 - James Brasuell

Sports Utility Vehicle

For Transportation Justice, Auto Safety Must Protect People Outside the Car

Light trucks are killing more pedestrians than ever while keeping their drivers and passengers safer. Is it time to reframe safety regulations?

June 3 - Treehugger

Willowbrook, Los Angeles,

South Los Angeles Park Offers Hidden Benefits

Not only does the redevelopment of a large section of Earvin Magic Johnson Park in Willowbrook offer much needed green space and new amenities, it also helps to conserve water and improve water quality.

June 3 - Los Angeles Times

Main Street, Loganville, Georgia May 2017

Planning a New Downtown in a Small Georgia Town

At a recent town hall meeting in Loganville, Georgia, local residents and stakeholders proposed ways to revitalize the city's downtown and build improved amenities for the city's residents.

June 3 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Girl Friends

Better Public Spaces for Teenage Girls

A growing design movement seeks to provide parks and playgrounds that meet the unique needs of teen girls.

June 3 - Bloomberg CityLab

China Bikeshare

An International Comparison of Transportation Modes

Access (the ease of reaching desired destinations) is a key factor in transport, sustainability, and urban planning. This new study applies multimodal accessibility analysis to 4 modes in 117 cities in 6 countries, illustrated graphically.

June 3 - NPJ Urban Sustainability

Divine Lorraine Hotel

Opinion: Stop Treating Philly's Historic Buildings Like a Burden

Despite the historic importance of a vast majority of the city of Philadelphia's buildings, demolitions are happening at a faster rate than ever.

June 3 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Interior of taxi with driver in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Human Movement, Captured by a 'Very Clear' Mathematical Law

The "universal visitation law of human mobility" documented in a newly published study in Nature offers predictive power for urban mobility in addition to empirical validation of Central Place Theory.

June 3 - Vice

The image shows a portion of the African American neighborhood that was overrun by white rioters May 31-June 1, 1921. With force of numbers and superior weapons, they defeated the black defenders in a number of engagements.

BLOG POST

The Tulsa Race Massacre: A Century Later

On the hundred-year anniversary of the violence that destroyed Tulsa's "Black Wall Street," the country is finally reckoning with the legacy of one of the most destructive racially motivated riots in U.S. history.

June 3 - Diana Ionescu

Magnolia Gardens

New Tool Aims to Make Parks More Resilient to Climate Change

The interactive mapping platform helps park managers understand the risks in their area and create long-term resilience plans.

June 2 - Next City

Electric Cars

American Jobs to Build Electric Vehicles Excludes Miners

Mining jobs needed to produce the metals for processing into battery parts used to build electric vehicles in America will not be developed in the U.S. but in Australia, Brazil and Canada, mainly to avoid battles with environmentalists.

June 2 - Reuters

West 72nd Street

BLOG POST

Learning About the City by Running for Office

When you are trying to get people's attention, a city feels very different.

June 2 - Michael Lewyn

Alternative Pedestrian Walkway, 60th Avenue, Portland

Portland Installs 'Alternative Pedestrian Walkway'

The walkway is simpler and faster to build than a sidewalk, letting the city quickly and cost-effectively improve pedestrian safety on important walking corridors.

June 2 - Bike Portland

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.