The Daily Source of Urban Planning News
From 'Traffic' Planning to 'Transportation' Planning: Toronto's Pivot to the Future
Ken Greenberg, the former director of architecture and urban design for the city of Toronto, sits down to discuss how Toronto needs to transform to ensure a less auto-reliant future that serves a changing demographic of younger urban dwellers.
Industrial Chic—Shipping Container Homes
Innovative Idaho developer wants to create a subdivision using shipping containers that will be targeted at eco-conscious home buyers looking for new options, first-time home-buyers and empty-nesters with a sale price: $152,000.
Federal Report Finds Increasing Numbers of Traffic Deaths
With more driving comes a lot more deaths on the nation's roads. The question is why traffic deaths increase at a greater rate than vehicle miles traveled.
Mayor Emanuel Pitches Expanded Density Bonuses in Downtown Chicago
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed an expansion of the city's Downtown Zoning District this week. The changes would allow taller buildings in a larger swath of the city.
Report Supports Road Tolls and VMT Fees over Gas Tax
The Congressional Budget Office takes aim at transportation funding and spending. It notes with alarm a $143 billion federal subsidy since 2008 and recommends charging motorists directly via vehicle-miles-traveled fees and road tolls.
RIP: Boston Dive Bars (1630-2016)
A recent unofficial tally on Yelp found that 20 of the 70 Boston dive bars listed on the site had recently closed. The Boston Globe examines the trend.
Vancouver and Toronto Lead Big Increases in Canadian Housing Prices
The bloated cost of housing in Vancouver and Toronto has raised concerns among market analysts about a potential correction. Presumably, people in Canada are also worried about the price of housing.
Champion of L.A.'s 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Speaks
A longtime Los Angeles journalist has joined the cause of a sweeping anti-growth initiative that has city leaders on high alert.
America's Coast-to-Coast Toxic Crisis
Flint, Michigan is not an anomaly.
So, About That Anti-Inclusionary 'Study'
Last week, I submitted the following letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times in response to a vicious, and more importantly, extremely misleading op-ed that decried inclusionary housing as a development killer.
Friday Funny: Eminent Domain in the Presidential Campaign
A humorous campaign ad targets Donald Trump on the issue of eminent domain.
Friday Eye Candy: India's Rapid Urbanization
Photographer and architect Lars Mortensen captured the new face of urbanization in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi. The scales involved are unprecedented, and rich and poor live in close proximity.
FEATURE
Op-Ed: Let's Build Homes, Not Ideology
Knee-jerk, ideological reactions to the California housing crisis rest on faulty arguments and threaten to cheat the state out of workable solutions.
Parking Minimums Could Torpedo an Adaptive Reuse Project in Cincinnati
A vote by the city of Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board, of all things, would prioritize parking over historic integrity.
What New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Can Learn From New Jersey
Mayor de Blasio wants to build a $2.5 billion, 17-mile Brooklyn-Queens streetcar (BQX). Emma G. Fitzsimmons of The New York Times suggests he look for tips across the River—not the East but the Hudson, at NJ Transit's Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
Socially-Blind Urban Planning
In this era of increased inequality, socially-blind urban planning is morally questionable. Specifically, on the issue of homelessness in America, there are three problems to which planners need to pay particular attention.
Program Protects School Diversity in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
The benefits of diverse classroom settings are well established. How then to protect diversity in schools when the surrounding neighborhood is quickly becoming homogenous?
L.A.'s New Planning Director Vince Bertoni Shares His Vision
The new director of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning arrives at a pivotal moment for planning in the city, as countywide investment in public transit is blowing up and the flames of old development debates are being fanned.
Towards a More Equitable Transit Future
"Next Stop Equity" evaluates the fairness of public transit service allocation and pricing in the Toronto, Canada region, and recommends policy reforms to better achieve social equity objectives.
BLOG POST
Justice Scalia and the Takings Clause
Summarizes Justice Scalia's most important Takings Clause decisions.
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.
