The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Unlikely Sector Supports Increased California Fuel Taxes

Anti-tax, business groups are backing plans to fill the road budget shortfall by increasing fuel taxes and registration fees, but they want general fund dollars diverted to the road budget as well.

August 25 - Sacramento Business Journal

Report Finds Tremendous Economic Benefits From Indy's Cultural Trail

A $63 million investment to build the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis has returned $1 billion in increased property value and other economic benefits since 2008.

August 25 - The Indianapolis Star

Atlanta's Midtown Achieving 'Tech Hub' Status

Companies looking for creative class cache have begun to locate in Atlanta's Midtown and spilling over into neighboring districts.

August 25 - Upstart Business Journal

Federal Bill Would Enable Waterfront Community Resilience Planning

A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate provides a model for how the federal government could support resilience planning in waterfront and coastal communities.

August 25 - APA Policy News

Light Rail Extension to South Sacramento County Opens Today

Observers are closely monitoring whether a hotly contested light rail extension into Elk Grove and South Sacramento County lives up to its promise.

August 24 - Sacramento Bee


Gray Wolves Return to the Golden State—After 91 Years

Two adults and five pups have been photographed in Northern California by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They are protected by the federal and state Endangered Species Act, which is credited for their return.

August 24 - San Mateo County Times

Open 7 Months Ahead of Schedule: Mesa, Arizona's Light Rail Extension

The Valley Metro Rail system launched a new light rail extension over the weekend that connects the city of Mesa into Phoenix, Tempe and to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

August 24 - East Valley Tribune


Is the Local NFL Team Hurting the Local College Team and the Local Economy?

Studies show building NFL stadiums drain tax revenues and don't boost local economies. What about NFL teams themselves? Land use attorney (and football fan) Bill Adams argues that they rob support from local college teams and local economies.

August 24 - UrbDeZine

Agritpopia

Building a Better Suburb

Suburbs are changing. Instead of "green lawns, sprawling backyards, and lots of parking for cars," now there are "agri-hoods."

August 24 - Huffington Post Canada

Washington D.C. - The White House

America's Largest 'Crop': the Lawn

A NASA study finds that no irrigated vegetation covers more surface in the United States than the collection of lawns that are so important to the American identity.

August 24 - Fusion

The Passing of One of the Bay Area's Most Effective Bicycle Advocates

Deb Hubsmith, who went from executive director of the Marin Bicycle Coalition to state and federal bicycle advocacy positions, passed away on August 18. She was known throughout California as being a tireless force for the advancement of bicycling.

August 24 - Marin Independent Journal

Julian Castro

An Interview with HUD Secretary Julian Castro

"We use housing as a platform to create greater opportunity in people's lives."

August 24 - The Diane Rehm Show

New York City Public Housing Project

Housing Choice Voucher Holders Still Face Barriers to Mobility

Voucher recipients live in slightly better neighborhoods than the average poor household, but they still live in economically and racially segregated neighborhoods with poor-performing schools.

August 24 - Brookings Institute

Speed Limit

America's Speed Limits Visualized

America's quilt of speed limits now reaches 85 MPH in some states, with increases possible in some western states. MetricMaps has produced a visualization of the top speed limits across the country and even in detail in urban areas.

August 24 - The Washington Post - Blogs

Terror On-Board European High-Speed Train

Massacre on a Paris-bound train was averted in France on Friday due to the courageous actions of three Americans, one in the Air Force another in the Oregon National Guard, who rushed and subdued a Moroccan man armed with an AK-47 and a handgun.

August 23 - The New York Times

Bikeshare on its Way to Honolulu

Bikeshare Hawaii is seeking public input on the technology of choice for the eventual roll out of the city's bikeshare system.

August 23 - KITV4

Santa Monica Route 66

Santa Monica Nixes Mixed-Use Development in Favor of Suburban-Style Office Park

A hotly contested development in the coastal enclave of Santa Monica, CA—soon to be blessed with light rail access to the rest of the region—has produced less-than-ambitious results.

August 23 - Santa Monica Next

St. Louis NFL Stadium Plans Clear Initial Funding Hurdle

A proposal to build a new NFL stadium in St. Louis received its first clearance for tax credits—$15 million from the Missouri Development Finance Board. Additional requests for $17.5 million will follow in 2016 and 2017.

August 23 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Bay Bridge Toll Traffic

When a Freeway Goes Bad

At some point, in places all over the country, freeways stopped working as they were intended. What can be done to improve one of the great frustrations of life with a car?

August 23 - Pacific Standard

Interventions for Urban Youth: Can Summer Jobs and Mentorship Really Affect Violent Crime Rates?

The effects of the program are striking: Sixteen months after the initial lottery, youth offered OSP were arrested for 43 percent fewer violent crimes than the control group.

August 22 - University Of Pennsylvania

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